The Press., 1884-01-31
DOES PROHIBITION PR0HIBIra ' H.
,. R. LOCKE, IN THE TOLEDO BLADE
HOW LIQUOR IS SOLD.

l HOW LIQUOR IS SOLD. 7
 As II said, there is not an open bar in Portland, but liquor is yet sold to some extent Prohibition, enforced as far as possible, for 30 years, has not completely changed the appetite of the old inhabit- ants, nor has it been able, entirely to con- trol the ccnktant stfeam of new corners. will have rum if tt IS possible to procure it, termined, and a thousand times mora in. genious in the same direc ion.
 Therefore,, rum is sold but to what ex. tent ]? sss The three prn1 cipal hotels in the city have bars, which are accessible, and where almost anybody can procure intoxicants The way it is done is this I The law gives the sheriff the power to Iseize liquor wherever he finds 1t and to search wherever he suspects 1t. A seizure implies the destructi Of whatever liquor I is found, and B fine of Sl l0O and costs for l the first offense, and six months mprisons tnent for the second
 Now the great hotels care nothing for l the fine. The charge for liquors at theinr, bars is about 33 per cent more than in cities where the trade in it.is free, and as 1 it is impossible that they should be seized every day, the fine is nothing. They make that up in the increased price of the liquor These bars are not as, in New York or Boston, on the first floor and in the most tconspicuous part of the house. They do Isnot have great plate glass windows, nor Iare they fitted up in tho most gorgeous Eatyle with long bars with mahogany and Isilver rails, filled with cut-gl ass and with mirrors, and costly pictures upon the walls land rich carpets on the floors They are lseot gorgeous loafng places for young men holding out their hands inyitingly te the passer-py Not at all
 OBVIOUS WAYS.
 To get at them you require the services Iof guide. You go down 1ong and a Ishort fight3of stairs, you turn 10 the left and then to. the right, and then to the left again, and you go up short flight of Istairs, and in the darkest and most dismal part of ttff1e premises ys,u stand fl front cf l a small door upon which no sign indicat- ing the nature of the business done within 1 is displayed.
 Entering you are in dismal gas-lighted room, into which the light of day never | penetrates, not more than 20 feet long by 12 wide. There is very cheap counter, l no seats, and no lunches or any of the oth- II. l l is the usual hair-plastered, dollar-jewelried insect, behind a cheap bar, and back of him are half-dozen bottles They dare I not keep much liquor in sight, for when | the sheriff comes and seizes it, it is gone. At the bar you shall see two CT three dissolute looking men, who may be hack men, and generally one man of an elderly aspect, who is making some sort of an eff fort to hold on to his fast-receding respect ability, but who is in the grasp of an ap- petite that is inexorable, and who takes all this trouble to gratify it.
 IT FITS ALL AROUND.
 The place is fit for the business, and the business is fit for the place. It is the grim nest, hardest, most metallic fact in the world. Whoso comes here comes not for pleasure. There is none of the glamour of light and pleasure about it. It is no place in which to sing convivial songs to the accompaniment of ringing glasses, or listen to amusing stories. It is no place for the quick repartee or the ready reply There is no flavor of humor or enjoyment in the place One would as soon think of testing at funeral or of laughing at sick bed. It is the incarnation of stern. desperate gloom. Whoso comes here. comes to swallow given amount of alco- hol, in response to demand which he cannot resist. He treads these stairs and these devious windings, and comes to this moral charnel-house, to gratlfy the gnaw- ing devil which he has not strength enough | to exercise. He swallows the poison in a gloomy way; he lays down his money and gets away as soon as possible, glad to get into the open air, where there is something l light and pleasent.
 Even the bar-keeper is depressed and looks. as though he would be glad to get out of it, but he cannot. In no other way can he make 8 living without work, and rather than to wield pick or starve on the streets.
 | A Boston gentleman, who does drink oc- casionally in his own city, explored one hotel for his morning sustainer.
 "Does prohibition prohibit ?" said he.
 'I should say so. Did it require the trou-
 ble to get liquor in Boston that it does
 here, and were it only sold in such horri-
 ble places, I should never touch the stuff
 I should as soon think of going into re-
 ceiying vault in cemetery for liquor. I RAIDING.
 The bars of the principal hotels in Port. land are raided regularly. When the
 sheriff makes his appearance they conceal
 as much of the liquor as possible and sub 1 init to the seizure of the rest The bar
 keeper goes to the police station, he af
 firms that he rents the place and that the proprietor of the hotel is not the proprie tor of the room, he pays his fine and is discharged. Then he goes back and con tinues selling till he has reason to expect :. another call from the sheriff when he de l camps. He can stand the fine for the frs
 offense, for the proprietor of the hotel pays that, but he don't like the imprisonment The sheriff comes and finds another hair
 plastered apology for a man behind ths
 bar, and he is arrested and pays his fine q or the proprietor does it for him, and so i
 goes on.
 Occasionally the sheriff manages to catcl
 the fellow the second time, but they keel , sharp look out, and as a rule get away. FT1hn afs2,S,k If Ahir ir on,1uIlv hal add bn