Monday, April 7, 2014

Outing everyone in 1917 Franklin County liquor license petitions

This is a curious item. It's a staplebound pamphlet — presumably produced by a temperance or prohibitionist group — naming the individuals associated with every liquor license petition that had been put forth for approval in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, in February 1917.

As you might tell from the skull and crossbones on the front, the makers of the this pamphlet did not have a high opinion of those involved with the petitions. The pamphlet served as a means to publicly "out" them and perhaps even shame them into disassociating themselves from the business of bottling, serving and selling alcohol.

I doubt it worked.

In addition to the list of all the petitioners (including certifiers, bondsmen and attorneys), the booklet is filled with anti-drinking evangelism, mostly in the form of Bible passages.

The small text at the top of the front cover states:
"Does it pay to license a traffic which breeds idiots, paupers, criminals, lunatics and epileptics and casts them upon society to be supported by decent, honest industrious people?"
Indeed, there were no shades of gray for these folks.

Here, for the historical record, is a list of the Franklin County individuals and establishments that were seeking liquor licenses at this time:
  • George Zullinger, National Hotel in Chambersburg
  • Wm. Laird, Hotel Montgomery in Chambersburg
  • Albert C. Breniser and Harry E. Frank, Hotel McKinley in Chambersburg
  • Max H. John, Hotel Wallace in Chambersburg
  • Otto E.R. John, retail liquor license in Chambersburg
  • Isaac D. Ivison, Hotel Washington in Chambersburg
  • James Vanderau, Jim's Place (restaurant) in Chambersburg
  • Harry A. Burgner, Indian Queen Hotel in Chambersburg
  • W.M. Ensminger, wholesale liquor license for borough of Chambersburg
  • Harry Marshall, wholesale liquor license as bottler in the borough of Chambersburg
  • Albert Spital and Frank Spital, wholesale liquor license as bottlers in the borough of Chambersburg
  • LeRoy Evans, wholesale liquor license for borough of Chambersburg
  • Harbaugh Brothers (Maurice and Peyton), retail liquor license in Waynesboro
  • John R. Lashley, retail liquor license in Waynesboro
  • Charles W. Huff and Clinton J. Huff, retail liquor license in Waynesboro
  • Fred O. Bartholow, retail liquor license in Waynesboro
  • Pen-Mar Distilling Company, wholesale liquor license as distillers in Waynesboro
  • A.R. Frantz, wholesale license as bottler in Washington Township
  • Buena Vista Spring Hotel, retail liquor license in Washington Township (That place sounds like a good story for another day.)
  • John Welty and David M. Welty, wholesale license as distillers in Washington Township
  • H.W. McLaughlin, retail liquor license in borough of Greencastle
  • Robert E. Miller, retail liquor license in borough of Greencastle
  • J.R. Wortman, retail liquor license for National Hotel in Greencastle
  • Geo. M. Johnston, wholesale liquor license as distiller in Antrim Township
  • William F. Vanderau, retail liquor license in borough of Mercersburg
  • Charles W. McLaughlin, retail liquor license in borough of Mercersburg
  • David W. Unger, wholesale liquor license as distiller in Peters Township
  • S.E. Martin, retail liquor license for Upper Strasburg
  • J.F. Miller, retail liquor license for Fort Loudon in Peters Township
  • John W. McClain, retail liquor license for Roxbury in Logan Township
  • Harry W. McClain, retail liquor license in St. Thomas
  • Robert G. Jones, retail liquor license for, amusingly, a place called "Dry Run" in Franklin County

Many names of signers crop up on multiple petitions, a fact noted within the pages of the pamphlet: "Of the 3000 taxpayers, 160 names include all the signers of the Chambersburg petitions, some names having appeared six and seven times. 'Shall we sit idle while Satan works?'" In addition, some attorneys are associated with multiple petitions; the name Garnet Gehr pops up the most often.

Here are a couple more propaganda tidbits that are sprinkled throughout the booklet. Their veracity, of course, cannot be confirmed:
  • "Kansas has the lowest death rate in the world. The lowest percentage of illiteracy in the United States, largely as a result of its 30 years of prohibition."
  • "Of the 1000 men in our Eastern Penitentiary, 899 gave liquor as the direct cause of their downfall."
  • "The most dangerous classes of ruffians in our cities are beer drinkers."

We know who got the last laugh. Two years after the publication of this pamphlet, the Eighteenth Amendment was ratified (in January 1919), and the U.S. prohibition officially began in January 1920.

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