Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-08-07
a}listellaneo,1s 8eading.
A PRETTY HIGH LICENSE.

period which just antedated the ad
vent of the original package agency
there used to be much speculation as
to the possible profits in doing "blind
tiger" business in Charleston. 1t viii
be remembered, of course, that advo
Gates of the metropolitan police sys
tenn, small but q very pertinacious
band of persons, insisted that the blino
tiger dealers were driven to the wall
and that they did little or no business
to speak of. 1t was said indeed that
the dispensary law was being enforced
in Charleston, and that the removal o.
Chief Martin would be a grave error
on the part of the state, for the simple
reason that he was protecting the
states monopoly and that he alone
could, and would, do so. Of course
many of the people who gave the CHIEF
ample credit for all that he did de-
knew such claims to be absurd. They
were cognizant of the fact that for all
the splurge and splitter made over the
enforcement of the dispensary law,
blind tigers existed and fourished
from one end of the town to the other.
At no time since the dispensary law
went into effect in the state has there
been less than one hundred and thirty
odd blind tigers in the city, and, OF
course, the amount of liquor disposed
of by these establishments must have
been enormous.
All of this is merely by way of in
PRODUCTION to a conversation which a
reporter for The News and Courier
had yesterday with gentleman who
did business "on the quiet" during
those days. He was talking about the
blind tiger business in general.
"Since the law went into effect" he
said, "constables have seized some
where in the neighborhood of $4,000
worth of liquor for me, but I am not
kicking. I could we'll afford to pay
the state that much license upon the
business I have done during these
years."
The statement was startling enough
to arouse the interest of any one. He
was asked to repeat it, and when it
was suggested that he must be exag-
gerating the facts, he went over the
matter again with additional empha-
sis.
"Of course l am not Mistaken" he
said. "a merchant could not easily
be mistaken in matter of this kind. l
did splendid business on the quiet,
and I am not begrudging one dollars
worth of the liquor the constables got
from me. If l could have just kept
it up for several years longer would
be in a position not to give rap
whether the dispensary law was ever
repealed or not.
"Why you have no conception OF the
amount of blind tiger liquor that has
been sold here during the last few
years. 1 recall one day on which I
sold LAO gallons of liquor right here
in Charleston, and delivered every pint
of it successfully. 1 bought all my
stuff outright. The wholesale houses
were not willing to take the risk, but
with the wide margin of profit in the
trade l felt that I could do so. The
event proved I was right. Of course
1 lost heavily some times. More than
once the constables captured big lots
of liquor belonging to me. My name
was never in the papers, however, and
great many people may not have
known that was in the business.
"Kick against the law ?" he contln-
ued. "Of course I kicked. 1t was
part of my business. I had snap ;
but was not giving it away to every
body who came my way. The better
1 was doing the more 1 protested
against the iniquity of the law. The
constables knew I was in the business,
and 1 took good care to have them
hear me kick. The more kicked the
more certain were they that l was
feeling the occasional seizures of my
stuff which they made. Chief Hclley
and his men doubtless thought at times
that they were in fair way to force
me to shut up shop. They were fool
ing themselves. All the while | was
putting stuff out all over Charleston
right under their noses."
The speaker was asked to estimate
the amount of liquor disposed of here
during the continuance Of the law.
"Oh, I can't do that," he said.
"There were plenty of other men in
the business, and l take it that they
did about as we'll as l did. Morning,
noon and night the stuff was going out
to the retailers, sometimes in large
and sometimes in small lots. Part oi
it was subsequently seized in their
shops; but a far greater part went
down thirsty throats. If the day ever
comes when the blind tiger liquor
dealer can tell all he knows, the story
will be full of sensational interest
When this law has been repealed, as
they say it may be next year, you
come to see me and / will tell you
things that will do to print
Eyes, the original package decisions
have hurt me. Men who used to gel
all their stuff from me now get most
of it from the agencies. But, as l said
before, I am not kicking, and an
still doing business at the same old