New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-02
29, OOOSuI00nsinNiddIeW West
ReadytoPutUP'CIosed' Signs
Many Noted Drinking Places Preparing to Meet
Advent of Prohibition July |; ''Hinky Dink's''
Famous Beers TO BE Memory Of Alcoholic Past

CHICAGO. March More than co.
600 licensed drinking places in the
six "wet" states of the Central West
Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Mis-
souri,, Kentucky and Ohio-are to go
out of existence four months from to-
day if America abolshes liquor traffic,
for the first time in history, under the
Presidents wartime prohibition order.
Millions of dollars worth of property
used as distillcries. brewcries, saloons.
wine rooms and roadhouscs already has
changed hands and is being converted
/ into new lines of industry, according
to reports received here.
Many small breweries and a few
large ones, have arranged to become
manufactures, cold storage plants or
artificial ice factories. In Wisconsin,
which produces q sixth Of all beer
brewed in America, one big brewery
has disposed Of its fixtures and sold
its kegs as "liberty cabbage' con-
tainers.
Loss in Kentucky Large
The two hundred Kentucky distillers
claim their financial losses will far
surpass those of brewers because To-
cation and peculiar construction of
distilleries will not permit Of easy con-
version to other industries. Owners Of
isolated roadhouses, the rendezvous of
gay auto parties, claim that they too
will suffer heavy financial losses. They
say it would be impossible to draw
patrons to out of the way places with
cut liquor inducements.
Wisconsin has 9,665 licensed drink
ing places, Illinois, S,41S; Ohio. $500;
Missouri, 5000; Minnesota, 1900, and
Kentucky, 1000.
Ohio's saloons are expected to close
May 27 under an amendment to the
state constitution
Hundreds of saloons in the six
states will be converted into soda
shops, cafeterias, cafes. motion pic
ture theatres, drug stores, haberdash
cries and coy soft drink dancing en-
poriums. There will be q large in
crease in the number of drug stores,
according to liquor dealers.
"Saloon fixtures as a rule are suit
able for the drug store said one
Chicago dealer "For this reason there
will be many more drug stores. And
now with prohibition virtually fact,
the little verse we used to repeat in
jest, can be said with grain of sin
cority:
Hush. little Barroom,
Don't you cry,
You'll be drug store
By and by"
Famous Places to Close
The closing will mark the passing
Of many saloons that for years have
had almost national regulations. In
Bridgeport, Ohio, is what is reputed to
be the largest barroom in the world,
with 263 fcot Of bar space; in Chicago
is the smallest, the Midget, with n
space of tut five feet. up in parts of
Minnesota are resorts that almost form
a part of the states early history.
places whore the polyglot hoaters from
the woods and fields. under the shad-
owY flare Of Kerosene lamps. staged gun
battles that would cheaper the present
day "movle" director.
In Chicago the trick stairwoys, cleo
trlc eurrortn and IRE gongs that
caused rural visitors ut "lIeiniegnbnb-
hlcr'a' TO cut strange cnpers, white
toEuiAr UNlroua doubled up IN IL Enle
Of laughter, may be replaced with bar
her ohNre and bathrooms. II wna
lwouty yehrf hpo TINT "lleinephhub
llcr'a" opened it's house Of lrnpdoorE,
aiding lootmala and hleslng Acrponte
Later Nimlet places were opened In
other citiea.
Chicago Making Changes
II was not unusual to see typical
rurnlitc with broad brimmod straw INIT,
ovcralls, high boots and grip sack,