1905

PROHIBITION COMETH

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Although Prohibition was still about fifteen years on the horizon, the drums of temperance were heard louder in the 1905 Santa Rosa newspapers. Reports of W.C.T.U. meetings began appearing regularly; news stories about restrictive alcohol laws elsewhere in the state and nation were reported with greater frequency.

Press Democrat editor Ernest L. Finley, with his terrible track record on matters of race, politics, and other basic Twentieth Centuryisms, produced a remarkably prescient editorial boldly stating that outright prohibition would never work: “Few have been ‘snatched from the depths’ in comparison to the immense amount of energy [temperance] organizations have expended.” The Press Democrat likely received some grief for that commentary, as well as its regular advertisements promoting whiskey and beer.

DRINKING TO EXCESS

A statement has just been issued by the Bureau of Statistics to the effect that the drinking habit is increasing in the United States, and the figures accompanying the statement appear to bear it out. But while this may be the case, it cannot be denied that drunkenness is decreasing. Men are learning by experience and also by example that they can no longer hope to maintain their standing either in the social or business world if they allow themselves to indulge in liquors to excess. The employer has no use for such men; he demands that those to whom he entrusts the details of his business be men with clear heads and men upon whom he can depend. The same thing can be said as to the social side of life — nobody nowadays has much use for the man who cannot be depended upon to keep straight, when out with his friends. The agitation carried on by the various temperance organizations during recent years has contributed to the results here noted, of course, but students of sociology are pretty well agreed that their influence is indirect rather than direct; while they have helped to create a sentiment against excessive drinking, few have been “snatched from the depths” in comparison to the immense amount of energy such organizations have expended. It is sober, every-day common sense rather than enthusiasm and hysteria that is contributing most to the abolition of the habit of drinking to excess, which, speaking in the broader sense, now appears to be well under way.

– Press Democrat editorial, May 5, 1905

NEW LIQUOR LAW
Yolo County Supervisors Pass Stringent Regulating Ordinance

Woodland, May 5 – The Supervisors have passed a stringent liquor ordinance which materially affects the saloon business in Yolo county outside the incorporated towns of Woodland and Winters. The new ordinance limits saloons in the county to 34, but does not deprive any now in business of license. The Stringent provisions require saloons to close from Sunday at 6 p. m. till Monday at 5 a. m. and every night at 12. They are prohibited from selling liquor to minors, to any person unfit to attend to ordinary busines affairs on account of drink and to any female. Gambling in saloons is also prohibited.

– Press Democrat, May 6, 1905

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“I AIN’T GOT NO NAME”

Jeff Elliott Leave a comment

An 8 year-old runaway, child laborer, or early media cynic? We’ll never know the truth about this virtual cousin of Huck Finn.

HERE’S A LAD WHO “AINT GOT NO NAME”

“I ain’t got no name,” said an eight year old lad who fell almost to his death from a schooner into Petaluma creek on Monday and who was rescued from a watery grave by a brave young fellow who dived in after him. When asked his name the rescued boy, after a reminder from an older brother that “you don’t want no newspaper notoriety,” replied, “I aint got no name.” And he stuck to it too.

– Press Democrat, August 23, 1905

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THE WANING NOVELTY OF AUTOMOBILES

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1905 was about the time that the automobile tipped from being a novelty to becoming a familiar sight — and sometime nuisance — on the streets and roads of Sonoma County. That year Santa Rosa imposed its first speed limit (8MPH, slower at street corners) on the 21 autos registered in the city. Sonoma County overall had at least 41 “antomobiles” (yes, the typo is in the original headline below), and nearly as many licensed drivers. Except for two vehicles owned by different Petaluma poultry businesses, all belonged to individuals. Santa Rosa also had two women drivers; licensed Shirley D. Burris had her own car, and Gertrude Savage was likely the driver of the C. W. Savage vehicle.

In Santa Rosa, you were far more likely to have an auto than a license to “chauffeur” a car:

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Luther Burbank owned a car, but had no license
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Dr. J.W. Jesse had two automobiles, but no legal ability to drive either
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Three of the twelve licensed drivers apparently owned no car (at least, under their family name) : J. D. Gemmill, Henry R. Jenkins, and speed-crazy Fred J. Wiseman.

There were also scofflaws with unregistered cars. Healdsburg Dr. H. P. Crocker is unlisted as either having a car or a license, although he was involved in a nasty accident earlier that year, running into a horse-drawn wagon carrying a family of five. The wagon was destroyed and at least one passenger was seriously injured. Crocker was fined $250, but appealed — not because he denied being at fault for the accident, but because he claimed that auto regulations were unfair. The law allowing someone with a horse or buggy to signal an approaching driver to “stop and remain stationary” gave that person “arbitrary power to control and direct the conduct” of the car’s driver, his lawyer, J. Rollo Leppo argued. The law didn’t specify how far away the auto had to be from the horse(s) before it could be ordered to stop, or even that it was applied only to public roads; in theory, Leppo suggested, a horse rider could order cars on a private property race track to screech to a halt. The appeals stretched through the year. (Story update available here.)

But at the same time, autos still were rare enough that a tire stuck in the mud could be newsworthy. In the final story below, note that the road of hopelessly muddy ooze wasn’t somewhere deep in the sticks, but between downtown Santa Rosa and the scene of ” The Battle of Sebastopol Avenue.” Also appreciate the sardonic subhed about the “horseless vehicle” being spooked.

Registered Antomobiles

July 1, 1905, there were 2475 automobiles and 1413 chauffeurs in this State registered at the office of Secretary Curry, Sacramento, as such are required by law to do. Sonoma County sends up a list of forty-one machines, the property of the following owners: [Santa Rosa 21, Petaluma 12, Healdsburg 6, Cloverdale and Geyserville, one each].

Thirty chauffeurs have registered, which in some cases are also listed as owners. They are as follows: [Santa Rosa 12, Petaluma 12, Healdsburg 6].

– Santa Rosa Republican, July 1, 1905

COMPLAINT WILL BE FILED AGAINST COUNTY MEDICO
Dr. Crocker of Healdsburg Is Charged With Violating the County Automobile Ordinance

Tomorrow a complaint will be filed against Dr. H. P. Crocker, a prominent citizen of Healdsburg, and he will be haled before the court of Justice H. N. Latimer at Windsor. He will be charged with running an automobile on the county road and not stopping when notified, which is contrary to the ordinances of the county.

Behind this statement lies an accident which took place on the first day of the present year, in which Dr. and Mrs. Crocker ran into a vehicle containing five persons, and demolished the vehicle. Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Phillips, and their son and brother-in-law and the latter’s wife were in the vehicle at the time of the collision. Mr. Phillips’ brother-in-law, whose name could not be learned today, was seriously injured. He was thrown from the vehicle and rendered unconscious, and was taken to Burke’s sanitarium for treatment. At that place he remained in a comatose condition for a number of hours. The ladies of the party were thrown out into the mud and water alongside the road, and were badly bruised and their nervous system demoralized by the accident. They have not entirely recovered their usual state of health as yet.

The accident occurred near Fulton, and Mr. Phillips, who was driving, declares that when he saw the automobile coming down the road he endeavored to control his horse, which was unused to the motor vehicles. He alleges that he held up his hand and shouted a warning to the automobilists, but that the chauffeur did not slacken his sped [sic] at all. Mr. Phillips declares that the chauffeur had his head down, and did not pay any attention to the warning.

Mr. Phillips declares that Dr. Crocker gave him no satisfaction after running him down and demolishing his vehicle. He further declares that Mrs. Crocker informed the ladies of his party that in the spring there would be six more automobiles in Healdsburg, and that if the horses could not get used to them the drivers had better keep off the county roads.

[..]

– Santa Rosa Republican, January 17, 1905

AUTOMOBILE IS STUCK IN MUD
Dr. Jesse’s Horseless Vehicle Takes Fright at Electric Car — It Threw Water in Air

Dr. J.W. Jesse had an unpleasant experience this morning on Railroad street with his automobile, and to release him from his predicament several men of brawn and a stout iron rod were requisitioned.

While in his automobile this morning on that thoroughfare, near where the electric car “Woodworth” stands, his horseless vehicle took fright at the electric car, and sidestepped into a large mud hole alongside the track. The auto sank into the ooze and mud up to the axles on one side, while the other was apparently free. The engine came to a standstill when the machine struck the bed of mud.

The medico repeatedly started the engine, and one side of the horseless vehicle churned the mud and threw great streams of water and mud high into the air from the revolving wheels. The other side remained motionless imbedded in the mud. Persons in the vicinity thought some hydraulic mining was going on in their midst from the clouds of vapor that settled over the vicinity and hastened to the scene of difficulty to make investigations. The machine refused to respond to its engines, and Dr. Jesse stepped out and place his broad shoulders against the back of the vehicle to move it from its place of lodgement. In this he was likewise unsuccessful, and the fact that several by-standers grunted for him did not give the required assistance.

Finally a long iron rod was secured and a number of men took hold of the same and pulled the machine from its muddy position. The medico and auto each received a generous mud bath.

– Santa Rosa Republican, January 20, 1905

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