The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-04-30
FIRE IN LIQUID FORM.
Thirst Quencher. Tint the Red Man
Is Fond OF.


From the Chicago Inter-occsn)
"a paragraph which recently appeared in
the Sunday Inter Ocean mentioned red
ink as one of the favorite beverages Of the
noble red man in the Indian Territory"
said the man who halls from that part OF
the country. THAT was the simple truth.
Los laundering for the chemical compound
common to every office in the country
amounts to a passion. He drinks red ink
with the same manifestation OF ecstasy
shown BY the civilized epicure slipping his
ffty-year-old wine. Usually he buys the
fluid in packages of a dozen bottles each,
which. as one bottle is accounted fair
drink. furnishes him very satisfactory
feast. Why he drinks ink is not difficult
to explain. II is a desperate expedient to
amend his thirst for strong waters. the
sale OF which a paternal government has
prohibited in the Indian Territory for more
than half a century. Hence, anything in
fluid form which has an alcoholic base or
contains throat-spiitting ingredients is in
demand
The inspiration OF the Governments
prohibitive measures was not SO much a
sentimental Improvement in the red mans
domestic morals as IL was wise sugges-
ton Of plain matter of fact When full OF
firewater Lo was bad. II put him In fight
Ing mood and inspired him to collect hui
man hair. Thus, TO diminish his ardor and
lessen Indian sayagery the Government
adopted Its policy OF suppressing the liquor
traffic. Congress made II a crime TO carry
an intoxicating beverage into any Indian
reservation. and a second misdemeanor TO
sell II to the government wards. Heavy
penalties were fixed and the Federal
courts wese increased TO insure the punish
ment OF violators OF the prohibition Laws
Even the fees OF the court officers. as an
incentive to the strict enforcement Of the
laws against the liquor traiiie. were made
dependent upon prosecutions for such Of
fences.
while the territory remained nothing
more than a group OF Indian reservations,
prohibition was accomplished with some
fair measure of success. but after the
white man began to pour in the difficulties
of bringing violators to book increased
To keep the thirst OF some $1,000 or 10000
Indians in check was comparatively an
easy matter. but the addition Of 325. 600
white people with thIrsts OF their own and
the ingenuity to secure appeasement, de-
spite governmental precautions. rendered
a great part OF the prohibitiye laws prac-
ticaily imperative. As 1t Is. more than
one-half of the business OF the four Fed
the contraband liquor traffic. for they
have undertaken the hopeless task OF
keeping the whole population from strong
waters along with the red men,
THE profits OF the Illegal liquor business
are enormous. and few years OF success
full evasion of the law and officials make
those who engage in 1t rich. Therefore
hundreds of white men take all sorts of
desperate chances in smuggling and SELL
ing whisky. gin, and the fiery. untamed
rum for Indian consumption. OF course,
all the fire-water brought into the reser-
vations is of the rankest grades. but that
makes little or no difference to the con-
sumers. Whisky which costs the dealer
about SLIGO gallon is the principal article
of commerce. To this he adds generous
amount OF water. so as TO prolong the lives
of his customers. and thereby increase the
value of their trade, and retails it through
his agents at from $1.50 to S. a quart Men
engaged in the distribution of this con-
traband stuff are commonly called boot
leggers. They travel about the reser-
walton with the liquor artfully concealed
on their persons, and pretend TO be en-
gagged in all manner of innocent employ
ments. Long terms in the penitsntiary
stare them in the face, but. SO far from
this intimidating them and decreasing
their numbers. the boot-leggers grow in
holiness. and their ranks multiply