The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1899-10-28
Observation-Disclosures
) NOVEL RIVAL TO
5 THE LIQUOR SHOPS;

Practical help to the poor, the ig-
norant, and the SHINING. this is the
watchword of the day. The latest
evidence of its working in the East
Side of New York is the establishment
of tea-saloon at rs Allen street. The
Church Army is sponsor for the new
undertaking, which is managed by
Colonel H. H. Hadley. an enthusiast
tic worker in humanitarian affairs.
Colonel Hadley has many sympa-
thizers in his belief that hundreds of
people drink beer because it is the
drink most easily obtainable, and that
if other liquids were as cheap and as
easy to get, the consumption of intox-
icating drinks would be greatly re-
duced. This is the experiment being
tried at The Open Door, which is the
name OF the new temperance venture.
The house taken for the mission was
one of the worst homes of vice in the
crowded ne1ghborhood. 1t was used
to conceal so many kinds oflaw-break-
ing that its frequenters had to be pro-
i-cted from visits of the police by
system of private alarms. In addition
to this they had secret means of
egress, SO that escape was possible in
case of a raid. Colonel Hadley secured
three years lease of this disrepu-
table building, cleared it of its old
tenants, freshly painted the dingy in
terror, and wrought material as we'll
1 as a moral transformation. The first
floor of the building was altered from
a bar of the lowest order, where crime
and hatred were nursed, into the hui
The effect of bar is still retained, but
over the shining counter no more del
eterious drink than well-made tea
ever passes. The equipments which
rest Oh the counter as accessories
to the drinks are bowls of sugar,
pitchers of cream, and saucers of sliced
lemon. Tea is served either hot or
cold, to suit the desire of the patron,
and it is also supplemented with q
sandwich or piece of pie or cake.
The prices charged for these enjoy
ments range from one cent for plain
tea to five cents for tea with solids,
and the price is the same whether the
beverage is hot or iced. As it is the
custom in the neighborhood where the
tea saloon is established for families
to use the "growler" for bringing
drink from the saloon to the home,
Colonel Hadley has tea on draught to
sell by the quart for outside consump-
ton. He has even planned an i'm
proved can for carrying it, with central
compartment for tea and an outside
one for ice, with faucets arranged for
drawing off either tea or ice water.
In the back of the tea-saloon is ar
ranged an assembly, DOM, where it is
the custom to hold mission meetings
every evening, consisting largely of
attractive music, and into these meet
ings the patrons wander in increasing
numbers. Upstairs the house is divi-
ded into twelve rooms, oil of which
are furnished, aud are rented to de-
sirable applicants at one dollar a week.
The tea-saloon is open from a. m.
to midnight; its patrons are increas-
ing daily; and it is expected that it
will be formidable rival to the liquor
saloon, and will prove the strongest
weapon against alcoholism that phi
lanthropy has ever welded in defence
of the weak and ignorant. Harper
| Bazaar,