Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1910-09-24
TWENTY YEARS
PROHIBITION.
North Dakota Entered on its
Twenty-first Year as a Prohibition
State.

Twenty years ago yesterday, Jul.
l, the prohibition law went into effec
in North Dakota. and how great {
change the new law made can bes
be told by the people who were here
before and after hat time.
Prior to 1890 the liquor business
grew and prospered in the state o.
North Dakota and Fargo, the princi
pal city Of the state had its quota Of
saloons. They We're scatt cred all over
the city, but the most Of the forty OF
more places Of drinking We're located
on Broadway, N. r. avenue and on
Front street Some Of these were
nicely fnrnlshe d, while others made NJ
/ pretensions at being a "fine place"
but we're content with an exceedingly
plain bar with no attempt at decora-
tions. None We're in the same class
as many of the richly decorated sa-
Looms of today in Moorhead. The bet
terclass of the saloons were on Broad
way One was located where the
Broadway cigar store now stands,
another was where the Sunberg jew
leay store is located, another near
| the site gof the Mint restaurant, an
otheG' was located at the corner of
Broadway and First avenue where
the Wilbur Cigar Co is doing business
while all Of the hotels were doing
"a liquor business as WE'LL
In the blocks occupied at present
by the Moody and deLendrencie
stores were located the better class
of saloons ON Front street. Down
towards the river were what might
be called the doggeries. or lower
class OF saloons. On N. p. avenue
the principal saloon was located on.
the site rof the present MataopoN
hotel There were other saloons
further down the street All Of them
did a flourishing business and on wet
days they were crowded by farm
hands who came into the city foI
holiday that the rain always bio. |
1t is stated by the old timers that
many a thousand bushels Of wheat
was lost each year from this cause
The farmers all over the state were !
indignant and it was determined that /
if possible the drink business in the |
state of North Dakota should be /
stamped out Many We're the rows
and fights that took place during
the time Of the saloons in Fargo |
This was in the early days when the I
town was really the wild and wooly /
west" but for the few years i'm
mediately preceding the prohibition
law the town had quieted down and |
the disorderly element was at least I
somewhat subdued.
There wasn't much of an attempt
to observe anything like Sunday
laws, for the saloon flourished just
the same, only in single cases the
window blinds were kept closed, and
the screens were drawn little tighter
but the back door was wide open
and in some cases the front one was
never closed.
When the prohibition idea was
first sprung there was a general cry
that the town would go to the bow
wows,and that, business calamity af-
ter business calamity would follow,
and intense was the feeling that was
engendered.
Friends became enemies as they
discussed the situation and the en-
tire city was in an uproar when
ever the discussion was brought up
and brought up it was almost con-
stantly. 1t was the subject Of dis
cussion night and day. The mini
sters discussed it from the pulpits
and the business men very generally
we're opposed to the prohibition move
nent, not because they favored the
saloons but they feared it would give
he city such crushing blow that
t would never recover.
The law was passed by the legis- {
ature of 1890 and became law on {
July | of the same year The older
leaders of the Forum will remember
hat at first the law was not vigor-
susly observed and in some places
10 attempt whatever was made to
,bey its precepts and commands, c
tut time rolls round and new SEN c
lment appeared with the result that
1t became fashionable" to observe 0
he law and people of all classes as &
listed the officers In its observance. :
'oday 1t is believed that it would r
e impossible to buy drink Of in .
oxicating liquor In the city of Fargo u
CONTINUED on page A. J.