The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-08-31

Smart Dodge by Illicit Whisky Ven
doris.
Waynesburg Democrat.


Not many miles from the pleasanf
village of Mt. Morris the state lin,
runs between the states of Pennsyl
vania and West Virginia. On thu
Pennsylvania side of the line al
enterprising citizen of the Keyston,
State has started little cigar store
We presume he has procured tn,
necessary license for carrying OF
this business, and that, at the price
which he secures there is profit il
the business. 1t seems very strange
to some, THAT in a comparatively
isolated spot man could sell cigars
enough to pay his so 40 tax. But
at this place, it is said, men flock in
and plank down the cash, and get
an ordinary cigar paying for it q
price that would secure larger
quantity Of better cigars in almost
any locality in the U. S. In fact il
an ordinary merchant would ask a
customer such price the CUSTOMER
would not only be offended but would
Indignantly charge the merchant
with a desire to swindle him by
more than exhorbitant charges
But here it is different, and men &c
far out of their way to get the privi-
lege of paying very large price for
an ordinary smoke. The gentleman
who sells the cigars is seemingly on
the highway to fortune and believes
that as the word Of his wonderfully
high priced cigars reaches the in
habitants of the two states business
will still increase and that he will
grow and flourish like green bay.
tree. His idea in locating SO neal
the state line seems to have been
with view of securing the custom
of the people of the two states. But
as to just how or why this original
idea should have brought so large 9
custom and so great patronage tc
a business where the privilege Of
paying an immense price for cigar
is the leading attraction, is some
thing which strikes the hearer with
wonder Many things go in pairs
and the cigar store on the Pennsyl
vania side Of the state line has q
companion wonder on the West Vir-
ginia side of the line. Within q
short distance of the cigar store q
liquor store has been started ON the
w. Va. side, and if the exhorbitant
nature Of the cigar mans charges are
wonderful they are not more so than
the generous and Internationally
of the w. Va. liquor man. He offers
beer and whisky to the citizens Of
the two states free-"without money
and without price" He is a genial
happy dispositioned German, and
under the circumstances he has very
naturally a good and growing Gus
tom; SO gallons of whisky and thir-
teen kegs of beer are said to have
been disposed of to his customers in
very short period of time. OF
course the sale of the beer and whis-
ky produced the usual results and
several disturbances occurred in the
vicinity Of Mt Morris in conse-
quence of these sales. One other
peculiar thing connected with these
phenomenal ventures is the fact that
while the Pennsylvania cigars are
very costly and the w. Va intoxi-
eating beverages are free, yet no man
can get free bottle of liquor in the
W. Va. establishment until he has
purchased high priced cigar of
the Pennsylvania dealer and furnish
ed evidence of the same to the w.
Va. liquor man. Was it Old Judge
Gray who used to say: ooh the
ingenuity of man, made a fly trap
and couldn't set itt' But man adj
vances, mind widens intellect ex-
pands, the ingenuity of man increas-
es and these two geniuses have made
man trap and have had sufficient
skill to set it and see it operate.
But what the end is no man knoweth.