The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-07-23


lichtfuI and Leaves no Bad Effect He
Thinks Kansas People should Patronize
Mexico Instead of Kentucky and MIL
waukee and They Would Save Money.
s. s. Stewart was in the city last night
and had long confidential talk with
Watchman James Mercer.
1t viii be remembered that Mr.. Stew
art IS the man who gained national
notoriety by getting drunk on water
taken from Charley Viney's pump on
Second street He never was known
70 enter a saloon or a drug store and
mis- DRINKS would come upon him after
De had filled up on water. When beast
h drunk he was never Quarrelsome,
but would lay down and Immediately
30 TO sleep.
Some OF the police at first supposed
that Stewart was morphine fiend and
they examined his arm, but Il was per
eeotly clear and showed no marks OF the
'ehypo" and he declared that ne had
rrer used either morphine or opium.
He would be perfectly sober one hour
and IN a few minutes he might be found
dead drunk. He would generally go TO
the timber and the camp melting ground
at Riverside park was his fayorite place
when the pumps were IN operation.
He declared that he got drunk on pure
water, but everybody knew this was
impossible, and even when the Eagle
published the account OF him being
drunk on Second street and notwith-
standing the fact that the story was
vouched for by both Officer Stewart and
Waterman Mercer, there were many
persons who believed that account was
a rank fake
Jim Mercer was satisfied that the ac-
count as published IN the Eagle was
true, and ne was also certain that Stew
art Rad some new process for bringing
On a drunk and he resolved 70 cultivate
the mans acquaintance, not for the
purpose of learning how TO bring on a
drunk by using pure well water, but
that he felt confident that Stewart Ia 4
picked up some new process while in
Old Mexico. and he believed that II he
could fad II out that he would have a
fortune and not be IN violation of the
prohgbitory law.
He kept MS secret TO himself and
when Stewart got of the Missouri Pa
cific train yesterday he was met by Mr.
Mercer, who al once offered him a cigar,
but was aStonished when the man told
him that he neither used tobacco or
drank any Intoxicating liquors what
ever, notwithstanding the fact that he
had paid three s. fines into the city
treasury on the charge of being tntoxi-
Gated
He finally compromised with Mr.. Mer-
Ger by taking a dish OF ice cream, and
together the two retired to an Ice cream
par:lor where they entered into a general
coaversau don when Mr.. Mercer asked
him II ne would not explain TO him his
secret as 70 how he succeeded IN getting
on spree and not using any intoxi-
eating liquors or narcotics Mr.. Stew
art hesitated for a time and then told
Mr-Mercer that that was part OF his
business in the city and ne wanted to
meet che president OF the o. NJ B. club.
as he-believed he could unfold plan
20 him which would make resubnission
perfect success, and one which If Il
was generally known would open up a
greater trade with Mexico than with
Milwaukee, and he did not think that
the revenue law would IN terfere.
Mercer grew Interested and ne felt
that his day dreams were about to be
realized. and asked Mr. Stewart If his
theory Of getting drunk on water was
not injurious to the nervous system,
when Stewart said:
There is nothing further from the
truth than this Instead OF being in
jurions Il is beneficial. never had the
least bad effects from one of my water
sprees and l never met a man who ever
had headache. The only trouble about
the water DRINKS is that a man who be-
comes intoxicated under my theory
never ticks his wife, breaks I'D the fur
nfture, make a fool of himself in public.
unless he goes to sleep and is run in, but
& makes him gentle, kind and lovable
He loves all mankind and while it makes
him wealthy apparently 1t does not
make him mean"
My gracious said Jim, at wish you
would let me into the secret
Come with me- said Stewart, the
renowned sheep shearer, land 1 will
give you a view into my earthly para
disc, and I want YOU to help me get my
measure in the proper light before the
O. NJ. B. society and l know the hypnot-
Zeal prohibition laws OF Kansas will be
removed from the books and true tenn
perance will be taught in the homes. in
the schools, in the churches and not in
The reformatories.
Mercer went out on the street with
che sheep shearer. when Stewart reach
ed into his pocket and drew out a small
sack from his inside pocket and when
he had opened IL he poured out a half
dozen red berries in his hand and asked
Mercer to look at them. The berries
resemblei little red buck berries which
are found in every woods and grow on
bush called by many "sQuaw vine. -
What are these2" asked Mercer. at
would call them dried buck berries.
such as grew in the woods IN Indiana -
II think they are a specie OF the same
berry" said Stewart, but they have a
very different effect. l found them in
the mountains in Mexico when 1 va :
there shearing sheep. They ara not
very plentiful. but l could buy them for
30 cents a gallon in silver.
NOW. those berries are very pleasant
20 eat, and person viii notice no bad
effect from them unless he fills his
stomach full Of water. and II he does
the pretGest drunk viii come that You
ever saw. With three OF these berries
and q big drink Of fresh water from d
wei man forgets all about his troubles
and sleeps the hapiest sleep in the
world Six OF them VIII put a man to
sleep when he has the toothache or
bellyache- Now. II he Will only take
one of the berries he viii feel stimu-
lated, but not cross like he does when he
begins TO feel his oats while drunk the