Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-17
PLACES OCCUPIED
By SALOONS FILLED
MuscArlNE RECORD GIVES LIST
OF BAR ROOMS TAKEN BY
OTHERS.
PRACTICALLY ALL
DESIRABLE OCCUPIED
PRACTICALLY ALL
In the Short Time That Muscatine's
Saloons Have Been Closed 60 Per
Cent Of the Places They Occupied
Have Been Taken by Other Bust
nesses-AlI of the Best in Use.

The common claim that is made that
there would be many empty and I'M
occupied business places, which would
be an eyesore to the town if the sa-
looms were closed, is refuted by a de-
tailed statement of what has happened
the saloons there.
Regardless of the fact that when the
saloons went ou5 of business there
they left thirty-two business places
vacant, in the few months that they
have been closed, 60 per cent, and
practically all of the desirable sites
and those where there is any retail
business, have been filled by other bus
inesses.
The following, which touches on this
phase of the situation, as it has de-
velopad in Muscatine, is from the cur
rent issue of the 41uscatine Record:
"On East Second, east of Walnut
there were four or five saloons, but
every one of these rooms are now
occupied by legitimate business con-
Germs. On Walnut, there We're two, and
one room is now occupied by whole
sale flour and feed business, and the
other a billiard hall. The hotel bar
room is occupied by a modern barber
shop; the three saloon rooms on Syca-
more, one is occupied by an eating
restaurant, and the other two are still
vacant, waiting the day when the bus
inesS can open again but that's a long
long way off. One saloon property on
Front street is occupied by an eating
house, one is vacant, one partly oc-
cupied as a loafing place, one by a
legitimate wholesale house. and one by
a billiard hail. On Chestnut. one is oc-
cupied by a billiard hall. and three
others are vacant, while the one on
West Second is an eating restaurant
and billiard room. There are probably
four or five vacant rooms in South
Muscatine, and the Mulberry brewery
saloon is also closed, and several
wholesale esta blishments are partially
occupied, but just how is a question,
but it will be seen that about so per
cent of these places are occupied with
legitimate business concerns, and the
greater portion of these vacant rooms
are in places where there is little or
llO retail LIdlllC
Says Article Was Inspired.
The Record declares that the recent
press dispatch. sent out from Clinton
was inspired in Clinton by the presi-
dent of the Iowa State Liquor Dealers
Association. This was the article that
was printed on hand bills and circu-
lated in this city by the saloon men. In
direct answer to this article again, the
Record says:
''No, Muscatine is not on the bum,
not on the ruin or wreck line, but is
pushing steadily forward. one can find
dissatisfied element, which is ma
turally to be expected, but as a whole
our people are recognizing the force OF
the argument that the city is decidedly
better off without saloons There is
more money in the banks than ever;
our postoffice business is greater than
ever and we have advanced to a city
of the first class; there is more build
ing going on right now than ever al
this time of the year; our commercial
club is wider awake, pulling together
more tremendously and everything
points to continued Improvement
There's no dismal and runion swamp,
here Mr.. Ingwersen. You talk thru
your hat, and thru the foam on youl
glasses. Blow off that foam if yor
will. but the joints will have to stay
away from Muscatine.'