The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-09-05

1890 - JUG IL
tamed the demon rum a year and
thirty days, served blessed booze with
doxology chasers, and gave up ex-
hausted. & --5, a,
Mr.. Skidmore, whose motto is bus
1ness IS business met the President
oItDe Subway Tavern Company at
II o'clock this morning, and at ii:03
was boss OF the Potter experimental
station for the spiritual refreshments
Of the poor man at his beer. Mr.. Skid
more issued orders concerning the fu-
ture policy Of the place. The lone
bartender digested Mr.. Skidmore's in
structions, and 10 the questioning Of
the curious he remarked, shooting
his chin over the bar: Went away;
went away. We've cut u the doxol-
ogy and the lallapalooZahs. We're
on de level, and we won't stand for no
Kidding. See"
Some time afterward the beautiful
one was sitting in the Office of the
Order of Acorns. A preacher, travel
ing incognito, called upon him there
to inquire if it were true that the
Subway Tavern had cashed in; If
there were no hope. Mr.. Johnson
said, sadly, there was none. To the
low music of the Johnston patented
g~raphophOne (for encouragement OF
the harmony in the home OF the
lOwly) the great oak sang his swan
song. 1t was true, he said, thai the
venture mad been a losing game from
the start. There were numerous rea-
sons for the failure. First of all, Ne"
York is full of sinful gin mills that
| 49, Ill. - -~oI~ 18th +h1 nvnicn In III
and get the goods twenty-fOur hours
| out every seven days. Never, said Mr.
| Johnson, did the tavern open OF a
| Sunday or sell in forbidden hours.
| DROVE AWAY GOOD MONEY.
In these wicked saloons, said Mr..
| Johnson, the favored customer was
the person who entered all lighted up.
| He was meat for the foxy rum dealer,
who rrofited largely from selling tap
Ered drinks I'VE allow a
succession of drinks" said Joseph.
land we never got the drinker to the
point where he became reckless OF bis
money. Just as soon as he became
profitable to us we sent him away with
q blessing
Most potent of all causes OF failure
the Great a thought, was the dlsll-
clination of the plain man dallylne
with a mug of ale to being rubbertC
Ey delegations of w. c.. T. U. Toe
much publicity had helped put a GRIM!
in the tavern's business. Through the
watermelon attachment would come q
bunch of ~spectacled summers, nOddlng
approval at the soda water guzZlers
and the ginger ale slaves. They woulc
observe Mike with a schooner in from
of him.
"What?" they would say, 'is thai
Door man with the red S and tn
frowsy whiskers drinking liquor ir
this, the place the bishop opened? On
isn't that too bad
Mike said Mr.. Johnson stood 10
tu4t a long time, but the novelty O
being a horrible example wore Off ant
he gave his custom to he Bower!
Joints, where he got third-rail rye bl
could loaf in peace. Mr.. Jonnsol
thought that inexperience in the man
agement might have had somethln'
to do with the passing of the grea
idea. AS for himself, he had Away
the high ideal set by Bishop Potte
in front of him, but it was hard to IN
iect that idea into the low-broWet
ones that tapped the kegs and do N
sweeping out.
BARTENDERS DIDN'T LIKE 1T.
Bartenders became peevish Wnel
they were told that a job in the tay
ern meant the simple life for them
and that if the beautiful one coul
not go through a day mildly soused
resigned on the spot. Mr.. Johnson Sc
riously injured his eyesight keeping
/ cases on the cash register. These were
/ days that tried mems SOU.
! Still another reaon the tavern III
not prosper was its unfaVorable ioca
ton. Night birds seldom fly farthe
south than T~wenty-third street, an
, the Bowery has an air-tight cinch 9
RI the can trade. In a populous sectlo
said Joe, things might have been-nu'
, oh. what was the use?
Later. be gave out a formal state
ment THE promoters must expires
their gratitude to Bishop Potter, VIC
, braved a flood of publicity by lendin
+ his sanction to the enterprise and Wh
= suffered a flood of the most intemoel
ate abuse from those who We're lgnol
Il ant of conditions in New YORK CIT
-conditions which still imperativel.
s. demand a better regulation of the IL
+ ouor traffic. There would have bee
, some slight excuse for this vltupera
!, ton had it come from men Trying q
honestly and as courageously as he t
solve this burning problem-simrl
: the problem of the recreation OF IN
FL poor"
Mr.. Johnson said that about $1,000
r had been dropped in the experln1el
of mixing pure rum and religion. :
the outset $40, 900 vas put up by
i Fulton Cutting, R. Bayard Cutt:n
: Herbert Parsons, Acosta Nichols, }.
Farnsworth, E. R. l.. Gould, Harve
r +. Luce. and Albert M. H~irschfe'd
: When that went Johnson secure
about $4,000 more to keep the taveI
running. 1t was not any use. III
Subway Tavern Company decided
20 out of business some weeks ag
and Skidmore, who had run the rat
skeller proftably, was given n hr
& chance. Bishop Potter never a
a cents worth of interest in the taver
said