The Portland daily press., 1892-03-31
A NOVEL ENTERTAINMENT.
Lady Somerset Sees Liquor Turned
Out.
SOUVENIR WHISKEY BOTTLES PRE-
SERVED FOR OBJECT LESSONS.

An Object Lesson Showing What Flnaliy
Becomes of Much Rum Sent Into
Maine-Lady Somerset Took Abundant
of Yesterdays Event.
There was novel entertainment on
the county side of the city building yes
terday afternoon. 1t has already been
stated that Lady Henry Somerset had
expressed wish to see some liquor
spilled under process of the Maine law.
This wish was conveyed to Sheriff Cram
through General Neal Dow, and Mr..
Cram courteously arranged to have the
drama enacted at half past three O'Clock
yesterday afternoon.
There are doubtless many men and
women in Portland who have never seen
rum spilled by law, and know nothing
of the significance of the process wit
messed yesterday. When the officer
seizes liquor he issues against it docu-
ment called libel. This libel has to be
posted in a conspicuous place for ten
days in order that a possible owner may
claim the liquor. At the end of that
time, if no claim is put in, the
Municipal Court issues an order direct
ing the destruction of the liquor by pour
ing it upon the ground. The officer who
pours it out makes return, or endorse
ment upon the back of the order, to the
effect that he has fulfilled the order of
the court, In the county side OF the city
building is a large basement room in
which ibelled liquors are stored. A
pipe is attached to the sewer SO as to af-
ford drainage for hopper like depress-
ion in the brick floor. Into this ,depress-
ion the liquor is emptied, and runs off
into the sewer.
Sheriff Cram and Deputies Sterling and
Plummer had everything in excellent or
der, awaiting the arrival of Lady Somer-
set and party. They came about $50,
General Neal Dow bringing them down
in his carriage. There was General Dow,
very gleeful and much elated at the OPP
portunity to show an appreciative for
eigner the practical workings of the final
clause of our liquor law; and Lady Som
erset, Miss Frances E. Willard, Miss
Anna Gordon, Miss Wizards secretary,
Miss Bessie Gordon, Corresponding Sec
rotary of the Massachusetts, W. G. I. o.,
Miss Cornelia Dow, Mrs. L. M. N. Stew
ems, and Mrs. William Leavitt, Jr. These
made up the visitors. There were also
present several county officers, and ladies
and baby that was made much of and
assisted materially during the ceremony.
Of course the first question the reader
will ask will not be how the rum was
spilled, but how Lady Somerset looked.
Those who were there concluded that
she looked, talked, acted and was dressed
just as any well bred American
woman would. She shook hands with
and gave a simple greeting to all in
troduced to her; and did not seem to be
at all anxious lest they might not have
ancestral estates or multitudinous ten
antry.
In the rum room there set over the
splitting place three or four casks con-
tanning whiskey, rum and beer. Deputy
Plummer stepped up to these, as the
party assembled, and knocked in the
bungs. The richly colored and fragrant
liquids began to flow forth, the ladies
waving salute with their handkerchiefs
as the liquor flowed away. Then the Ia
dies wanted to try their hands at it.
Lady Somerset was given
A Little Brown jug
which she tipped over with a triumphant
''Here goes" Miss Willard tried to spill
bottle of whiskey, but dropped the bot
tie, smashing it. Then they all had Cen
eral Dow spill bottles of liquor in order
that they might take away the bottles as
souvenirs. Lady Somerset secured a
medium sized flask; while larger bottle
fell to Miss Willard to be placed in the
great w. C. T. u. temple, with big la
bel. ''Bottle from which liquor was
spilled by General Neal Dow, March 80,
'92.''
General Dow was greatly pleased and
could not refrain from saying several
times, ''This is a truly wonderful specta-
cle.' 1t seemed to arouse all his old
time fire against the grog interests.
Lady Somerset was apparently much
impressed by the novelty of the perform
ance She had note book in her hand
constantly, and kept close by Sheriff Cram
all the time. plying him with questions.