Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1906-10-31
CLOSING MILFORD SALOONS
CAUSES Much EXCITEMENT
ITS EFFECT BEING WATCHED WITH INTER
EST IN SMYRNA AND THROUGH STATE.
Milford "Dry" For the First Time Ia Its HIS
0try-hotel Proprietors Said to Have
Discontinued Their Buss Service.

OUy-uOtcl rEOpTtctOIS OAHU u nave
Discontinued Their Buss Service.
Says the Wilmington Sunday Star:
There is much excitement in Milford
owing to the action of the Kent Coun-
ty court Friday in revoking the |
licenses of the two hotels located in |
the Kent side of the town, after the
proprietors had been fined for viola
tion of the screen law, to which charge |
they had pleaded guilty. There are
three hotels in the town, and as the
court sitting at Georgetown refused to
renew the license of the Windsor
Hotel, situated on the Sussex side of
the town, Milford went dry Friday
night for the first time in her history.
. The habitual DRINKS gathered in little
groups angrily denouncing those who
had led the fight to yoke the licenses
sober for the first time In years. Not
all persons realize the forces and mo.
tives back of this movement. 1t is not
a fanatical temperance crusade as such
movements ara ordinarily conducted.
For several years the papers have been
filed with descriptions of the lawless-
ness and disorder of the country towns,
particularly on Saturday evenings.
Besides this, liqnor contributed to the
debauchery of the electorate, and it's
power is employed by the politicians
of both parties. Some months ago
several business meu W re discussing
the conditions, the extent of drunken
less and its economic loss to the COM
munity, as we'll as its moral aspects,
when proposition was made to under
take the work of closing the bars of
the town. Arrangements were entered
into with d. @. Gibboney, of Phila-
delphia, to send a number of his most
trusted detectives to secure the evil
dence which everybody knew could be
had, but which, owing to the nature of
the case, could not be secured by any
resident of the town.
Every Saturday Detectives Journey to Milo d /.
Every Saturday for many weeks four
or five of these detectives iourneyed to
Milford to spend Sunday. They were
good fellows who liked the town.
Consequently they had no difficulty in
purchasing all the liquor they wanted
on Sunday; and of course they had nc
difficulty in getting the names of the
lOaoI fha of ha 10
who were served. The convictions
which resulted in forfeiture of the
licenses were for violations of the
screen act, but there was wealth o.
evidence to prove to each a greater
violation of the law. Sunday was
good business day and there is thu
best authority for the statement tina
one of these places took over the bal
from $25 to $50 every day the people
were on their way to church aud th
children were going toSunday School
and the worst feature was that boys il
their teens were in large number
spending their Sundays in the littl
rooms behind the bars. Saturda
morning the proprietors, acting i
concert, sent no buses to meet til
trains. Threats have also been mad
that they will not receive the teacher
when they come to the institute i
December. This attitude is regarde
by the temperance people as proof
their contention that these. hotels ar
are in fact merely saloons aud that til
proprietors regard the entertained
of guests as mere act of grace O
their part. How this punishment G
the travelling public will assist them
again securing licenses is not eviden
But there is movement on foot
meet these conditions. free bus wi
be run, and if the hotels refuse to r
ceive and entertain guests, accomod
tions will be provided. The teache
when they arrive at the institute w
be taken into the homes-all of WIFI
will not enhance the value of hot
properties.
Movement Spreading 10 Kent and Sussex
This movement is spreadi
throughout Kent and Sussex 1t 9
pears not so much desire for to
prohibition as it is an effort to put do
astate of widespread debauchery, shi
lessness; increasing crime, suffer-
and poverty. When a careful estims
places the sum that passes over I
bars of Milford in year at $50,
and when it is remembered that this
small community of limited veal
one motive for the action of the M
ford people becomes apparent.