The Portland daily press., 1892-02-06
TALK OF THE TOWN.
Business Men on Sheriff Grams
Enforcement.
SHIPPING MEN AND THE USAGES
AS TO FLAGS.

| There is Much Less Drunkenness in the
Many Means of Information Agree in
This-Portland Owned Vessels Under
| the English Flag-What Becomes of
the Horses that Die in Portland-Cats
Having the Grippe-A Machine that
| Makes Money-Old Steamers,
The effect of the thorough enforcement
of the prohibitory law upon the amount
of drunkenness in Portland, is quite
frequent topic of conversation on the
streets and in places of business: "a
wonderful change is noticeable about the
wharves," said Mr.. Henry Trefethen,
long in the fishing business in this city,
to PRESS reporter. "a great many fish
ermen have business relations with us,
directly and indirectly. The number of
| fishermen in our employment is usually
about $50; and we have dealings with
more than 500. The effect of the en-
| forcement of the law is very apparent to
us. Formerly there used to be two or
every day; now we have hardly seen one
drunken man this winter. Any man who
will say that there are the drunken men
about the wharves that there were for
merly, says what he does not believe.
We see the good effects of cutting off the
rum supply in our business. We fit out
a great many fishermen in the fall with
trawl gear, etc., and wait for our pay I'M
til they sell their fish. We thus get a
pretty good knowledge of their finances,
and know that they have more money
and can pay more promptly than when
good share of their earnings went for
rum. The effects are also noticeable on
Peaks Island, where there are fewer rows
than formerly, and on House Island,
where we do our business. In years past
| it used to be no uncommon thing on
House Island to see half of a crew drunk.
OF course we are opposed to drinking and
our influence has contributed somewhat
to better things; but the operation of the
prohibitory law is the great agent. re-
member that about twenty-five years ago
one of our vessels came in with a load of
fish, and proceeded as usual to unload at
House Island. The crew, preliminary to
the unloading, visited the city. Our
method of unloading is to throw the fish
into the water on falling tide, and have
the crews toss them shoreward as they
wash them. When the tide is low the
crew take the fish and carry them up the
beach. When the time came to carry up
the fish from this particular schooner, of
it's ten men there was but one, the cook,
able to carry fish. The others, captain
and all, were paralyzed with drink. Such
thing as that never happens now. And
since Sheriff CRAM enforcement we have
had great decrease in Drunkenness
Other men, who, like Mr.. Trefethen,
have exceptional facilities for informing
themselves, agree with him. Mr.. Sidney
B. Stewart, yard master of the Grand
Trunk Railway, has had to do with a
great many men in his thirty-fve years
connection with the Grand Trunk in this
city. ''There is much less liquor sold
and much less drunkenness than former
ly,'' says he. "Of course it would be
folly to say that men cannot get liquor.
No law could be enforced to such an ex-
tent. But the getting of it is made so
difficult that men do not take the trouble.
Consequently there is a great improve
ment in respect to drunkenness.
Another man whose testimony is worth
something is Mr.. J. S. Pratt Of Auburn,
who has been a conductor of Grand
Trunk trains between here and Auburn
for many years. II find a marked differ
ence since the enforcement of the law"
said he to PRESS reporter. ION my
trains out of Portland, especially nights,
there used to be much disturbance.
People would get rum along Commercial
street, and soon after the train would
start would be fighting drunk. 1t was
very trying for the conductor, and some
nights used to dread my work. Now,
a drunken passenger is so rare that
think nothing about it. "
In one Maine city even the cats are suf-
fering from the grippe. One lady owns
three which have been successfully at
tackled. Two had light cases but the
third barely escaped with its life. There
was at first sneezing and other ordinary
sx,n,ntoms of a cold. then loss of anne
tite, great weakness, difficult breathing,
and finally the poor kitten had severe
cough, painful to listen to, from which it
has not yet recovered.
The captains on Commercial street
have not yet ceased to talk about the
folly of the Bridgeport Comm people
who were going to haul down the flag on
the British vessel; and the whole subject