The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-28
PoCatello Vastly Different City
from Its Former "Iough" State
BY G. E. ARNEY.
TO The Tribune.

Special to The Tribune.
PoCATELLO. Ida, Dec. 27.-In the
reputation altogether undesirable. 1t
was a tough" town There was
class of people here who entitled 1t TO
none other than these distinctions.
Gambling ran rampant Harots were
but mildly restricted and saloons prac-
tcally shaped the civic regulations of
early Pocatello The old Depot hotel was
the lone hostelry OF the town, and scarce
| another place TO eat was accessible. e%-
cept lunch counters in saloons or res
taurants attached TO saloons.
There were many robberies and frc-
quent murders and some suicides.
II was common for shift boss 10 re-
mark that he could not look for the
| return of n certain percentage OF his
shops until their pay check was spent.
| OF course, this referred to the reckless
fellow who insisted monthly on trying
| his fortune at faro. poker, roulette. the
wheel of fortune. fan tan or keno.
About each of the twenty more sa
| looms in Pocatello at this game period
hanger-on. who waited from one pay
| day TO another to work out his particular
| line OF graft. Those who should know
offered the suggestion that 1t was very
| difficult in those days 10 find square
| game at any OF the tables.
Line Sharply Drawn.
During this trying period OF the pio-
ncer life OF this junction point, there
was a sober firm. stable shop and train
| force of boys and men as good as
| gold. who maintained very respectable.
| cleanly atmosphere about the works. Most
of this class are here today. and will
recall the distinct line drawn at that
| time between the high and low order OF
employees, Most OF this latter class have
moved on into other channels OF life.
| while In some very high order Of ref
ormation has taken place,
All this was away back In the later
l'S0s This was about the period of an
exodus OF gamblers and all-round tough
men from Dodge City. Pocatello and
Butte were Inviting points Tor their line
of incsitimate work.
1t would be unfair 10 state that at that
time there were no square gamblers In
Pocatcno This is not the case. There
were men who engaged in the sport as a
profession (p) who were Of that old
school of honorable card players. There
were a few Of them on earth and IL Is
unfair not TO credit them with their NJust
dues.
One Of the first church houses erected
In Pocatelo stood for years just across
summer months the crack OF the billiard
balls would often mtngle with the prayer
Of the parson. and the boys at the bars
Of these two resorts would often pause
amid their libatons TO hear some en-
phatic pcroration of the minister across
the way.
A sacred concert for the benefit of one
OF the popular churches OF early Poca-
tcllo was slightly Jared by two young
men who had praCtiCcd for weeks to par
ticlpatc. losing their voices over the "now-
Ing bowl" and while they were present
20 take their respective places In the
quartettes, they were too full for ut
tcrancc" and the show came of without
their services.
Is Different Now.
4 different order OF morals obtains In
modern Pocatello. 1t is today keeping
growth. Churches have played their part
In this reformation SO have various
societies So have legislatures. The FIRST
efcctual "hllSc" administered 10 the gam
6lers which constituted the most unde-
sirablc element, was the enactment and
enforcement OF the anti gambling law OF
Pocatclo today is on the verge OF an
other Innovation, new TO another element.
and as to the working out OF this new
Sides of the situation have their friends,
This is the enforcement of the local op-
ton law; for Bannock county. az which
PoCatcllo is the scat OF government, has
voted dry.
and three in the country precIncts-have
been closed under the law, and the ruling
OF the attorney general OF the state.
These saloons arc (in Pocatcllo) the
Denver the Salt Lake ard the AuheuseT
Son AT Dempsey. and HyruIn Toolson al
both Bancroft and Grace. These saloon
keepers had licenses issued 10 them atteI
NAV G. 4 majority OF the remaining sa-
looms cannot bc closed until the eNpira-
iion OF their licenses. April J..
one OF these saloons. which closed Dc
cembcr l. furnishes Il ripe example ol
what officers OF Idaho counties WALL N
some Instances. be subjected TO- An
Italian ran one of the saloons AS ne