The San Francisco call., 1910-10-27
MERCHANTS fight
AGAINST SALOON
Opposition OF Downtown Asso-
ciation to Granting of Liz
cenSe in Market Street
Possibility of a olive" in Block
Between Third and Fourth
ArOuSeS Protests

The possibility of another saloon in
Market street on the south side block
between Third and Fourth has again
manifested itself. In July James
Schwartz. who conducted the notorious
Thalia and the notorious Bottle Koe-
mig" resort on the Barbary coast. ap-
piled in vain for permit for a retail
liquor license at 749 Market street, and
now there is before the board of police
commissioners the application of Jacob
H. Wheatfield for a license at the same
place. The common belief is that
Wheatfeld, who is a whisky drum
mer" and a peddler of bond whisky
certificates, is merely lending his name
to Schwartz.
The police commission will take up
the question of the Wheatfeld, or
Schwartz, permit next Monday evening.
In the meantime the merchants and
property owners of that block and the
Downtown association are preparing
to oppose the permit with all their
energy. Those interests were so sue
cessful in July in their opposition to
the Schwartz permit that Schwartz
meekly withdrew his petition, seeing
that the commissioners would not grant
the license in the face of the stand
taken by the merchants and property
owners Of the block, the Downtown as
sociation and the knights of the Royal
Arch.
"DIVE" is NOT WANTED
Just as vigorous opposition will be
made to the application of Wheatf1eld,
for 1T is the belief of the men who
know WheatfieId that he is merely act
ing for Schwartz in the matter.
Schwartz first application was made
while the Paris of America" idea was
rampant in the tenderloin, and 1t was
feared that he would put among the
stores and shops of Market street the
sort of dives that he once conducted
on the Barbary coast and later the
Thalia at Market and Turk streets.
Otto Schiller, acting secretary of the
Downtown association, put the ques
tion to Wheatf1eld direct yesterday as
to whether or not he was acting for
Schwartz in the matter. Wheatf1eld
said that he was not. When asked if
he would go before notary public
and make that statement under oath
Wheatfield is said to have declined the
test.
OPPOSE THE LICENSE
The natter was brought up yester-
day noon at the meeting of the Down
town association at the st. Francis.
James Sorensen, the Market street jew
there was. a movement on foot to Sc
cure another liquor license in Market
street.
Andrew Mccarthy said that he had
been told that Sorensen would not op-
pose the license, but Sorensen declared
that he was as vigorously opposed to
the alleged Wheatfield application as
he was to the first Schwartz petition.
Sorensen then called for vote of the
association on the matter, and the vote
was unanimous as opposed to the
granting of the license. Andrew Nc
Carthy, chairman of the police commit
tee of the association, and Edgar Peix-
otto, attorney for the association, will
see the police commissioners and the
mayor in the matter.
Petitions are being circulated by in
terested citizens opposing the grant
ing of the license. The following petit
tion will be signed by the property
owners on the block:
To the Honorable Board OF Police Commission
Regarding the application of Jacob H.
liquor at 749 Market street. we. the undersigned
merchants and tenants, respectfully request that
the application be denied. There are already
five saloons and four restaurants with liquor
licenses in the block mentioned and we believe
that the granting of another license (by whomso-
the application may be made) would be
severe blow to the interests of the merchants in
cations have been made before your honorable
board the merit of this opposition has been recog
nZed and a license denied. We therefore re-
quest your honorable board to deny said appH-