Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-12-09
Creston Soloonist Sets Example
for Others of His Kind.
WHAT COULD BE DONE IN OTIUMWA
If the saIoonkeepers of This City
Were to Donate $500 Each to the
Poor Ottumwa Would See an Excep-
tionaIly Merry Christmas This Year.
$1,000 for the poor.

$3,10O for the poor.
This is the amount that could be
collected from the saloon keepers of
Ottumwa and turned over to a benev
client society such as the philanthropy
ic department of the Ottumwa Won
ans club for the use of the poor fam
lilies of Ottumwa during the winter
which is today making itself felt by
means of the heavy snow if the OF
tumwa saloon keepers should view
their business as does Ed Derr of
Creston, proprietor of saloon
there, who yesterday deposited in the
Creston national bank to the credit of
the Ladies' Benevolent society 500 in
cash to be used for the purpose of buy
ing the necessities of life for some of
the poor families of Creston.
Mr.. Derr is not reformer, evil
IDENTIFY, nor has ne suddenly become
impressed with the idea that he should
conduct a saloon for the benefit of the
| poor, but as he states in letter to the
1 Creston Advertises. in which he mott
/ fies the paper of the gift. he believes
1 that during the past year he has re-
! ceived money which rightly should
I have gone to buy bread for hungry
women and children, and now, as win
1 ter comes on. he is ready to make
! amends, at least in part.
Ottumwa's Saloons.
There are thirty-one saloons in OF
| tumwa, and ifstheir proprietors should
Il be smitten by their consciences only
half as hard as was Mr.. Derr, the
amount resulting would be S1,550, an
amount that would make scores of
l lot, al loo
there will be hunger, degradation, i'll
ness perhaps, because of the lack of
/ food and the wherewithal to buy 1t
Scores of housewives who toll from
morning till night over the wash-tub
earning money to exc out scanty liv.
!, ing for themselves and their children
would weep tears of joy should Ottum
was saloon-keepers decide to make q
Christmas present of $50 or S100 each
to the poor Many a man whose eve
ry cent goes for liquor and whose fam
lily goes hungry might thus, as by nc
other means, be shown the error Of
his way and led to repent. Many 8
Merry Christmas would echo from
; door to door in the squalid neighbor
hoods where want is constant tenan
and happiness is almost an entire
.. heart would be gladdened by the sigh
of gaily dressed doll or toy gun
whereas, if Ottumwa's Christmas thi!
year is like those of previous years
} the glorious Christmas morning vii
be welcomed no more gladly than thu
!. day before, the day after, or any othe
day. for there will be no distinction.
Mr.. Derr's Letter.
The letter written by Mr.Derr to tn
. Creston Advertiser is as follows:
"Creston, Ia, Dec. 5, 100:
editor Notwithstanding full
convinced that the liquor traffic is tn
cause of a great deal of misery an
/ suffering, causing many families to b
without the necessaries and comfort
\ of life. I am also convinced that tn
mulct law is a great improvement owe
< bootleggers and holes in the walls,an
is legalized by the state. Therefore
have engaged in the liquor traffic, blu
have always done my best to live u
to the mulct law. refusing to sell t
!, minors, habituaI. drunkards on person
4 intoxicated BGtifeeling satisfied ths
z i have received money during the yea
that should have gone to furnish foo
. and clothing to number of poor fan
lilies and by the wise decision of tn
n courts | have been protected in havin
my leg pulled, and / have therefore d,
al posted one hupdTe doll lars in d
4 sCreston National Bank to credit
\ the Ladies' Benevolent society for til
!. benefit of the poor at Creston. and 6
+ any time the courts find me guilty {
violation of the law by reputable wi
q nesses, / am readysto close mYsdoor
"a ws# M NE. DERR,
t Why Not ottumWa? "
y IF this man can afford to Civ
away $500 when he is conducting hi