Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-11-17
PROHIBITION
And Some Of Its Kansas -EWOrklngs, One
Mans Queer',ExperlenCe.

"I don't drink myself but / have {
number of friends there who take theil
nose paint pretty regularly, so it was
MT long before | became acquainted
with the fact that the principal ban
of the place was located directly in the
rear of the prescription case Of the
leading drug store. Two or three large
flagons were kept standing on the
marble ledge behind the ground glass
screen, together with tumbers, ice
water, lemons and sugar, and in one
corner was a barrel of bottle beer put
up in pints. Whenever an habitue OF
the establishment wanted life pre-
server he simply strolled back of the
case, helped himself and deposited the
price in the slot of a cash box.
81 dare say you have seen the hero
in the melodrama who saunters down
the stage in blissful ignorance of the
villain crouching in plain view behind
a small pasteboard rock. Well, that
was the attitude of the druggist while
ceremonies were in progress in the
rear of the ground-glass screen. I'm
der the polite conventions of the
house he was supposed to be totally
unaware of what was going on, and
was consequently able to swear, if nee
essary, that no liquor was sold on the
premises to his personal knowledge
| was told he had testified on nine diff
ferent occasions that he never saw
anybody take a drink in the store all
of which was doubtless perfectly true
incidentally he was superintendent of
the biggest Sunday School in town.
"The arrangement l have described
would have worked very well had 1t
not been for the fact that there was a
strong prohibition sentiment in the
place, especially among the women,
who organized themselves into smell
ing committees and were continually
prowling around looking for evidences
of violations of the law. The drug
store had large trade in fancy goods,
soaps, perfumery and so on, and
group of women and children were al
most always clustered around the soda
fountain near the door, in easy earshot
OF the tinkle of the glasses and pop
ping of beer corks In the sub rosa
groggery at the other end Of the estab-
lishment. In order to drown these
suspicious noises the proprietor kept
big phonograph constantly grinding
on the front counter. He had sup
ply of the most vociferous cylinders in
the market, and ragtime coon songs,
brass band overtures, anvil choruses
and all that sort of thing, and the
dexterity with which he would snatch
off one record and jam on another
was wonderful to behold. AS a piece
of sleight of hand it was equal to any
thing done by Hermann. The old
customers of the bar mad learned to
know exactly when each cylinder was
about to become exhausted, and at
that time of the proceedings a sudden
hush would fall over the group. They
would stand transfXed, with their
glasses in the air, until the new rec
ord began to below and then jolllty
again resumed sway. One prominent
citizen was barred out because he was
stone-deaf. He was otherwise unob-
jectionable and had thirst that was
without a peer in that Congressional
district; but the poor fellow could new
er catch the 'stop-note' and his patron
age was consequently regarded as too
dangerous.
"'The only time l ever came near
getting caught the druggist told me
in strict confidence, was about six
months ago, when l got in lot of
new records from Chicago. One of
them was a rafting good recitation,
loud enough to loosen the wall paper,
but unfortunately there was a dead
stop right in the middle. The phono-
graph people called it an "oratorical
pause" but in plain English the fell
low telling the story simply ceased
speaking for about FIVE seconds. l did
MT know anything about the con-
founded gap, and the afternoon | put
on the cylinder for the first time | had
at least a dozen young women at the
counter, and among them the presi-
dent of our local Women's Temper
ance Union. / started the thing going
and they were all immensely amused,
but presently to my horror we struck
the oratorical pause. The recitation
stopped stock still, and at the same
time we heard the voice of old Judge
- saying: 'Well, boys, think
I'll have about four fingers of good
Kentucky bourbon" The women all
looked daggers at me an( l thought
I'd faint in my tracks. The episode
came mighty near getting me indicted, >
he added, and mad a big mind to put
in claim for damages with the record
manufacturers. After the store closed
took an AK and | didn't do thing to
| 4