The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-08-22
A. TUSTLE WITH THE JAMS.
The Horrible Experience OF an AntI-1'ro-
hiDitionist.
From the Jacksonville Times. Union.

The Horrible Experience OF an AntI-Pro-
hibitionist
From the Jacksonville Times. Union.
No, never had 'em but once, and not
having any undue proportion of pork in
my composition, don't want to have 'em
again. In the sublime language ofthe
psalmist, I've got enough. have heard
of men entertaining eeveral visits Of
them, but no more for yours truly.
was living in Detroit, Mich, at The
time; had splendid bachelor quarters at
the Russell, an income up in the four
ciphers, and neither kith nor kin, spent
my time mostly at the club and the races
when in season, first nights ct theaters,
and 80 on.
had been drinking very heavily for
about two months, but what started me
on such colossal toot I don't remember
now. It might have been because q
woman Tilted mo, or | broke my pet
meerschaum, or some other such triile ;
but, at any rate, was two lengths ahead
and still going it like a house aiire.
About this time I concluded I'd sober of,
and found, to my great surprise, that l
couldn't do it.
Were you ever so drunk you didn't
dare get sober? MOI Well, then, all
I've got to say is that you have missed
one of the most peculiar destinations of
sporting life. However, that is the con-
dition I found myselfin and made up
my mind I'd try a trip in the country,
and see if I couldn't gradually get down
to bedrock again.
l took the first train to Ann Arbor,
and on arriving there hired horse and
buggy and drove out to Whitmore Lake,
q beautiful little sheet of water about ten
miles south of Ann Arbor. There were
two hotels there then-remember this
was twenty years ago-and I put up at
the West house, q good comfortable hotel,
where the bar had some of the finest old
rye ever drank. I took couple of
cocktails and half tumbler of brandy,
and then went in to supper. % the
table was some delicious fried chicken,
hot biscuits and lot of other truck, but
I couldn't eat a moutbful; appetite all
gone, and my own voice sounding far off
to me.
I got up from the table, making some
excuse about having a headache, went
to the bar and took a couple more drinks
and started out for walk along the lake.
Great heavens how nervous I was. /
kept stepping high, never sticking to
the path, and once or twice got nearly
into the lake. That would't do, you
know. I didn't care about furnishing
the peice de resistance for some country
coroner, so went back to the hotel,
bought bottle of whisky and bunch
ofcigars, and went up to my own room.
Here sat by an open window, drinking
and smoking until l got calmed, when l
went to bed and in about ten minutes
fell into profound slumber.
In about an hour I woke up and lay
there, ever sense active and alert. 1t
was a bright moonlight night, and my
room was light as day Hearing slight
rustling at the end of my pillow, I turn.
ed my head and saw most curious
looking lizard peering at me.
1t was about six inches long, and half
its body leugthwise was green, and the
other half purple. Its head was snow
white, and one eye yellow, the other red
as fire.
1t would peep at me a few seconds, and
then dart back behind the pillaw. |
watched it without! particle of alarm,
bat with q sort Of strange curiosity.
After while it grew bolder and came
entirely out on tho pillow. Of all the
funny creatures this was the funniest.
1t stood on its head, Airted its tail
back and forth, sat up on its hind legs,
put its fore foot up to its nose and wig.
gled it at me, opened its mouth SO wide
Thought it WAS going to swallow itself,
and went through lot of other comic
performances. The sight was so irre,isti-
bly, amusing that I involuntarily burst
out laughing.
Instantly the lizard ran across the pill
low into my mouth and down my throat.
1t was followed by hundreds, yes thous.
ands, of other lizards of all sizes and all
colors. Some were hardly half inch
long, others at least ten inches. Some
were black, some red; one, remember,
had blue body, green tail and yellow
side whiskers.
Great heavens, what sight, l 1leaped
out of bed hardly auppressing a shriek,
and making to the bottle Of whisky, filled
a goblet brimming full and drank it at
one draught.
There was no more bed for me that
night. l sat by the window until morn.
ing, ordered my horse and buggy before
breakfast. and by 9 o. m. was back in
Detroit. / at once took bath, and some
anchovy sandwiches, and felt like new
man.
Things went on this way for about a
week. I kept up prodigious drinking,
but couldn't eat mouthful Of food, my
stomach revolving every time food was
profIered it. Strange as it may SEEM
liquor had no Intoxicating effect; a glass
of the strongest brandy was no more than
so much water. 1t seemed as if | couldn't
get drunk, but slept pretty we'll, and
had no more halIucinalious.
One Saturday afternoon started ou'
with chum for walk along Woodward