The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-08-11
IT IS STRONG.
Pressure on the
Druggists.
Few of the Local Pharma-
CiStS Stand the Test.
Only a Dozen are GuiltleSS
of Law Breaking.
Alderman Reynolds Tells About His
Own Experience.
Do tors Wanted Liquor B cam Indig-
nant When Tn y Didn't Get II.

1t is much easier to be just little bad
than extremely good. This is especially
true in the drug business.
There is no trade or profession in which
the pressure is so strong To depart from
the path that is straight and narrow and
not very lucrative. And, unfortunately,
the percentage OF those who stand the test
is very small.
Ii is no exaggeration to claim that out
of tho hundred or more druggists doing
busiucss In Providence not more than "A
dozen are absolutely guiltiess OF violation
of law.
Ii is a matter Of degree and tho viola.
ton is all the way from that of the man
who is in the drug store business solely
for selling liquor on Sundays and without
the OK pense of n license, TO the occasional
lapse OF tho otherwise respectable druggist
who will yield 10 the entreaties Of u
thirsty friend or OF the physician who
considers that he Is entitled 20 special
privileges by virtue of his Office.
DIFFERENT METHODS.
Then there are different methods. Each
druggist will devise some scheme OF his
own for evading the law. Thore are hard-
~ TWO StoTsS III tDWu Nnltu buNt tho
same trick. There Is "a common object
however, and that is to sell three or four
cents worth of whisky for ten cents with
out paving anything for the privilege.
One triGk is to take some well-kDown
fountain beverage like Calaseya, all right
In ITSELF and make it particularly attrac-
tive TO the customer who knows the
scheme by dosing it literally with cheap
brandy. In one store gallon CT this
,fxf is
There are two strong Inducements for
the druggists to violate tho law. The
first. Of course is the financial considera-
tion and then in addition TO that is the
very natural desire TO be popular and on
good terms with the customers OF the
neigbbornood.
Alderman William X. Reynolds who
has peen proprietor Of drug store ON
Friendship street since 1885, and who is
one of tins dozen who is law abiding tells
of one very significant incident which, ms
much as anything eise illustrates the
pressure brought TO bear.
Alderman Reynolds has been asked by
two or three physicians for liquor tn be
drunk on the premises. He refused and
was informed by the indignant doctors
that thov would not send him any more
prescriptions The druggist told them
that IL the employment Of their patronage
was conditional upon violation of law
that he would dispense with It. MIR.
Reynolds showed some figures to News
reporter today that tell long story in
themselves relative to what it means
whether there Is whisky bottle under
the soda fountain or not. From June
Is to July 3 his receipts from the soda
fountain were SAL 50 from July to July
IL, SIS; from July II TO July ~. Slb 30;
from July % To Aug. T. Sli. There IN n
total OF 500 for AZ days or an average OF
only AT day. 10 carry 10 still further
there were, on the average. about "a
sales a day from the fountain. Tint is,
the normal output of drug stsre foun'
tain. situated in n thickly settled com.
munity. where nothing but fruit syrups
are sold. With the rum business added
these figures would have TO DO multiplied
by at least five.
Mr.. Reynolds liquor bills, for the year
1s96, amounted To S239. 80. That was suiil
cient TO purchase oil tho liquor that there
was any legitimate call for And yet
that wouldn't supply some drug stores {
month.
BIG LIQUOR BILLS.
For instance, there is another establish
ment In tho Same Dcighborhood where tn,
luuor bills are much larger, also the re-
ceirts from the fountain and at this othel
place there Is wagon load of bottl ot
lager left every Saturday afternoon fol
tho Sunday.trade.
Several years ago when Alderman Roy
nolds was local agent of tho American
Pharmaceutical Association no had occa
sion To 60 TO one of the local druggist.
and found the clerk at the fountai 81
drunk that he oouldnt stand ur. N,
called for the proprietor and that individ
ual came from the back room holding oI
To n good poker hand while no called on
to his COMPANIONS that he would bo Tigh
back.
The principal trouble with the dru,
business. Mr.. Reynolds says, is that ther
8 no harmony among the individuals on
gagged In IL. il Is impossible to got then
10 act together as AN association an,
stamp out tho evils because thero is =,
much jealousy and rivalry. Awhile age
an association was started Will
ten stores represented and it got aonl
nicely until an effort was made to eXtanc
it and enlarge the memtorship. Ibi
resulted in the inevitable wranCle
A business that is wrong In itself mus
necessarily he had In all its features
The stuff that druggists sell illegitimatol
Is tia worst sort Of liquor IL will no
stand any Of tho tests and is so adulter
ated that the largest possible amount /
secured for the least possible cost ngl
then it is rte0iled nc tho regular salool
prices The cheapest OF harroom whislS
Is nectar a. compared with some Of thi
drug store back room liquor. And yet On
demand increases. The Sunday Gus
toners OF tho illegitimato places ar
either played out rakes who either can
affcrd to he particular or foolish boy
who don't know one kind Of liquor fron
another.