In Europe, as 1914 turned
into 1915, things were not going well for the evil empires,
Germany and Austro-Hungary. In short, they had already
lost the war but as yet didn't know it. The Germans
had failed to take Paris by going through small Belgium,
which fought harder than the Prussians had assumed, which
allowed the British to send 80,000 troops; the French and
British (mostly French) stopping the Germans at the
battle at the Marne River, thus giving the Ruskies time to
attack Germany, giving it a two-front war, something they
knew they couldn't win. The Austro-Hungarian people,
with ten times more subjects, attacked little Serbia.
Serbia, being two-thirds Slavs, was thought to be a
push-over. Some genius general sent the
Austro-Hungarian army through the area where the Serbian
army practiced artillery. So the Slavs just waited,
then KABOOM. Several whole divisions of Austrian
troops ran, not walked, back, leaving their dead, wounded,
and weapons.
The Dries thought the
won. On October 30 last, the saloons in unincorporated
areas like Sugar Creek of Jackson County were supposed to
close. The saloons in Sugar Creek refused on the
grounds that they had paid their county liquor license for
six months, expiring in January of 1915. George
Rodman, one of four bar owners in Sugar Creek and the most
outspoken, was arrested. Tried and found guilty, his
attorneys appealed the conviction on the grounds that the
petition drive that started this whole mess was never
verified. In the meantime the saloons were allowed to
operate thanks to Judge Johnson.
Just before Christmas 1914
the Wets in county government were fired and replaced by
Drys. Merry Christmas, you drunks.
The liquor licenses were
due to run out on January 5, 1915 so all the bars, even the
ones in the city of Independence, which was incorporated,
were closed. Two weeks later, Judge Johnson again
allowed the saloons in Sugar Creek, Levasy, Lee's Summit,
and Cement City to reopen. The Dries were angry but
the saloons in Independence were gone.
The owners in Sugar Creek
were George M. Rodman, also known as Mike, man of the hour;
Mike Bine, Bert Scott, and M. M. Emright. When the
judge made his decision a loud cheer went up in the
courtroom and everyone hurried to open their
business.
One of the problems now
faced by the working man of Independence was where to cash a
payroll check as the saloons were gone. Since working
six days a week was the norm, most industries, like Standard
of Sugar Creek, payday was Saturday evening, the banks
were closed so the former saloons of Independence functioned
as banks, exchanging checks for silver-backed paper
money. Not one of the five banks in Independence would
stay open. Sugar Creek Saturday night was a hoot.
In Jefferson City, things
they were a-changin'. Where once legislators ran from
the Dry constituents, they now had to actually listen
because of the popularity of the anti-saloon feelings.
One area especially troublesome to the Dry people was along
State Line, which was lined with hundreds of dives.
Since Kansas had total prohibition since 1888, Missouri
border bars were a necessity if the juicers of Kansas needed
something to wet their whistle. The object of the
dries was to, by state law, prohibit liquor sales within 1/2
mile of the Kansas line on the Missouri side. These
do-gooders were definitely rabid and out of
control.
The city of Independence
passed a strict liquor law with a huge loophole. No
liquor could be sold or bought in the city limits of
Independence but if you bought and paid for a bottle of
hooch legally in Kansas City or Sugar Creek, it could be
delivered by commercial carrier only. Once delivered
you could legally share it with your friends.
Another attack was on the
drug stores. It was illegal for a drug store to sell a
bottle of whiskey without a prescription from a doctor, a
practice that had been ignored. An attorney for the
dries sent a letter to all the drug stores in the area
reminding them of the law; sales stopped.
As part of the legal stuff,
saloon owners had to have the signature of the residence
living near the business. This was no problem in Sugar
Creek, Cement City, and Levasy. Lee's Summit stayed
Dry. A threat made by the Dries was a promise to
prosecute the owners of said bars if the state Supreme Court
ruled in the Dries' favor. They were a vengeful lot,
for people whose hero, Jesus of Nazareth, turned water into
wine.
Near-tragedy struck Sugar
Creek 8 pm Friday night, January 29. The Wyandotte
Furniture Co., owned by R. L. Bennett of Independence burned
to the ground, this time the Standard Oil fire department
stayed put. The second floor had eight apartments,
occupied by men employed by the refinery. A cottage
was also destroyed. The origin was in the apartments,
lucky a nearby lumber company was spared.
On April 1, a jitney began
running between Independence and Sugar Creek. A
jitney, being any motor driven vehicle used to haul paying
passengers, in this case a big Buick. W. C. McDonald
took over the route just established a couple of weeks
before by A. J. Young, who broke down for good.
Leaving from the Independence Square in front of Robert's
Department Store at 6:45 am, the route being Maple Avenue to
Union Street, then to Independence Avenue, west to Fairmount
Avenue (Sterling), north to the refinery, after which he
parked in front of the Sugar Creek post office, leaving on
the half hour. Five at a time for a dime. He ran
until 7 pm, thus a possible $12 a day. Jitneys were
already running from the Square to Cement City, Oak Grove,
Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Buckner, and Kansas City.
On May 6, a German
submarine sank a 700-foot luxury passenger ship called the
Lusitania. 126 Americans died, including at least
three millionaires. President Wilson wanted peace at
any price. Ex-President Roosevelt and many more wanted
war, it would take many more insults against our county
before the sissies saw the danger.
On May 17 Fairmount Avenue
from Independence Road (now 24 Highway) to the refinery was
coated with oil. No longer was it a rock road.
On May 30, my mom's fifth
birthday, Fairmount Park finally opened, the delay due to
several improvements. A new bath house large enough to
accommodate 300 people. New bathing suits with
"FP" on the front were for rent. They were
never washed, just hung out to dry (yuck!). My mom's
second favorite ride, the Jack Rabbit, was put in
operation. Located on the north side of the park, just
northwest of the Lexington/Ralston intersection. It
was a figure-8 ride costing five cents, six rides for a
quarter.
Closing the saloons at
Fairmount became an obsession for the Dries. On
Sunday, June 20, a "remonstrance" (a petition)
against the sales of booze at Fairmount Park was held at all
the churches in Independence. Dry representatives were
stationed outside with petitions for signing by "the
flock". Urging the county government and anyone
else who could help close the saloons at Fairmount.
Help came from Mike Pendergast, the same one who was just a
few years ago selling illegal hooch out of a rented house
adjacent to the park, his big brother ran the town.
Now county liquor inspector, he voted no. Out of the
600 or so liquor licenses submitted to the county, mostly
from KC, Fairmount is the only one refused, his reason,
"I refuse to recommend the issuance of a license to Mr.
Niswanber (of Kansas). I do not believe the park is a
suitable place for a saloon. It should be kept a place
for people to take their families, and if liquor were sold
there they could not safely do this. This will be my
attitude as long as I am license inspector. I took
this position without considering the question of the
sufficiency of the license. In short, he was going to
give the Dries the carrot and whack them with the stick.
For the Dries, Fairmount
was just the first step in turning the whole world Dry
(maroons).
Just before the Fourth of
July drew a great picnic at Fairmount Park. The
Shriners were formed in 1872 in New York City. Two
Masons thought their organization needed fun. They got
their idea from a costume party in Europe attended by one of
the founders. Dressed like Arabs, they drank and had
an awful good time. The Arab thing has carried on to
this day. Membership is open to anyone, no matter what
their race or religion. On July 2, 7000 members and
guests the park with the presence. One of the purposes
of the gathering was to allow 25 candidates to cross
the hot sands of the desert, Fairmount having plenty, upon
which time the belonged, making them eligible to board a
train soon headed for Seattle and their national
party. Officially called the Annual Session of the
Imperial Conclave. There were fezzes everywhere.
The Kansas City Ararat Temple, in spite of the dark clouds
and chance of rain didn't let it dampen the spirits.
200 braved the cool water to take a dip. There was
boating, dancing, sack races, peanut rolling. There
were delegations from Marceline, Moberly, Sedalia,
Boonville, Excelsior Springs, and Leavenworth. Two
trains were chartered for the 200 local and 400 members from
St. Louis. Parades, banners, a tango car equipped with
a dance floor, a piano, and a Victrola and the Shriners
weren't dry. Today, Kansas City has about 5000
members, best known for their antics at Fourth of July
parades. But the Shriners have 11 children's hospitals
in the US, and more overseas. Paid for by the Shriners,
their circuses, dances and generosity.
The Fourth of July at
Fairmount was more subdued than years passed. No
vaudeville. The cafe was still called
"German", but that would soon change. On
Sunday, July 4, and Monday, July 5, the following were
things to do in Kansas City:
Swope Park, boating,
picnics, golf, menagerie, and a municipal picnic and flag
raising with a band concert, all free.
Baseball: The
Federal League Packers were in its last year. They
played St. Louis at Federal League Park, 47th and
Tracy.
The Selis-Floto circus,
at 17th and Indiana.
The steamer Chester,
boarding at First and Main.
Electric Park:
Mulicnhauer's Band, captive balloons, sea beach bathing,
dancing, fireworks, and fifty other attractions.
Lincoln Electric Park
(colored), 19th and Woodlawn Avenue
Independence City
Fairgrounds, trotting races, picnic
German/Catholic
societies, Wright's Grove, 50th & Genesee
The ad was paid for by the
Metropolitan Street Railway Co. It gave directions by
streetcar how to get to every location.
Following the Fourth at
Fairmount, Professor Oscar R. Gleason brought his talents to
the park. His claim to fame was his ability to tame
any horse, no matter. Ads were placed in all the local
newspapers for all the out-of-control horses to be brought
to the park to be broken by "the horse
whisperer". After this attraction, park
attendance cooled considerably. Though still popular,
someone was running out of money.
In Independence, things
were getting tough for the Wets, who refused to knuckle
under. Julius Erickson was charged with selling one
bottle of beer. The jury was hung. A new trial
was being discussed. Road houses were a big problem
for the Dries and police, some of who were wet. They sprang
up everywhere, in houses, barns, basements. There was
a $50 reward for a rat if he or she turned one in.
Barrels of beer and whiskey were being smuggled in after the
street lights went out at 12 o'clock from Kansas City,
probably coming from Mr. Pendergast.
In Sugar Creek and Cement
City, dram shop liquor licenses were granted to the five
saloon keepers. There was no protest as one, the Dries
didn't want to get beat up, two, the only hope for shutting
down the Sugar Creek saloon will be in the Supreme Court.
