Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-26
THIRSTY IN CHARLESTON.
Strangers in Search Of Drink in South
Carolina
Despite the TiIlman Liquor Law-Ths
Posse on the Warpath-Rice
Beer and Ginger Ale.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

CHARLESTON, s. c., August %, 1893.
THE Adventures of a Thirsty Man in
Search of Drink in Charleston" should be
the title Of this communication, which is
intended as a note of warning. or a friend
ly guide post on a dusty highway. or a hor-
rtble example. as the case may be. to Others
who come after me. The Star reporter
came to Charleston the other day. 1t was
Sunday and 1t was hot. Two men in the
hotel were talking and one Of them said
he would like to have drink. but IL would
be impossible to get it in Charleston.
'Tmpossible?' asked the first man.
Absolutely" replied the other. NO one
is allowed to drink in Charleston unless he
drinks what Gov. Tillman prescribes and in
the way he requires"
mediately became seized with desire for
drink. Not on account OF the intrinsic
merits of the drink itself. but simply be-
have it. 1t was just this way: The Star re-
porter Possessed the price Of the drink. he
knew that somebody else owned the drink
and would doubtless like to make the mer-
camille transaction of exchanging the drink
for the money. and yet there was a man, a
stranger to me and to the owner Of the
drinh, VINO dared to step in and endeavor
to blockade our commerce.
/ determined would not stand 1t.
Having thus resolved not to be baked in
the peaceful pursuit of trade and the exer-
else Of right guaranteed by the Constitu-
uon, ! proceeded to hunt up the other
L
not then realize my rashness or The dim
culties that lay before me.
Just then ! saw the colored porter of the
motel and asked him to show me the buffet.
oh. you wants drink"
That's what 1 said.
Excuse me. sub. 1 don't means to be
impmdent but whur did you come from,
l assured him that neither my nativity.
race or previous condition OF sevitude had
any bearing upon the point at issue.
you come from dat You didn't know befo'
you got hyah dat you cyarn't git a drink
IN ,SSh I,, Then he looked AZ me with
milo pity IN his eyes, commissera ton for my
youth and ignorance and went his way.
Then ! stood on the sidewalk and looked
the desire for a drink growing hotter and
more consuming. AS I stood thus ponder
ing tnere came into my mind that classic
II you want to get a drink in Kansas.
~ you want to get drink,
Give democrat the wink
And you'll surely get a drink In Kansas"
The intimation conveyed by this dirty
seemed to point way out OF the difficulty
The plan Of procedure ought to hold good
these eu bs,n caroline as well az in Kansas
larity between the two states They are
pushing each other hard for place at the
then II would seem to be easier to nnd a
democrat in South Carolina than in Kansas
r ~ IaeI; you could not throw a stick in
mentally resolved that would appeal to a
democrat for a pointer
j., ! saw a man standing on the corner. BY
MS dress he appeared to be southerner
and as he was a white man / knew he was
democrat l apologi1ed to him for break
ing ing IN upon his reverie and then told him
that l was a stranger in a strange land
than friends. but with plenty Of money;
lnat wanted a drink and did not know
ha
young life from perishing by showing me
the way. for. as thirsteth the heart after
that drink. or words to that effect.
..I he looked at me a moment and then said:
I thirsty hr as / am. and If that's so You are in
IL, In answer to my look Of inquiry he con-
Moth cyarlina,. and 1 have been 'S Secas.
TONED. subj to having my toddy whenever
want It. Why; sub. I've got half an acre
along the branch below the big spring, and
, there Is no trouble. sub. in getting good
, ,ow in, In Bnncombe county. i struck this
YET. II the good Lawd lets me get home
ai1ye IN never come hyah any mo-"
an m e cnneln, long and earnestly and
defensive. with the one object of breaking
Gov Tillman's liquor law. We went into a
door Topped down into a chair and
doubled myself up as II in great pain and
s gosned G BUD ;s The groan at least was
so long that at last had come to really
believe that did want one and / groaned
Some brandy, quick. for my friend
hyah." said my ally to the druggist. He
is sick man" l groaned again.
thought eey at Mo m sami and
ginger do?' asked the druggist
No, sub. give him some brandy quick
The druggist shook his head. TRY a little
camphor and peppermint" he asked
ing; give him brandy" Great drops Of
Precipitation stood upon the brow Of my
ally The druggist again shook his head
Not a drop"
l unwound myself from the hard knot
into which l was apparently tied. got UP
lowed US from the store. and at the next
corner he caught up with us and said:
EXCUSE me, gentlemen, but am 1 not
right RICH in in thinking that you are looking for
We assured him that his surmise was cor
rect.
In that case won't you let me join your
parry l am from New York and I am
awfuliy thirsty" A fellow feeling is said
to make us wondrous kind and we took the
New Yorker In, thereby forming a triple al
lance. He subscribed to our constitution
ana bylaws and swore to use every effort
70 oreak Gov. Humans law. or ANYTHING
else belonging to Gov. Tillman IL he got A
chance. We walked down the street
past the Hotel Charleston and four men
who were sitting on the veranda left their
chairs and followed us. They are onto MS :.
said the New Yorker. They think we are
hunting drink and they want to join the
procession. He was right. The four men
Kept close at our heels and when we turned
the corner out Of sight OF the hotel they
verfned our suspicious and asked to ioin
the crusade. It would have taken a heart
OF stone to refuse them. which none or ms
possessed. and with these additions to on,
ranks the party looked like a posse comft.
atus. o'i'
Just then man came exctedly out OF a
hali door and inquired where's the iynch-
ing? He was assured that no lynchfne
was In prospect: that we were simply q
body of northern emissaries intent unon
violating the letter and spirit of Gov TiIi
mans law, being led by a gentleman from
Buncombe county. '''A
You must be after a drink" said the
excited man. ~
we are was the chorus.
A wistful look came into his face and he
said: I'D like to jine you" He was per
mitted to tine and the posse moved
we nad not walked more than three
squares until We came to a place the out
size or which looked very much like a
saloon. The place was evidently OPEN and
from behind familiar looking screen door
came sound suspiciously like the clinkfnc
of glasses. varied with an occasional eureie
and long drawn sigh of content We
stopped and looked at each other with low
and doubt In our faces.
Ian 1t be possible that we have str1,k
IT.? asked the gentleman from Runcomhe
wonderlngly. Its too good TO he trne