Evening star., 1940-08-07
EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON D. c. WEDNESDAY AUG
John R. kahoney, "a.
District Temperance
Figure, Succumbs
Anti-Soloon Leagues
Founding Sometimes
Is Credited to Him

ance, died early today in Sibley
Hospital after an illness Of six
weeks.
Mr.. Mahoney, who was one of
the Capitals oldest inhabitants, be-
came a temperance advocate early
in life. He is sometimes credited
with having been responsible for
the founding of the Anti-Saloon
League Of America.
He was ruler of the Grand Tent
OF the District of Columbia Recha-
bites FOR two years and for many
years was high tent secretary for
the Nation. A vice president of
the Association of Oldest Inhabi-
tants, he served as the groups
financial secretary 36 years.
Mr. Mahoney was born in Indian
Territory, now Oklahoma, and came
to Washington when about IL years
old. In the 1860's he was a police
man, but was best known profess
sionally as a paper hanger. For
great many years he operated his
own paper-hanging business in the
300 block of Pennsylvania avenue
Sc. Some five years ago he sold
the business and retired.
One Concession to Intemperance.
OF remarkable vitality, Mr.. Ma
honey retained all of his faculties
except his hearing, which was
slightly impaired, until his death.
He often declared he would live to
be 100, and, when his health began
to fail shortly before his death and
he was forced to use a cane, he
apologized for it to several of his
friends.
His one concession to intemper-
ence, he often said, was the use of
tobacco. He smoked large, black
cigars which. he once told friend,
would be the death of him"
During the early 1905 the liquor
situation in Washington was some
thing of a disgrace, what with i'm
proper control of sale and distribu-
ton. Mr.. Mahoney was one of
group of persons who determined to
do something about this. They
formed the Anti-Saloon League of
the District of Columbia in 1898.
Failed in Expose"
Having laid the groundwork for
campaign against intemperance,
the league next determined on a
course of action Many of the
establishments selling liquor, they
found, were on property owned by
outstanding District citizens. This
and other data in the nature of an
expose they gathered and asked
local newspapers to publish. They
were refused.
Undaunted, they pooled their re-
sources and published paper called
No Compromise, which waged a war
against intemperance. Then, in 1895.
the group decided to extend its
sphere of influence and called a con-
vention of all organizations inter-
ested in temperance. The meeting
was held in Mr.. Mahoney's home.
Shortly afterward the Anti-Saloon
League Of America came into being.
Mr.. Mahoney became figure in the
Nation as well as the Capital. :
Voted Twice in His Life.
Mr. Mahoney had civic pride.
Washington, when he was a boy. was
town with one Federal building
the White House-and with a pop
ulation of less than $4,000. He
watched with approval the citys
growth, taking pleasure in the new
Government buildings and the SWELL
ing census figures.
He was over 80 when he voted for
the second time. He first cast a
ballot in 1868 for a Washington
mayoral candidate. The second time
he went to the polls was in 1888,
during the District suffrage refer
endum. He favored both national
representation and local suffrage.
During his later years he liked to
think of temperance as going
concern. To his home frequently
came men who had come within
his sphere Of influence in early life.
They told him they thought they
were better and more successful
men because of the things he had
drummed into them years before.
These Incidents he felt to be some
thing of justification of his efforts.
On the occasion of his birthday
three years ago he was given a party
by the Association of Oldest In
habitants at Old Union Engine
House.
Doubt as to His Age.
There was some doubt as to Mr.
Mahoney's exact age. His birth date.
recorded in the family Bible, was
given as January 10, but the wear
was confusing. 1t was written either
1846 or 1847, the last figure being
double. with either the super
imposed over the 7 or vice versa.
Felicitations at the birthday cele-
bration included a telegram from
President Roosevelt.
Mr.. Mahoney was an advocate of
prohibition from the time the Pro-
hibition party WAS organized in 1869.
He was member of the Interna-
tional Order of Good Templars, once
serving as chief templar.
He was twice married. His first
wife, Marion Parker Mahoney, died
many years ago. The seconu Mrs.
Mahoney, the former Sadie Hissey,
died three years ago.
Among those surviving Mr. Ma
honey are a daughter, Mrs. Emily
r. Pollock of Washington; grand
daughter, Mrs. Edyth Gralley of
Baltimore; two grandsons, Robert E.
and Charles w. Mahoney; a niece.
Mrs. Bertha Davis, and a. nephew,
William Mahoney, all of this CITY