JOHN BYRNE. ' 1 '
Early Settlers Drank Here "Patch-eye" Byrne's Crystal
Saloon, sketched in 1858, was a celebrated thirst spot in pioneer
times and a bitter rival of "Plum's" tony Belvedere. When incen
diary fire destroyed the Belvedere in 1865 "Plum" declared he
would put a patch on the other eye of the man who set that fire.
Early-Day Salem Resorts
Pioneer Saloons Had Picturesque Names and Style to
Suit the Clientele. A Two-Part Story by
Ben Maxwell
PART I '
Salem's oldtime saloons should not be lightly considered. In
1870, when the population was 1139, there were 13 bars and
three drug stores dispensing liquor for beverage and medicinal
usage. Drygoods stores were lof
In number and there were only
11 groceries here 77 years ago
Of course there were saloons
in Salem before 1870. Jason
Lee and the founding Methodist
fathers didn't start any but
Brother W. H. Willson occasion
ally purchased a bottle from old
Tommy Cox, who operated Sa
lem's first store back in 1847.
But Brother Willson was also a
doctor of sorts and the tipple
was doubtless intended for
medicinal usage.
On Main street (Commercial)
in 1853, was Ben McCormick's
restaurant adjacent to the Non
pariel saloon. Ben also served
six-bit meals and, if the taste
and pocketbook permitted, they
could be washed down with
beverage fetched from the
handy Nonpariel. But what the
Nonpariel charged for a drink
or a gallon of brandy is known
only to oldtimers who have
long since departed. But we do
know that Dr. Willson paid
Uncle Tommy Cox $2.50 for a
bottle of wine on August 30,
1850, a pretty steep price even
for gold rush times. :
' Some Names Lost
Other thirst spots more or less
supplied the pioneer appetite of
the 1850s, but their names are
lost in obscurity. Most of the
houses (hotels) had bars becom
ing to the distinction and purses
of their guests. The steward
in rough and tumble Holman
house down by the waterfront
probably kept his bung starter
handy. Aristocratic Bennett
house, catering to the elite,
doubtless served pedigreed
liquor from fancy bottles and
kept the floor and glasses clean.
Getting started in the saloon
business in pioneer times did not
require a county license like op
eration of a ferry. Nor was any
social stigma attached to being
in the business. Immediately
following gold rush times liquor
prices were high and William
Rector, pioneer Salem entrepre
neur, perhaps fearing a drought,
paid Cox- $60 for 15 gallons of
brandy purchased March 23,
1851. Eleven years later, in
expensive Jacksonville, rum
sold for $1 a gallon and brandy
for $1.25. Only distilled liquors
and imported wines were first
available in early Oregon be
cause the transportation of beer
around Cape Horn impaired the
quality and made the retail price
prohibitive.
In Oregon's formative period
most available liquor was inex
pensive. A small federal tax, not
exceeding $25 a year, satisfied
the treasury department and, be
sides, most immigrants didn't
have much to spend for tipple.
Nor, it may be remarked, were
the costs of social benefits as
sessed against a convivial glass
to alleviate the misfortunes of
those who had neither the purse
nor appetite for a drink of
brandy.
Judge Wrote About Us
Peter H. Burnett, supreme
court justice in provisional times
who left Oregon to become Cal
ifornia's first governor, has writ
ten that pioneers in the 1840s
were honest because there was
nothing to steal, industrious be
cause it was work or starve, gen
erous because there was no mon
ey to horde and sober because
there was but little to drink.
In 1860, when 1527 persons
lived in both North and South
Salem precincts, there was plen
ty to drink and no indication
that pioneer character had ma
terially changed. Census statis
tics for that year show that J.
F. Barton owned a place with a
stock of refreshments valued at
$3500. P. Green was tending bar
for someone or had a small busi
ness of his own with a stock val
ued at $400. James Fiske and
R. Denning were listed among
the saloonkeepers and last, but
not least, John Byrne of "Patch
eye" fame. "Patch-eye" was 26
in 1860 and his liqupr stock was
valued at $1350.
"Patch-eye" and E. M. Pla
mondon, whose Belvedere was
destroyed by an incendiary fire
that broke out at the rear of
his saloon in the early morning
of April 17, 1865, were intense
rivals. Next day after the fire
"Plum," as Plamondon was
called, was telling friends and
enemies alike if he could only
catch the. so and so who set the
fire he would put a patch over
his other eye. The same fire
burned out Green's place at a
loss of $4000 and Plum owned
the building.
"Plum's" Belvedere was a
somewhat tony place even in the
1850s and 1860s. After the fire
he rebuilt the Belvedere and
proclaimed it first class in every
way. In 1872 Plamondon and
Stimpson were operating a bar
in the basement of the Chemek-
eta house (today's Marion). In
"Patch-eye" Byrne's "Crystal"
there was occasionally confus-
sion. Byrne s wife was a very
pious woman and thoroughly de
spised her husband's business.
Murder Plot at Beale s
In those rough and ready '60s
you could find what you were
looking for in Salem's saloons.
In George P. Beale's place,
where the Marion now stands,
was schemed the murder that
took the life of Old Man Delaney.
Beale and Baker hanged for the
crime April 17, 1865, and Ed.
Croisan, alive today, recalls that
execution of 82 years ago.
P. D. Palmer, one of Battle
Rock's heroes, escaped Indian
vengeance to operate the Gem
saloon in Salem's old Union
house at the northeast corner of
Commercial and Ferry streets in
1858. Fire consumed the Union
house May 10, 1863, and if Pal
mer ever engaged in the saloon
business again this writer has1
not discovered the reference.
Come 1870 when 13 Salem sa
loons and three drug stores, also
selling pure, medicinal spirits,
were more numerous than any
other kind of business. They ad
vertised extensively too, that is
they did until the Weekly Mer
cury changed management and
raised advertising rates. Then
they dropped out collectively
and slowly returned one by one.
Aumsville Clubbers
Get Share Ribbons
Aumsville Aumsville 4-H
club captured its share of cham
pionships and ribbons at the 4-H
spring show held in Salem.
Championships went to Keith Scott in
camp cooktne, El don Jacquet, bachelor
sewing; Mertle Mae Hanson, our home;
Janice Riches, cooking II; Janice Riches,
ciouiing hi; ana JJonme tuem, aoinsnn
IV. Bonnie Klein, championship In style
review as well as grand championship
In all sewing divisions. Other awards
went to Shirley Nlchol, blue in sewing 1;
Winifred Slater, white award. Clothing
II, blue, Sally Klein and Donna Lee
Klein; white. Lola Holmqulst: clothing
III, Vida Schaefer, white; my room, Jan
ice Riches, white; out home, Bonnie
Klein, white; knitting I, Anna Peder
son, white; art I, Janice Riches, blue:
bachelor sewing, Bernard Riches, red;
cooking II, Bonnie Jo Nicholson, white;
camp cookery, ft white to Irwin Da lice
and Eldon Jacquet and In cooking I, a
red award to Vaunda Coates.
Canada Income
Tax Slashed
Ottawa, April 30 U.P.)The
Canadian government, which
showed an overall profit of
$352,000,000 last year, will slash
income taxes 29 percent for nine
out of 10 taxpayers beginning
July 1 and will abolish the ex
cess profits tax December 31.
Finance Minister Douglas Ab
bott said the cuts ranged from
54 percent for wage earners in
the lower income brackets to
six or seven percent in the up
per brackets. Exemptions for
$750 for single persons and $1,
500 for married persons will re
main the same, Abbott said.
Lyons Club Changes
Date for Festival
Lyons Mrs. Melbourne Ram
bo was hostess for the meeting
of the Three Links club at her
home near Gates. The meeting
was called to order by the presi
dent, Mrs. Clyde Lewis. The
date for the spring festival was
changed from May 22 to June 5
in order that some may attend
grand lodge which will be in
session at that time. Another
benefit card party will be held
at the hall Friday night, April
25.
Present for the meeting were
Mrs. Roy Heineck, Mrs. Arthur
Olmstead, Mrs. Clyde Bressler,
Mrs. Alex Bodekcr, Mrs. Ar
thur Andersen, Mrs. Clyde
Lewis, Mrs. Albert Ring. Mrs.
George Huffman, Miss Bculah
Lewis, Mrs. Albert Carr, Mrs.
Clifford West, Mrs. Jim Read
and the hostess Mrs. Rambo. Re
freshments were served at the
close of the meeting.
Chaplain Gets Medal
Mill City Dr. David Fergu
son, minister of the Mill City
Presbyterian church was one
of the three slate chaplains to
receive the medal of honor pre
sented at Willamette Presbytery
held at Corvallis.
Capital Journal. Salem, Ore.. Wednesday, April 30, 1947 j
W.U. Student Body
Officers Race on
Four men. an independent and
one from each of the three na-'
tional fraternities, will seek the
presidency of the student body
at Willamette university. They
are: Jim Purdy, independent;
Stuart Compton. Beta Theta Pi:
Bill Reder. Phi Delta Theta and
Reid Shelton of Sigma Chi.
Additional candidates for stu
dent body officers: First vice
president, Bob Busick, Sigma
Chi; Don Douris, independent;
Jane Mathers, Alpha Chi Ome
ga; Terry Stewart, Chi Omega;
second vice president, Joan
Kathan, Alpha Chi Omega;
Helen Larson, independent;
Charles Mills, Phi Delta Theta;
secretary. Addyse Lane, Pi Beta
Phi: Joyce Reeves, Chi Omega;
Lucille Veelman, independent.
MELLOW-FREEZE
Ice Cream
Quarts are only
SAVING CENTER
Salem & West Salem
33c
FOR SALE BY OWNER
in
Loumar Heights Addition
1 Block West of Commercial, Just South of Hoyt
35 LARGE CHOICE LOTS
Very desirable location, close to 2 schools.
Salem's south side higher elevation.
L. W. Roth
396 Jerris St. Tel. 6849
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SALEM AGENCY: 444 Ctntir Strait TiL 41S8
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Thone 4036
I -
We Iwe 'em in December
gg we do in May
REMEMBER the day you first romped away
. in that Buick of yours? How those eight
Fireball cylinders fairly floated you over the
hills how those road-steady two tons of
lively car answered sweetly every light touch
of your hand on the wheel how you glided
along with foursquare BuiCoil springing
smoothing every wrinkle in the road?
That's what your Buick was built to do.
Years and years of that kind of driving are
in it especially when it gets the interested,
informed car care this fine an automobile
should have.
That doesn't mean just periodic lubrication,
a body wash, battery check or bolt-tighten.
It means thorough attention by competent
Buick men attention that keeps a Buick
always a Buick.
Buicks are our babies. Even the smallest de
tails are handled the way they should be for
a Buick. We have Buick tools that do jobs
better and quicker. We have men who know
Buicks best. We have Buick-engineercd parts
that are precisely right for your car.
Put that all together and it's Buick car care.
Pretty clear, isn't it, that here is where your
Buick will receive the best attention? After
all, we love 'em heart and soul.
C CM Eft S a S C8)
"top-secret
One of the things that play a part in Fireball
snap is Buick's wafer-thin steel cylinder
gasket. Just 15 thousandths of an inch thick,
it's a "must" for the high compression this
powerful straight-eight is designed for.
Other kinds that are thicker cut down the
compression and the car's liveliness.
In carbon and valve jobs, or any other where
this gasket must be replaced, only this Buick
gasket will assure the fit Buick engineers
intended. No wise Buick owner would have
any other in his engine.
Just another example of how you get more
for your money in major adjustments,
tune-ups, lubrication or anything your car
needs when you make sure it gets Buick
car care.
Hi
3- :
STV S?f . I car care.
Otto J. Wilson Company
388 N. Commercial St. Phone 9961 Salem, Oregon
)