Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1908-02-20
BEER DRINKING
IN BRIDGETON.

uecIeed ny their votes that thew did
not want the open saloon. But are
the people interested in the closed
drinking places. The Pioneer" has
discussed the liquor drinking question
considerably of late, and many peopIe
have ascrihed all sorts of motives for
so doing. 1t has been suggested that
an effort was being made to create a
license sentiment. Others have differ
ent opinions. But the Pioneer" can
assure its readers that the motive is
merely to show conditions, and it may
be possible that some time there will
De an awakening that will cause the
people to sit up and take notice.
For a long while little attention has
been paid to the drinking places In
Bridgeton. Express companies have
furnished liquor here upon the nav.
ment for the liqour in local offices
when the liquor was delivered. Ger
tain drug stores have a big liquor
trade. Many obtain liquor by giving
fifteen cents for physician to write q
prescription for some quantity Beer
is delivered to purchasers In the city
in single case lots, which is just half
the quantity permitted to be handled
by law. Strangers come In town, take
hotel room and have a case Of beer
delivered in their rooms within an
hour. Walking speaksasies have been
discussed and the system of "lIquor
agents" has been talked about pretty
thoroughly. A murderer on trial for
his life. pleading drunkenness as an
excuse for his crime. testified where
he secured his liquor on the fatal
night and to whom he paid the money.
The testimony of this witness will be
gone in couple of weeks when he ia
'eIectrocuted
But as yet there has been no public
sentiment aroused and tie police Off
GERS have nothing like information to
the conclusion that the law is beIrg
violated.
There has not been q time In many
years in this city when there was so
much intoxicants drank as there is to.
day. The increase of the drink habit
among the youbg men has Increased
aIarmingly. There are many club
rooms that ars locatad In the most
prominent buildings in the business
district. and no one seems to care
much about Il.
One so-called club room within q
half stones throw of the corner of
Commerce and Laurel streets cannot
have membership" of more than 30
and yet In the open day OF Saturday a
driver of beer wagon will lug
twenty EIGHT cases of beer up the
Commerce street steps. Each of these
cases contain twenty -four bottles of
beer, AND on Monday the large major.
ity of these cases come down the same
steps empty. All of the beer that
goes to this particular place comes
from one beer farm. Right across the
street ia another similar club. The
deliveries there are quite similar.
The beer furnished this other room
comes exclusively from another beer
farm.
Not a hundred yards from these
rooms. on another street is little
rookery where there is another
"cIub." The deliveries there are in
large quantities. The members" are
going in and out all the time. In an.
other building on still another street
there are "club" rooms on both the
second and third floors, the "mem-
bers" OF one of the organizations be-
ing largely made up OF boys. Almost
across the street from this place is an.
other club organization. But why go
on9 There are no less than twenty.
five Of these places which are con.
Quoted openly go that the entire neigh
borhood recognizes them. II is just
possible that all OF these ''club"
rooms comply with the law. Ii is just
possible that the individual members
of these clubs 60 outside of the city
limits to make purchase of mos less
than two cases Of beer as prescribed
by law. 1t Is just possible that none
of these CLUB members" pay for their
drink In Bridgeton. It Is Just pos
sible-but nobody believes 1t. The
authorities dont..believe it. The po.
lice officers do not believe it. Nobody
who has ordinary Judgment believes
it. Every body is satisfied that the law
is VIOLATED here seven days in week,
and the practice is growing.
It would be exceedingly difficult to
make any observing person believe
that this liquor comes into Bridgeton
legally.
Any sort OF movement made In
this city with view of having the
law obeyed would result in any num-