The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1909-12-01
MODERN VlGiLANTES IN NEW
JERSEY FRUIT BELT.
End ct Rowdyism and Riotovs Life
Came When Citizens "Got To-
tsl gether" in Real Earnest Nld |!
to Subdue Trouble.

There is a little town up in the
peach region of Hunterdon county,
New Jersey, that manages its local af-
ton by large cities. Once the strong
hold of rowlyism and riotous life, Ats
streets are now as quiet and calm as
the middle of the Sahara desert on a
Sunday afternoon: And IT was all
brought about by a few determined
citizens taking abe law into their own
hands, while they let public opinion
or gossip, rather-go hang. This is
now it came about:
Being in the center OF the fruit belt,
which produces "a balf-Inillion baskets
OF peaches yearly, New Germantown
is visited by hordes Of wanderers each
fall who come to gather the crop. For
the most part they are the flotsam and
jetsam Of city slums and men OF bro
ken fortune who seek the GOODNESS of
country Gfe for few weeks. Almost
without exception they are hard drink
ers and make the night hjdeous with
their revels. Last fall conditions were
particularly bad. The peach picAers
tore the lid clear off and made the vii
laee tavern center OF operations
that caused the ng-suffering towns.
people to stand aghast. There were
lights on front -porcbes. doors kicked in
and good citizens roughly Jostled on
The streets, while oaths and Taucous
shouts resounded until early in the
morning. ,+
Now, this was all very well for a
time II had been going on for years,
although not in so extreme q form,
and SO the natives passed it up as a
bad business that could not Sc bet
tered. Then another element appeared
which put a new face on matters
Like any other community, New Ger
tnantown contained several resident
CHARACTERS of bibulops tepdeRcies who
loined the visitors in their celebrations
and soon became the widest OF all. Al
last the fruit was gone and The no
boes," 100, had drifted away.
Now" thought the citizens, peace
will be with US" But not TO. Oh the.
ffst Saturday night the lid was showed
characters did it all They had set out
10 keep up the pace set by their late
brethren, and they succeeded pretty
well.
Thus matters stood for several
weeks, and, in spite of protests to the
constable, the disturbance constantly
grew worse. Then one morning things
came TO head, a leading townsman
stepped out Of his door and discov-
cred recumbeDt form IL the spot
where fayorite potted plant should
have been. The townsman deposited
the inert ore more or less carefully in
the gutter and sci out to gather other
prominent citizens together. They met
in store and in very short time a
law and order club had been formed.
from which the mandate went forth
that the next man seen drunk would
be summarily and incontinently
"pinched."
They'll never DC it," said the tip
piers; why. there amt no law. real
law, back of such & bluff"
So one of them made a test case
that very night by running amuck
down the main street. In Just five min.
utes by the clock lie was locked mp in
livery stable with a law and order
man on guard. Next day a local Jus.
tice of the peace fined him heavily.
To-day the man who feels the need
OF his liquor regularly in that section
takes bottle far away into the woods
and casts fearful glances over his
shoulder AS he. partakes of it,