244 HISTORY OF PASADENA. 



" For ten years this colony had no liquor saloon, no criminal record, 

 and no paupers. And the practical business object of this anti-saloon 

 agreement is to keep out of our midst that class of men who would spend 

 their earnings at the saloon, thus sustaining the nuisance here, with all the 

 crimes and other evils that naturally occur at such a place or by reason of it, 

 and leave their families to be supported by their industrious and sober 

 neighbors. One hundred and sixty-two of our well-known citizens and 

 leading business men have already signed this anti-saloon agreement, and it 

 is desirable that every man among us who is willing to stand with them on 

 this matter should add his name to the list. All who refuse to sign it will, 

 of course, be understood to stand in favor of having a saloon here." 



For a while this seemed to be effective ; but Beebe was sustained by his 

 Los Angeles backers,* and also by a few men in Pasadena, probably twenty 

 in all, who pretended that he was being persecuted, or for various reasons 

 had refused to sign the "Agreement," and who began to decry it as a boy- 

 cott." Some who signed it entirely disregarded its practical application, 

 while others lived up to it in good faith ;t though population was changing 

 and increasing so rapidl}^ that the matter became every week more difficult, 

 for the great historic ' ' boom ' ' was then already beginning to blow up a few 

 preliminary bladders. Col. Banbury was this year elected to the legislature ; 

 and a local option bill was prepared here by T. P. I^ukens and others and sent 

 to him. He introduced it in the Assembly, so as to have a law by which 

 communities that were strongly opposed to saloons, like Pasadena, might 

 vote them out ; but it was received with levity, referred to committee on 

 public morals, and never heard of again. This was February 13, 1885 ; 

 and it was entitled ' ' A bill to prohibit the sale of liquors within 2000 feet 

 of any school-house or church in California outside of any incorporated 

 town or city." Penalty, fine from $50 to $500, or imprisonment twenty - 

 five to 250 days, or both. 



Meanwhile the " boom " crowded along and swept everything else into 

 its rushing stream. In August, 1885, a duly framed, legally signed and 

 formal petition for Pasadena to be incorporated as a city was laid before the 

 county board of supervisors ; yet it was not until May 13, 1886, after nine 

 months of dickerings and bickerings and technical delays, that the order for 

 incorporation was finally granted, and June 7th, set for an election to be held 

 within the prescribed city boundaries on the question of incorporation, and 

 choosing of city officers. And all this time the saloon had been gaining a 

 stronger foothold by the great influx of a drinking class of mechanics and 

 laboring men who flocked to Pasadena in swarms — drawn by the high 

 wages paid, and the great demand for labor in the booming rush of new 

 buildings, .street gradings, water and gas pipe layings, cement walk con- 

 struction, etc. 



*" It is claimed by the proprietor's mouth-pieces that he is well backed by the whisky interests 

 of Los Angeles and elsewhere. "--Editorial in Valley Union of November 15, 1S84. 



t"It is said that more than fifty workmen have been discharged from the Raymond hotel job at dif- 

 ferent times for drinking liquor or patronizing liquor saloons."— KaZ/o* Union, February 5, 18S4. 



