Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-05
A TERRIBLE NIGHTMARE.
How an Athens Prohibition1st AwOke
Only Too Soon.


From tie Athens Banner WatcIman.
Meeting prohibition friend yesterday
we asked him to explain that look of des-
peratiou and detection upon his usually
genial face.
Last night" he replied, 81 went through
one OF the most dreadful and disappoint-
ing experiences in the history Of night
mares, or day horses, either as to that.
You know, before prohibition went
into effect, / used to take on a brick
load every afternoon about shutdown,
but decided that it was all nonsense
about man drinking, and so was be-
guided into voting the Prohibition ticket,
thinking that I'd never miss the liquor
when the bars ran dry. But in less tnan
twenty-four hours ! realized my mistake.
A regular simeon of dryness, you know,
swept over the town, and powder horn
soon got to be regular water gourd COM
pared to me. Occasionally | would hap
pen TO catch drink on the fly, but there
continued an unsatisficd yearning in my
Innards that felt like the desert Of
Sahara. l tried hot coffee, ginger
tea and other like liquid hallucina-
ting substitutes, but they only acted like
adding fresh fuel TO the funeral pyre that
L helped to build around the bier of King
Alcohol. During my waking hours was
haunted by visions of past DRINKS, and at
night my dreams were pregnant with
mirages of tOaming beer, four-tnger
drinks and like tortures. But when |
placed the sparkling cup to my lips, the
contents would turn TO ashes--or rather,
cold water. / have chewed up every
cork / could find lying around
the former saloon stands, and
at last was reduced to the dire
necessity of investing in an old beer key
that | might masticate its slaves. / have
worn out new pair OF shoes every two
weeks hunting up some fellow who had a
jug hid out, and here publicly announce
that nay vote is for sale to the candidate
in the future who sets 'em up. Talk about
patriotisml What is that to man who
hasn't had drink in eleven long days?
But to proceed with my narrative Last
night | went to bed unusually dry, and
soon after falling asleep found myself
Gin dreams, of course, looking for
drink. The first man | tackled was Col.
Blank, who at once remarked; Hello,
old fellowl / have just got in case OF
$S-a-gallon liquor. Won't you come and
join me?" After little hesitation l re-
piled that | sometimes did take nip, aud
it was just about this time eff day, too.
He conducted me into his office, unlocked
a little cuddv, and took out a bottle of
old rye with about two drinks gone. l
piled up the glass brimmipg full, and was
just lifting it to my lips when the thought
flashed across my mind that perhaps it was
another of those visionary dream that
had haunted me 80 OF late. was in no
humOr to be disappointed, and remember
pinching myself to see if | was really
awake. | discovered that WAS, and was
just ready to gulp down the fluid
when my wife aroused me with fearful
box on the side Of the head, and demand
TO know what / meant by pinching her
arm. Had she just kept quiet two seconds
longer L would have had that drink down,
and believe il would have done me just
as mucn good as the simon pure stuff"