New Britain herald., 1916-01-05
PRIEST DESCRIBES
 SALOON CONDITIONS
Rev. ]. J. Curtin Fighting Bar
 room in Abrigador District

! Waterbury, Jan. 5.-That there ! any one now living when the lid was | not off in the Abrigator district of 1 this city until the last two years, was
 part of the testimony by Rev. Jere- | miah J. Curtin, pastor of St. Francis l Xavier church on Baldwin street, at 1 the hearing of the appeal of James 1 J. Savers from the action of the coun- | ty commissioners in refusing him license for the sale of liquors before l Judge Webb in the superior court yes- 1 terday.
 T had heard of the Abrigator dis l trict before l came to Waterbury," ] said Father Curtin. 'In my college days l heard young men who came 1 from Waterbury talking of the place. ! As far back as 1872 it was referred to l as a place where the best fighting l cocks in the country, who were never l beaten, were raised; where the best 1 bulldogs, who were never beaten, were l raised where the best men fighters, who were never beaten, were raised, l and where a man would never be in | danger of having a thirst It was
 
 oasis When I got here I found that the district lived up to its reputa- tion.'
 Father Curtis was one of the many who testified during the afternoon for the remonstrants, the county commits sioners, who refused to grant Savers a license to- continue the sale of l- quors in his saloon on Baldwin street on the grounds of unsuita bility of place and person.
 Priest Star Witness.
 Father Curtin was the star witness Of the day following just after Po- lice Sergeant Mclean, who opened the afternoon session for the remon- strants by telling of a visit to the building at 34 Washington street and the conditions found there
 Father Curtin began his testimony by stating that he had been pastor of the church for the past twenty years and had built up the parish to it's present size.
 During these years you have had occasion to pass through the Abriga- tor section quite often, haven't you Father?' asked Atty. Coleman, who, together with Atty. PheIan, acted as counsel for the remonstrants
 Yes. In former years I passed through.
 there quite frequently and up to a year ago walked through the district as many as five or six times weekly"
 Will you tell the court what you have observed there at times?' he was asked.
 Tt was about two years ago that he began the battle against the saloons of the district" began Father Curtin. Up to that time I continu- ously noticed little children playing about the saloon in question:
 There was a space near the saloon a plot of ground. where, I suppose. the children of the eighborhood had their only chance to play. I also ob- served little boys between five and ten years of age playing cards right close to it. It was the only time I had ever seen or heard of children so young playing cards like veterans. It struck me deeply and I often pondered over it. Children on Steps. "On one occasion, a year ago last September, I went up by the district on a trolley car, especially to look over the saloons. I saw two boys coming out of one saloon. When I got to MT. Sayer's place I saw about 1 a dozen small children playing one of their childish games called high spy there. I took the next trolley back to the center again and on the trip saw a number of girls and boys looking l into the window
 'I saw a little girl of about six sit ting on the steps and a larger girl picking and heckling her and I called the conductor sattentio to it, ask ing, Isn't that a fine sight for any Christian community About two years ago the saloon | keepers began to get cautious. Up to 1 that time there was only one of them