The Dickinson press., 1891-05-09
FREE WHISKEY,
How the Prohibition Law is Violated II
Northwestern Iowa.

How the Prohibition Law is Violated in
Northwestern Iowa.
Sioux Cry, Iowa, May 1.-THE north
western quarter of Iowa affords an inter.
esting study of the workings of the pro.
hibitory laws. 1t is purely rural dis
trict. Outside of Sioux City there Is no
large city in the twenty northwestern
counties. LeMars, which is thirty miles
north of Sioux City, with 1000 popula-
ton, is the only other considerable town.
These counties are vast farming dis
trict, peppered with villages and small
towns, where, if anywhere, the traffic in
liquor should be suppressed under the
prohibitory edict.
In Sioux City and LeMars, as in the
other large cities throughout the state, it
is needless to say, whiskey and all intox-
icants are virtually free. "There are,"
says Chief of Police Stanley, .over 300
places in Sioux City where liquors are il
legally sold, in 'hole-in-the-wall, alley
dives, cellars, stables, etc. They have
multiplied amazingly since the law and
order league by prosecutions under the
state law broke up the irregular license
system, by which the city authorities
limited the number of saloons" There
are almost 400 government licenses in
effect in Sioux City, of which not more
than fifteen or twenty, if that many,
are used in strict obedience to the state
law.
There are scores of small towns, good
country trading points, of from 800 to
500 inhabitants where there is no inter.
ference with regular and open liquor sell
ling. Among them are such towns as
Charter Oak, Danbury, Remsen, Hol
stein, Ute, Denison, Carroll, Smithland
Otto, etc. The village of Holstein, Ida
county, has had four saloons for years
The little town Of Danbury, fifty miles
from this place, has three saloons, and
what is more surprising thriving whole.
sale liquor house, which supplies ten OF
fifteen villages in its neighborhood.
There is almost equally free whiskey
in the more numerous small towns and
villages where regular saloons do not
exist, and where the public authorities
are not openly ignoring the liquor trade
There are in effect, according to the re-
cords Of the revenue collectors office, al.
most 200 government licenses, and il
we allow 400 license for Sioux City ar
LeMars, the only cities, it leaves and
average OF 40 licenses per county, liber.
al showing for the purely rural districts
and country villages. Liquor is dis
pensed, where the sale is not conducted il
drug stores and saloons, through the in
teresting instrumentality of the "boot
leggers." The little towns and villages
of all northwestern Iowa to-day are
swarming with "boot-leggers." It is fol
these peripatetic rum fountains that ar
average of 40 government licenses is is
sued to the exclusively agricultural
counties. Nor is the situation muct
more pronounced than it has been during
the last two or three years. In each Of
the towns are from two or three to ten OF
more of the boot-leggers, always sup
piled, always ready. at moments no
tice, to assuage thirst. They are easily
found. Their haunts are usually the liv
cry stable, the hotel, the restaurant, th.
blacksmith shop, the Temperance bill
lard hall, y or similar place. Each ont
ALWAYS has in his pocket several pint o.
half pint bottles. The commercial trav
eler, the farmer, anyone who happens ii
one of the apparently arid villages, hal
only to suggest his wants to the hote
keeper or almost any business man, to b'
pointed to the perambulating whisk.
seller.
Between the bootleggers, the saloons
and the drug stores the small towns an6
the villages of the rual districts are al
must as well'supplied with intoxicants al
the larger cities. There is not one ex
ception throughout northwestern Iowa
not town so small nor SO strict that
drink of whisky cannot be had TO
money!