The Barter of Spirits
A saloon owner in Whitechapel is caught paying his laborers in liquor, leading to a quick legal resolution.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Officer Powers arrested Charles Swanson, Julius Anderson, Frank Ponver, and Charles Roberts yesterday morning at daylight while they were looting the Union saloon in Whitechapel. The officer saw them taking armfuls of whisky and beer in bottles from the saloon to a shack on a level with the tideflats. The owner of the saloon appeared before Judge Rivers and explained that he had given the liquor to the men as payment for helping him move some bar fixtures, and consequently, the prisoners were released.
“The owner of the saloon appeared before Judge Rivers and explained that he give the liquor to the men as pay for helping him move some bar fixtures.”
This incident highlights the precarious nature of labor in the 1890s tideflats, where cash was scarce and goods like alcohol served as currency. It is a stark reminder of the era's informal and often exploitative labor practices in developing Seattle districts.
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