The Brewery Buyout Rumors
Walla Walla saloon keepers and outside investors are reportedly negotiating the purchase of Jacob Betz’s major brewing plant.
A deal is now in course of consummation whereby the brewing establishment owned by Jacob Betz may pass into other hands. For some time there have been rumors that a number of local saloon men and several capitalists of St. Louis were desirous of purchasing the plant. It is said that Mr. Betz was willing to sell, but he placed a figure of $290,000 on the plant. This was considered too high by those who wished to buy and so far those interested have been unable to get together. One leading saloon man of Walla Walla said this morning: 'Yes, it is true that there is a deal on, but so far, it has not been consummated. A number of saloonmen and other persons in Walla Walla have been conferring with Mr. Betz looking toward making a transfer of the property, but nothing definite has been accomplished.'
“A number of saloonmen and other persons in Walla Walla have been conferring with Mr. Betz looking toward making a transfer of the property.”
Consolidation of local alcohol production and retail control by larger capital interests remains a common theme in modern industry, though the scale of breweries today has vastly surpassed the family-run operations like Betz's.
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