The Penn's Grove record., 1908-05-01
PENIS GROVE LICENSE GRANTED
After Hearing Testimony Against the
Application of J.. q. French

Application of j. q. French
The hearing given the remonstrant
against the granting Of any license il
Penn's Grove drew many to Salem Court
House Tuesday, either as witnesses or al
interesting spectators.
Witnesses testified that the hotel wa.
run as a saloon and not as a public house
for meals and a boarding and waiting
place for travellers; that there was nc
public sitting room and the register was
kept behind the bar; that the front dool
to the sitting room had been locked; that
accommodations for meals and board had
not been furnished the travelling public.
that whiskey had been carried to those
outside and Mr.. French had sold liquor
to those who got drunk after being re-
quested not to do so by relrtions.
On the contrary others testified that
they had no trouble getting board; that
the reading room and waiting room was
fitted for the public; that boarders had
been taken.
MIR. French testified that he is 70 years
old; came to Penn's Grove, March 25,
1869, was granted a license for the hotel
on the January previous; kept the bar in
the basement, public reading room, din
ing room, private parlor, OH first floor and
80 sleeping rooms on second and third
floors; employed a cook, waiter or wait
ress: and was glad to have boarders who
paid his rates, He never dreamed of
turning away people; the register was
kept at the bar because most men came
into the hotel that way; Many never saw
the registered, a account being kept
on a slate. He told of men who had
boarded with him, one man two years.
Tne front door was fastened sometime be-
cause OF the wind, but never locked. All
who wished to behave themselves could
use room No. l, as telephone room on
first floor.
Geo. W. Lackey, manager of the N. j.
d w. Ferry Co. testified that between
10000 and $4,000 persons were carried
Penn's Grove and Wilmington last year;
that Ill 1905, 81 excursions of 4,34S per-
sons were carried to PENIS Grove: 1906,
4, 1872 persons and in 1907, 52SS. Quite a
number frequented the hotel.
L. &. billiard, representing the Mayor
and council, asked the Court to increase
the license fee from $500 to $500. He
stated that the monthly pay roll at du-
Points Powder Works was SIG, 900 a month
ana by a letter sought to show that at one
time Col. French had said that the yearly
receipts from the bar was $4,000.
Mr.. French's attorney j. Boyd Avis,
said lie was ready to meet Mr.. Hilliard
half way
j. w. Davis, of Pedricktown. represent.
ed the 260 remonstrants, who are voters,
procured by the W. G. L. U.
Judge Sinnickson said he did not feel
that the petition furnished any informa-
ton why a licensed inn or tavern was
not needed at Penn's Grove, and cited
cases to show that petitions are of little
value. He was not sitting to decide what
as clearly a local option movement, but
to decide whether a licensed hotel was a
necessity.
Courts issue licenses to keep inns and
taverns, he said and incidentally the
right to sell liquor goes with them, but
the local option question is one that
must be settled by a vote of the people
and he expressed the hope that the day
would soon come when this =" would
be done; if it was a question of a liquor
license he would not be long deciding.
There has been a hotel in PENIS Grove,
the Judge said, for at least a hundred
years and he thought there was no less
need for one there to-day than in the
past for Penn's Grove is the terminus OF
a railroad, boats stop there daily and the
town is the second largest in the county.
If, however, Colonel
French does not at any time conduct his
place in accordance with the intent of
the statue, and an application for a new
hotel should come to him, he would be
forced to grant the new one. Hotel pro-
prletors, the Judges said, appeared to be
assisting him to have the places conduct
ed properly and it was gratifying that no
charges have ever been preferred against
them. The present conditions he felt
were very satisfactory and he did not
feel warranted in dist urbing them.
The Court granted Mr.. French a~license
at a fee of $500,