New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-13
CHOP ALE" AND WHITE MULE.
SOME OF THE TRICKS OF INTRODUCING
INTOXICANTS INTO INDIAN
TERRITORY.
FISH BERRIES on A Harmless BEVERAGE
rc,rc r-nIr App NOT so INNOCENT

AS THEY LOOK.
Vinita O. T) correspondence Of The St Louis
Globe Democrat
Hop ale" and white mule" will become
"reminiscences with the dissolution OF the Indian
nations. The "bootegger' will disappear. Open
ing of these reservations means great changes
for the Indian Territory. One OF the greatest
will be in the character of the liquor rafilc For
sixty years the Government has enforced pro-
hbtion. Congress made II n crime to carry
intoxicating liquor upon any lndian reservation,
and another crime to sell 1t to any Indian any
where. Heavy penalties were prescribed Ju-
dicial machinery Of the Government was applied
without regard for cost to make the law effec-
tive The inspiration for this legislation was
we'll understood at the time. Material rather
than moral considerations prompted the enact
ment Frewater was a bad thing for the
Indian. 1t put him in a fighting mood 10
lessen the turbulence and the savagery OF lls
wards, the Government applied theSe srIln lea
prov 5ons against all liquor traffic. 10 keep
LIQUOR from the Indians Federal courts were IN
creased and strengthened. And, by the way u
incentive, fees Of court officers were maze ue-
pendent upon prosecutions for such offences.
In the early years. VIXEN these were no more
than Indian reservations, whiskey was larry
we'll kept out of the Territory. But with the
coming Of the white man the difficulties Oh en-
forcing the law increased rapidly. To-day hair
OF the business Of the four Federal courts or the
Territory Is credited to the cOntraband liquor
traffic To control the thirst Of fifty thousand
or severty-fve thousand Indians was hard
enough But when 100000 white people were
added the problem became complicated almost
beyond belief
Such a situation as exists here was never con
templated when Congress passed the Indian
Prohibition law. The courts. however nave
undertaken to keep the Territory as free from
liquor as II the inhabitants were all Indians
When the profits on the illegal traffic are taken
into consideration. the chances taken by those
who engage In 1t can be appreciated A very in
ferior article OF whiskey IS furnished for Indian
Territory consumption 1t costs the dealer not
over 81 80 gallon. The pedler usually ADDS
such an amount OF water as his conscience VIII
permit and then retails the stuff at from 81 to
s. a quart Men who will risk the peniteMiary
for such margin are sufficiently numerous to
furnish a long list OF bootegginG cases at every
term Of court.
EFFECTIVE SOFT DRINKS.
The most recent phase OF the liquor fight in
the Territory is that developed by the intrOduc-
ton of what are called hop ale or hop tea and
Rochester tonic. At frequent intervals tie FED
eral judges are called upon to settle nice ques-
lions as TO what is and what is not intoxicating
liquor. Taking his stand upon scientific ground
and relying upon chemical analysis, Judge
Springer some time ago decided that any heV-
erage containing less than per cent of alcohol
might be sold. This looked very well on its
face. Two per cent Of alcohol IS hardly dangerous
Many soft drinks contain as much OF sung
as that man in search OF intOXics;ion would
have to get outside OF something like a gallon
to obtain the desired result upon per cent
alcohol Immediately upon the establishment
of this definition OF legitimate beverages In the
Indian Territory, the hop tea and tonic dispen-
saries began to open. In surprisingly short
time there were several places doing business
in each town. Joint" is the Territory designa-
ton for an establishment which deals in such
drinks Hop ale tea and the tonic were
shipped in by the carload White men, Indians