248 HISTORY OF PASADENA. 



expenses if the ordinance should be contested, was signed to the amount 

 of $6,680 ; and at the next hearing this was presented. But the council 

 refused this, and required that the actual cash, or legal and collectible 

 promissory notes, should be deposited in bank as a guaranty of funds, be- 

 fore they would venture to pass such an ordinance. 



The committee next prepared promissory notes, payable in 10 per cent, 

 installments, and went resolutely at work to comply with the requirement 

 of the council. February 16, a meeting was held in the parlor of the Pasa- 

 dena National Bank (Mr. Swartwout, the cashier, being a member of that 

 committee), and Dr. Wm. Converse, a director of the bank and member of 

 the committee, was elected treasurer, to hold the committee's funds and 

 pledge-notes in trust, subject to its order. February 19, they again appear- 

 ed before the council, exhibiting lawful promissory notes amounting to 

 $5,935, with 10 per cent, of the amount already in bank subject to the com- 

 mittee's order. It seemed then, that with 540 voters and taxpayers petition- 

 ing for such an ordinance, and nearly six thousand dollars of cash or notes 

 in bank to relieve the city from any costs of litigation arising from it, there 

 could be no further excuse for refusing to pass the ordinance as prayed for. 

 But no, it was not so. Two members of the council, E. C. Webster and 

 R. M. Furlong, both "anti-sumptuary" democrats, were somehow interest- 

 ed in the then new Carlton Hotel, which was to be a ''first-class'' hotel, 

 very high toned, etc., and they must have a clause granting this ''first-class'' 

 hotel the right to serve wine or beer with meals. So here was another 

 hitch. But Dr. Reid had already submitted this very point to Williams & 

 McKinley ; and they had replied : 



' ' Do not put in a clause permitting hotels or restaurants to furnish 

 liquors at table. That* would leave the way so open and easy for evasion 

 that it would be impossible to carry a case to conviction in the courts, on 

 account of the endless technical questions that could be raised. It would 

 thus defeat the whole object and intent of the law." 



They had said, however, that " there was as yet no ruling of California 

 courts on this point ; and it would probably be impossible to get a California 

 jury to convict on it. Hence they would not be willing as attorneys to take 

 a case into court that was based merely upon such a violation as the furnish- 

 ing of wine or beer when called for with a meal at a hotel. Nevertheless, 

 if you put in a clause giving this privilege, you might just as well abandon 

 your whole project of prohibiting the liquor trade, for you never could en- 

 force it." 



The full board of city trustees, with city clerk, city marshal, city attor- 

 ney, and the committee authorized to represent the 540 petitioners, were all 

 present; and after considerable further questioning and discussion on this 

 matter it was finally agreed upon by all that the ordinance should be passed 

 just as prayed for, without any excepting clause lor hotels ; but that no 



