The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-28
MAYoRESS OF BROWNvILLE.
HOW SHE TRANSFORMED A SALOON
INTO A MISSION HOUSE.

In the Largest Purely Jewish Set
Element in America, Miss Mayer
Has Accomplished a Very Remark
able Work, and as she Is Now But
Sixteen Years of Age It's Probable
Her Fame VIII Increase as Time
Goes on.
New York. Jan. 26.-Although Lydia
Mayer of Brownville, L. l., may not be
as much of heroine as was Joan of Arc,
in her time she accomplished something
that promises well for her future being.
She is only 16 years of age. She has
transformed a saloon into what may for
want of better name be termed mission
house. 1t is true mat in achieving this
she has had assistants, but it was she
who inspired and organized them, and
above all it was she who conceived the
original idea.
Brownville is the largest purely He
brew settlement in America. 1t has a
population of $4,000 and within its limits
are saloons enough for such number
perhaps more than enough, AS rule,
the Hebrews are abstainers, but as they
are chiefly engaged in the manufacture
of clothing there naturally occur strikes
among them now and then. During such
times the strikers make the saloons their
headquarters, and spend more money in
cigars and larger beer than is pleasing TO
their families
Lydia Mayer has three brothers, who In
the strike of October last spent most of
their ample leisure in the Crescent Cafe"
1t was convenient to their residence and
it possessed such attractions for idle young
men as billiard boards, roulette table
(though that was not the name they gave
iO and the seductive game of pinochle.
Now, although Lydia is only few months
over Is, she is secretary of the Beth Sarah
Club, and she is so practical that after
deciding that a certain thing is either
bad or of no use she takes steps to have
it disappear She entertained a strong
dislike for the Ccrescent Cafe. she
thought it was too near her house, and
when she saw her brothers growing par
tial to 1t she wrote to the License Com
missioners informing them that five sa-
looms were too many in a suburban block.
The commissioners thanked her kindly for
the information and promised to consider
the matter, but they did nothing.
Lydia next moved a resolution in her
club to the effect that the Crescent Cafe
was situate within the forbidden distance
from a church or a school, which reSolu-
ton was carried unanimously and for
warded to the commissioners, who, how
ever, took no action. This neglect anger
ed Lydia, and so what did she do but take
the stump and with other women and
girls who believed in her raised such an
awful commotion in Brownsville that the
politicians got scared.
Look here" they said to the commits
sioners, those chits of girls-confound
them-have fathers and brothers and
sweethearts, and they'll just swamp us
at the coming election if you don't do
something"
The Crescent Cafe was on one pretense
or another deprived of its license, after
which its late proprietor went to Lydia
with tears in his eyes.
81 have a wife and seven children" he
pleaded, land 1 can do nothing but keep
a saloon"
Perhaps you only think So" said Ly-
dia; what is the matter with keeping a
Mission House? %
The saloon man gasped and echoed, "a
Mission House!'
Il don't mean a Mission House for the
conversion of people," she said, "or any
thing like it, Let me explain"
This she did so lucidly that the saloon
keeper sold his bar fixtures and bought
tables and chairs and knives and forks
and crockery, and scattered books and
periodicals over a hall that vas wont
20 resound with the clink of g,ass and the
disputes of political economists, and be-
hold he is making more money dispens-
ing rolls and coffee in the Crescent Mis-
sion" than he used to make in retailing
beer AS for the Crescent Mission it real
ly does not stand at the corner of Pitkin
and Sackman streets for the conversion
of anyone in particular, as Miss Mayer re-
marked The Jewish rabbi drops in and
breaches there when he feels like it, and
is not at all put out if the denizens con-
tinue playing their checkers or reading
their papers while he holds forth; neither
does the neighboring Congregational min
lister when he visits the place now and
then; neither, in fact, does the strike
leader, nor the capitalist clothing manu-
facturer, for it is really Liberty Hall