Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 May 1909 — BREWERS MEET IN INDIANAPOLIS [ARTICLE]

BREWERS MEET IN INDIANAPOLIS

Deny Conference Bas to Do With Option Wave. WHISKY IS CONDEMNED Owner of Plant Which Produces Hogsheads of Malt Liquor Declares He Would Donate His Institution to Charity If the Drinking of Bourbon and Rye Could Be Stopped—Schaf Declares - That Marion County Saloons Are Safe. Indianapolis, April 23. —The presence here of a number of brewers, includng Albert Lieber of the Indianapolis Brewing company, Joseph Schaf, of the American Brewing company and Stephen B. Fleming, of Fort Wayne, who is connected with the Berghoff Brewing company, led to the report that the brewers were having a meeting to consider county option exigencies. The report was denied by Schaf and others. Schaf said that he and a number of other brewers were interested in a manufacturing business which had no connection with the brewing business and that they were conferring here in regard to this manufacturing business, The capital stock of the business had been increased, he said, and some improvements were being considered. He was asked whether the brewers were thinking of diverting the money which is now in the brewing business to this other line of business. Past Fright Stage. "I should say not,” he replied. “We are not thinking of quitting the brew ing business, not by any means.” “Aren’t the brewers frightened about present conditions in Indiana and the coming option elections?” he was asked. • “Frightened!” he exclaimed, “we are past that stage. What’s the use?” “But Marlon county will never go dry. What would this town do if it should go dry. Do you suppose that without any of the stronger beverages here we should ever have any conventions. Well, I should think not. “Suppose a man invites me to go to a banquet. I ask him what they are going to have to drink. He says, ‘lce water.’ What would I say? “Now, I was down at Palm Beach. Fla., not lonfe ago. And I never did see as many whisky flasks as I saw cm the train passing through ‘dry’ territory.” Offers Brewery to Charity. Schaf was asked whether the brewers would attempt to reduce the number of saloons in Indianapolis. "We shall,” he replied., “But it will take time. We can’t start out here with a brass band and a drum corps and say, ‘Saloons, go away? We shall gather information in order to find out just which are the objectionable saloons, and then we will try to weed these out. "But I’m against the whisky traffic. I told a man the other day that if he would eliminate the whisky drinking entirely, I would give away my brewery; would donate it to any deserving charity which be might designate.”