‘Bartenders Open Their Club Hall’ from St. Louis Labor. No. 508. October 29, 1910.

History of one of the pioneer unions in St. Louis.

This (Friday) evening Local Union No. 51 of the Bartenders’ Protective and Benevolent League will open its new club house, 3204 Lucas avenue, with a private banquet, at which Mr. August A. Busch will be present as the guest of honor. A number of the local labor representatives will be present. Mr. Busch presented this building to the local branch Bartenders’ League as permanent headquarters. The place has a value of about $15,000.00, is splendidly fixed up, and may safely be pointed out as one of the finest union labor headquarters in the city of St. Louis. The opening ceremonies will be continued on Saturday and Sunday.

Bartenders’ Union No. 51 has an interesting history. It is one of the many local trade unions with a history of continuous battle and struggle for existence. Organized in June, 1894, with less than twenty-five members, it had been struggling along, until, after many ups and owns, defeats and victories, it has grown up to nearly seven hundred members. Many hostile societies and organizations lined up against Union No. 51, some fighting openly, some secretly and some hypocritically, as can best be seen at this present time of Prohibition agitation. But No. 51 fought and conquered.

Although the monthly dues are comparatively small, the Union has always succeeded in providing for its regular war expenditures and taking care of its sick members and of the families of the deceased brothers. Many members in distress have been liberally assisted.

The present officers of Union No. 51 are: President, Henry Heffernan; Secretary-Business Agent, George Miller; Financial Secretary-Treasurer, Anton Mayer. Union No. 51 has been affiliated with the Central Trades and Labor Union from its very first day of existence, and takes this opportunity to thank every labor union and friend in his city for the liberal assistance given in the past and the solidarity that may be shown in the future

A long-running socialist paper begun in 1901 as the Missouri Socialist published by the Labor Publishing Company, this was the paper of the Social Democratic Party of St. Louis and the region’s labor movement. The paper became St. Louis Labor, and the official record of the St. Louis Socialist Party, then simply Labor, running until 1925. The SP in St. Louis was particularly strong, with the socialist and working class radical tradition in the city dating to before the Civil War. The paper holds a wealth of information on the St Louis workers movement, particularly its German working class.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/missouri-socialist/101029-stlouislabor-w508.pdf