The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-10-18
PEOPLES FORUM
Drinking a. tho State Fair.
3 Richmond virginian:


Sir.-When the application for liquor license
was made by the State Fair association one
In the court seemed to be able to cite any inn
proper conduct that ever came from Its use at
previous fairs, and the association assured
that il would be sold In the most modification
able manner. The court held the fair grounds
10 be a suitable place for barrooms to be estab-
lished and business opened.
In oroer to inform myself personally. and sent
by no one but myself visited the State fair
on Tuesday with the purpose of making a care
fu investigation. visited four saloons run
ming under the license, and for the benefit
of the public will tell my findings:
found that the first bar visited situated be-
tween two of the sheds where the cattle and
horses were exhibited, thirty feet from the pub
women apd children walked looking a the cat
tie. One eide of the bar fenced off by a
canvas. while the other side had obstruc-
ton whatever All that went on could be
and heard by those that passed Two negroes
came from this bar staggering and swearing
and passed In three feet of women and children.
Another negro stood by drunk and cursing An
old man entered the bar with three young men.
one Of them certainly not twenty, and treated
them. They all stood at the bar and drank. a
pump located within thirty feet of this har,
and here women and children getting
water One woman borrowed a glass from the
bar to get some water. man hardly able to
walk tried to pump water down his throat and
pumped It all over himself man came out
cursns in the presence of ladies'; another man
| came from the bar so drunk he could hardly
walk and began to take down the prize RIB
bons from the canvass OF the Curl Neck cat
tie Two men entered this bar too drunk to
! get another drink.
Al another bar an eighteen year old boy was
wing drunk, cursing violently. A entered
this bar near some ladies, and he was using most
indecent language In this bar. sitting beer
bottles in two feet Of the bar where drinks were
being sold, three women were seating drinking.
Six fremen in their uniforms entered and drank,
some taking beer and some straight whiskey.
On Wednesday between ais o'clock and 4;l5
o'clock I hand OF course, after night
under cover of the darkness, and after the beneV-
had h1
chance to fire the flames of blood and passion
all day. 1t must have been even worse. But dur
ing this brief hour I saw what I now record
! In the first bar mentioned | saw ten women in
| twelve feet of the bar drinking: boy surely
not sixteen. drank the barr twenty feet
| away man and drank. At the next
| bar, three women and man in ten feet of the
bar one man drunk. wid-eyed, crying and
| preaching two more most down, whooping and
following; young man drunk and down men
and women twenty feet or drinking and near
them three negro women drinking, Women and
children were passing through this crowd 10
get water and brushed by two men very drunk
and going through most indecent actions and
| having the most revolving talk. Four more men
very drunk We're loudly cursing while women
and children were ten feet away. l saw a man
dragging a drunken man by his heels. and fol-
lowed. He dragged him behind the bar where
men staggering drunk; another was almost
| down; and twelve-year- old boy was trying to
get old drunken man along: still another was
down Several times young men we're almost
forcbly carried In and treated.
came away sick and disguised, and convinced
/ that If any spot on earth proper place
! for bar the State fair, where women and chill
dren must come in contact with these indecen-
cies, and where boys and young men must be
| tempted all day and instructed in evil Is no
proper place, but the most improper place have
ever seen one established. OF course, the papers
| and the association will pronounce II Il sober
fair. II they recommended to the public those
I numerous pure gambling schemes because they
saw nothing wrong in them, they will not likely
see ahytnng wrong in what | am recording.
/ but the people Of Virginia have had thrust upon
their women and children disgrace. and upon
/ their vile temptation that the decent peo-
| pie Of this great state cannot afford pardon,
and that must he reckoned with before the
! Judgment bar OF Almighty God.
/ J. NJ. ROLAND.