Saturday, October 10, 2015

Ten Things You Might Not Know About Chicago Taverns-- Part 5: Drunkard Haters and "The Blind Pig"

9.  After bloody clashes between police and labor activists in 1877, a new group decided tat saloons were partly to blame.  Its activists began monitoring bars to see if youths and already intoxicated customers were being served, then filed complaints with police and urged the patrons' families to sue.

The group's name was sobering all by itself.  They were called The Citizens League of Chicago for the Suppression of the Sale of Liquor to Minors and Drunkards.

10.  Unlicensed bars in Chicago were once known as "BLIND PIGS."  The origin of the term is unclear, though there is a story about police raiding an illegal one which had a sign reading "APG."  A cop described it as "a pig with its I knocked out."  In other words, a blind pig.

Oink, Oink.  --Cooter

No comments: