Rose Saloon Is Condemned

ROSE SALOON IS CONDEMNED

By Property Owners Who Live in the Neighborhood

DRUNKEN ROWDYISM

In the Vicinity of the Place is Rampant Say Citizens--One Woman Badly Frightened

The citizens who live in the neighborhood of "Dr." Rose's saloon have no higher regard for the place than most of the other people of the city. In fact, they hold it in great disfavor, since they think that it tends to lessen the value of their property. They complain of being disturbed at night by the yells of drunken men, and several of them claim to have seen sights too disgusting to relate.

William A. Seery, deputy register of deeds, lives on State street opposite the saloon, and he has opinions in regard to the effect of the proximity of the saloon on values of property. He said this morning:

"Of course a saloon is a very undesirable institution to have in a residence district, perhaps more undesirable than in a business section. It materially lessens the value of property in the neighborhood, and makes sales very hard. I have not lived in 'Dr.' Rose's neighborhood a year yet, but I have been considerably disturbed at night by boisterous singing and yells of drunken men. They often loiter in the street before my house and indulge in indecent and obstreperous language, and otherwise conduct themselves in an annoying manner."

WOMAN IS AFRAID.

Mrs. Ann Burns, who lives next door to Mr. Seery, and who is an old resident of the neighborhood, spoke very strongly on the subject.

"I am really afraid at times," she said. "When the drunken men go by whooping and yelling at night, throwing sticks and stones and carrying on in a crazy way, I am afraid that they will do something to injure my house. It is really dangerous sometimes, and so you can easily see that the value of property is lessened. The doings over in that salon are awful, sometimes. Occasionally we can hear fighting going on, and one morning we found bloody footprints leading up State street from the saloon door. On the southeast corner of the building there is a door opening onto the sidewalk from a cellarway, and I have often seen people going in there at night. I understand that the basement is divided into rooms and furnished. I tell you that people who have lived in this neighborhood could tell you come bad stories if they chose."

Mrs. P. W. Moore, of Elizabeth street when seen, said:

"The presence of a saloon in the neighborhood is of course very undesirable, no matter how conducted. 'Dr.' Rose keeps the place looking better than his predecessor did, but that of course has nothing to do with any carryings on there. We on this street are not so much disturbed by the saloon as the people on State street, though the value of property here may be affected to a certain extent."

SISTERS DISTURBED.

The sisters who have charge of St. Thomas' school, on N. State street, have been greatly disturbed by men passing at night. The ladies live in the north part of the building, and they have been frequently annoyed by the throwing of sticks and stones against the wall from the street. The men have gone so far at times as to climb the bank and rap on the windows. After being troubled in this way for some time they finally secured a watchdog to keep away disturbers.

James B. Willis, another resident in the vicinity of the Rose place, spoke in no uncertain terms of the saloon when he was interviewed today. "It's a menace to the neighborhood," he said, "and ought to be abolished."

"Under the provisions of the city charter," said Attorney M. J. Cavanaugh, "the council has authority to pass an ordinance designating places where saloons may or may not be located. In other words, if the council so desired, it might pass an ordinance forbidding the carrying on of the liquor business by Dr. Rose or anyone else at the corner of Fuller and State streets. The city of Holland has a similar provision in its charter, and the council passed an ordinance forbidding the maintaining of saloons except on specified streets. A liquor dealers disregarded the ordinance and when his case was carried to the supreme court the council was sustained. The city of Ann Arbor has never passed an ordinance relative to the location of saloons, but it has the power to do so at any time, if it desires."

An ordinance will probably be introduced at the next meeting of the council giving the city the power to designate the location of saloons. This ordinance was to have been introduced last night, but for some reason not made known it failed to turn up.