Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-12-06
THE LAST SAL DON
OF TWELFTH WARD
The Story of the Last WET" Might
in New Prohibition Territory In
City Of Minneapolis.

The reporter Of the Minneapolis
Tribune assigned to write up the
scenes Of the closing Of the last sal
DON, in the 18th ward Of Minneap-
oils, which voted for prohibition re-
Gently, wrote "story" which the
Willmar Tribune reproduces in part
as interesting in showing the life in
"well-regulated" licensed place in
the presence of officers Of the law,
at that: ~.
'"Well, I'm glad it is all over"
said Emil Swanson, one of the pro-
! prietors, as he heaved sigh, in
! which there could be discerned a note
! of contentment. II am the proudest
| saloon keeper in Minneapolis tonight.
have run this place for the last
four months and accommodated a
larger patronage than any other sal
Don in the city and not once have |
had any trouble. l have made mon
ey here in the last six months. The
! election which made the ward dry
was an i'll wind which blew me good.
My receipts have run between 5000
and $500 a day. I cashed $1,000
worth of workingmen's pay checks
here today. On the 18th Of the
month, when the railroad pays off, I
cashed just $4,000 worth on that
one day. A barrel containing about
50 gallons of whiskey has lasted me
on an average Of about two or two
and half days in the last two
months. I have extra help and extra
bars and still the men have lined the
bars and kept up busy. But I am
glad it is over with -"
"Six bartenders took care Of the
wants Of the thirsty denizens Of the
ward last night in Swanson & Swan
sons. "Big scoops" medium
scoops" and "smal scoops" or
"schnitts," Of beer kept passing over
the sloppy bar until the closing hour.
Blue smoke filed the room in which
more than 800 jostled one another
for drinking space as they stood four
Ideep at the bar. The lights from the
chandeliers shone down on leather
working caps Of mechanics and rail
road men; plasterers with splotches
of white; cobblers smelling Of bees
wax and leather, and all manner OF
liberty loving workingmen and trades
people. From down town there went
several liquor men and friends Of the
proprietors who bought round after
round. Emil Swanson responded with
a will to the many healths and toasts
drunk to his future success.
"Young men, not drunk, but feeling
well what their vests contained, cir.
cled each others shoulders and, will
down shot chins, committed lugub.
rious 'barber shops and other vair
attempts at harmony. OCCASIONAL!
a glass would crash where there wa:
enough room for it to fall, but tn
shattered crystal was soon groun,
under foot and forgotten OH the we
tiles. At times a persistent teno
whose thin shoulders and peaked cal
~ lowered above his fellow drinkers
would assume a Growing attitud
while from his cavernous mouth Their
came, You were sixt4te-e e-e eeen
y My village quee- eeneeeen. By the oil
mill str-ee-e eeeem.'
"Glasses clinked together and tn
white foam was blown and sputter
ed off the "scuttles.'' From the bras
faucets, the golden brew flowed al
most necessarily, giving the diligen
bartenders bare time to swab til
sticky boards, plunge the foam
|glasses into the sinks, and ELL 'er
0 up again." Many looked for the las
S time upon their reflections in the ne
S covered mirror behind the bar. TIL
: oak clock with the brass pendulum
Ticking unheard high on the wal