On May 6, 1915, up to 4 inches of snow blanketed much of northern Minnesota, the captain of the Lusitania received a wireless warning that German submarines were active off the coast of Ireland, and the Minneapolis City Council’s health and hospitals committee heard testimony about a proposal to ban dogs — but not cats — from “stores dealing in foodstuffs.” Two of the three stories landed on the front page of the Tribune the next day. Can you guess which?

DOGS CAN GO SHOPPING NO MORE

Council Has New Health Rules for Grocery Stores

CATS DIFFERENT, SAYS DUTTON

THE PET DOG which follows its mistress to the grocery store each day will have to remain outside while its owner does the family marketing, under the terms of the new ordinance regulating stores dealing in foodstuffs which was given a public hearing yesterday afternoon before the Council health and hospitals committee.

“But how about cats?” asked Mrs. C.D. Allin of the Housewives’ league, when the provision was read.

“They have to be allowed in the stores, according to the grocers,” Dr. C.E. Dutton, health commissioner, replied, “as a protection against rats.”

“But cats like to sleep in soft places,” Mrs. Allin continued. “In St. Paul, one of our committee found a store cat sleeping in the coffee. There’s nothing sanitary about that.”

“That was in St. Paul,” was Dr. Dutton’s reply.

What About Beer?

When the provision requiring that all milk and cream be kept separate from other food in the refrigerator was reached, George Leonard, an attorney representing the dealers on Commission row, raised an objection.

“How about beer and ginger ale?” he asked. “They’re articles of food, aren’t they?”

“Yes, and they’re blind pigs, too, when they’re in grocery stores,” replied one of the other women present, who was on her feet in an instant at the mention of intoxicating liquor by Leonard.

It was decided that the provision requiring that all perishable fruit be kept in refrigerators was too stringent and the committee decided to revise this clause at a later meeting when the ordinance will be discussed again.

You can see how rats might have been a problem in the Weber store, 604 Marshall St. NE., Minneapolis, in about 1910. (Photo courtesy mnhs.org)

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 1st, 2007 at 9:56 pm and is filed under Main, Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.