ALCOHOL - Quart Shops Closed - 1897
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal 12 March 1897 p 3
Crawfordsville’s worse curse was wiped out Wednesday by official closing of the quart shops which have for so many years exerted a damning influence in this community being directly responsible for a major portion of the drunkenness and disorder and a large portion of the crime which the officers of the law have had to contend. The quart shop law passed by the Legislature went into effect immediately on its passage and on Wednesday Marshal Grimes inaugurated its operation here by personally closing every quart shop in and about the city. Those closed up were the dives operated by Dan O’Neal, Mike O’Neal, Arthur Dorsey, Charley Hays, Charley Annabel and Piney & Robb. Mrs. Becky Oatman closed her place of her own accord as soon as she knew the law had passed. The hangers of th dives about Goose Nibble are too dazes as yet to fully appreciate the situation but go wandering aimlessly about like a lot of lost pigs. The closing of the dive in the valley across Sperry’s bridge is a blessing for which all good citizens are devoutly thankful. For years these joints have been frequented by the most lawless and outrageous characters so that respectable people refrained to a large extent from driving out in that direction unless obliged to. The quartshop law is far more beneficial than the Nicholson law could ever be. ~~~Transcribed and Typed by kbz