The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-02-14
SOUTH DAKOTA
VILLAGE runs
SALOON

Although ] echniCally the Town
Does Not Own the "Wet'
Goods Emporium.
The city Of Lennon, s. D.. runs the
only saloon In town. It has done so
FOR six months and the profits, 81 900
month 80 far, go to schools, munic-
ipal improvements and other activities
OF good account, says the Kansas City
i Star. Lennon has turned the pro-
ceeds Of municipal saloon into the
purchase OF school and city warrants,
since last July, whereby the city is
kept on q cash basis with the saloon
paying OF salary and merchandise
warrants as fast as they are issued,
and the holders OF the warrants re-.
ceiying the face value OF the war
frants instead of being at the mercy
OF discounting loan sharks or specu-
lative saloon keepers.
Civic People Own II.
| Technically, the city is not in the
saloon business, and the bar room is
not municipality owned, according to
information from Ray ]. Murphy, an
attorney OF Lennon, The saloon is
owned by a corporation known as tie
Lennon Civic Association, which Is
really a non-dividend paying STOCK
company. A membership fee Of 81 was
/ charged, and the saloon license Is is
sued to one member OF the associa-
ton. Under the laws OF South Da-
kota, cities are not allowed to engage
in the saloon business.
Since the saloon was opened last
July. tine enterprise has made a profit
Of $6,3S7.66, with which it has paid
on Its liabilities, taken over $1,000
worth of city warrants, $500 worth Of
school warrants, and has paid $500 i'm
to the good roads fund, leaving cash
balance on hand.
It's Cause.
Aggravated saloon conditions in
Lennon led to the adoption Of the
plan by which the saloon manage
ment cooperates with the city. In
1912 Lennon had 1855 inhabitants
and eight saloons. Each saloon paid
an annual income Of $500. It was a
fight to the death among the saloons
for enough patronage to make them
pay. In the scramble for business or
dinances and laws were set at naught
and the result was that several Of the
saloons became the lowest kind OF
dives in the effort to make them "at-
Itractive.r
In 1913 the state legislature fixed
the number of saloons in each city
according to the. numoer. OF inhabis
Itants. BY that apportionment Lem
mon drew two. Another red hot fight
followed in the granting Of the two
licenses. It was proposed at that
time that the city 90 into the saloon
business and the proposition was put
to aivote. and rejected. Two license.
were designated by a plurality vote,
the dry forces carried the matter in
to the courts, where it was tied up for
Six months while the town was dry"
except for drug stores, which are al
lowed to sell liquor In that state.
Sad Time for .Wets.''
The six months dry period was a
sad time for the VET forces in Lem
mon. Most of those depenednt on the
traffic had to go elsewhere and when
the matter was released by the courts
few Of the original "wets" were left.
Last spring the city adopted the COM
mission form Of government, and by
a large majority decided that II there
must be liquor traffic in that city
1t might as we'll be turned to the benz
eft OF the city.
| Thus the Lennon Civic Association
was formed, and the municipal" sa-
loon opened for business in midsum-
mer. The association included men
of all the different activities Of the
city-business men, prohfbitionists
and even ministers Of the gospel. The
man selected for manager Of the sa-
loon is prohibitionist. Only the bar
tenders receive salaries. The man
lager receives none, and neither does
anyone else connected with the sa-
loon.
Certain rules were adopted by the
association at the outset which put
it out Of the. class Of ordinary saloons,
The sale OF liquor is not pushed nor
encouraged. The bartenders are SO
well paid that there. is no Incentive
of graft.
Black List is Kept.
A black list Is kept. and persons
whose names are on 1t cannot buy
liquor in the municipal saloon. They
must go to the drug stores. Patrons
who show disposition to become i'm
toxicated are thrown out peremptor-
lily. and known drunkards are not al.
lowed to enter. Liquor often is re-
fused to men whose families, are
known to be in want, and a careful
Hist is kept Of these who cannot af-
ford to buy liquor.
The mort important result, prob
ably, noted in the operation Of Lem
mons saloon is the general tendency
toward prohibition. Strong predictions
are made that the city will vote dry
the next time the question is put to
the people. at is certain" says At
torney Murphy, who is a prohibitions
\ ist himself, that II the city votes an
other wet period II will never stand
for another privately owned saloon
i sisseton, s. D., the only other city
1 in the United States known to have
a municipal saloon, went dry at the
y end of the year. Various reasons are
given for the abandonment, among
4 them graft, poor management and In
4 fuence Of discounted liquor interests.
A Maybe 1t was the public conscience.
i Anyway, the city operated its saloon
!