The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1910-12-02
LIQUOR IS RETURNED.
NEMESIS OF SALOONMEN IN
INDIAN COUNTRY CLOSES
MANY BARROOMS.
800 BARS ARE ON BLACK LIST
Over 5000 Cases, Kegs, Barrels and
Demijohns Sent Back TO St. Paul
IT. e. Brents Follows in
Wake of Shipment.

st. Paul-"The 'Pussyfoot' John
son Boose special" composed of
nine cars made the trip from Detroit
to st. Paul. T. E. Brents, nemesis of
liquor dealers in the Indian country,
closely followed the special on the
regular Northern Pacific passenger
train. He came to see that the car
loads of liquor were not sidetracked
on the way. He was accompanied by
Clarence T. Johnson, the 22-year-old
son of "Pussyfoot" Johnson, chief In
dian agent.
1t required the efforts of SO men,
working for IL hours at Detroit to load
the nine cars composing the train.
The shipping bills show that more
than 5000 cases, kegs, barrels and
demijohns were consigned to one ST..
Paul wholesale liquor firm.
Agent Brents, in charge of the raid
permitted the saloonkeepers to sell or
return all liquor in their establish
ments. Only twenty gallons of whis-
key, "a gallons of wine, 40 cases and
one barrel of beer were destroyed in
the raid at Detroit. According to Mr.
Brents, even this much would not
have been poured into the cutters had
the proprietors not tried to smuggle it
from their buildings.
| Four saloons and two agencies for
| foreign breweries were closed by
Brents and his deputies in the
raid at Detroit. The saloonmen have
informed the Indian agents that they
will under no circumstances reopen
their places of business.
Thirty Liquor Men Face Trial.
Brents, in company with Clarence T.
Johnson, left for Sioux Falls. They
will appear as witnesses at the COM
ing session of court in that CITY,
Thirty violators of liquor laws on and
| in the vicinity of Rosebud and Pine
Ridge reservations are on the calen
dar for trial. "Pussyfoot" Johnson
left for Detroit to take personal
charge of the work in that section Of
the state.
When he returns from Sioux Falls
he says it is his intention to start in
and make general cleanup of every
saloon in the territory in which he has
been working for the past month.
Detroit land men and others inter-
ested in local business affairs are plan
ming to put the liquor question square
| ly before the Northern Minnesota De-
velopment association when it con-
if some action may be taken to set
aside the liquor clause in the Indian
treaties. They are not optimistic re-
garding congressional action along
this line, and say none may be hoped
for unless there is far-reaching SEN
timent against the lid"
Bemidji Celebrates Last Night.
Bemidji, Nov. 29.-Revelry reigned
here on the eve of what probably will
be the last day that Bemidji will have
licensed saloons. Nearly every one
OF the % places now doing business
here was crowded with men who cele-
brated the closing order as a holiday
event.
Following the raid of government
agents upon the saloons at Perham
where places were closed, the officers
under command of T. E. Brents, head
ed for Bemidji. 1t is taken for grant
ed that Bemidji will be the next town
to be closed, and it for that reason
that the crowds made merry.
The passing of the saloons is a no.
table epoch in the history of this
city. Half dozen years ago Bemidji
was wide open. There were more
saloons than all other business houses
combined and open gambling was ram
pant.
Already there are applications from
men of other lines of business to rent
the buildings to be vacated by the
saloons. Some of the places here
which will ship away their liquor sup
plies probably will continue as soft
drink parlors and will attempt to sell
malt, but up to this time there has
been but little malt shipped into Be-
midi.
The Bemidji brewery recently re-
ceived heavy shipment of malt and
has enough to insure the brewing of
beer for months to come. The brow
cry has received no notice from the
government that it must shut down
and it expects to continue, and al
though it cannot ship to outside points
it hopes to be able to supply the fam
lily trade in Bemidji which the brew
cry people contend promises to be
large from now on.