The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1902-07-30
VERMONT WHISkEy
STORED IT IN THE TRUNK OF A
MAPLE TREE AND OWNER
SENT TO PRISON

For Selling It-A Coffin Used as a
Bar to Deceive Authorities
Many Scheme to Defeat
Prohibition Laws
Other News.
| Burlington, VT, July 19.-start-
ling disclosure relating to the sale
of intoxicating liquors in defiance
I of the prohibitory laws have already
+ been made as q result of the nomi-
nation of Percival W. Clement for
governor on high license-inde-
pendent ticket. More will follow,
and present indications point to
! stirring up such as this state has
never before experienced.
Mr. Clement bolted the republi-
can state convention in June, and
General JIG. Mccullough, a pro-
hibitionist, was nominated. Last
Wednesday Clament was nominat-
ed by the Vermont Local Option
League, aad instantly started the
fiercest political fight ever seen
here. The battle will be fought
strictly on q high-license local OPP
ton issue. This calls for license
law, to be presented to the people
for approval by popular vote; laws
regulating party primaries, and true
economy in public affairs.
AS conditions are today liquors
are sold freely, but not always OPP
emily. In the smaller towns every
effort is made 10 conceal the sale of
intoxicants, and the length to which
some dealers 60 is astonishing. 1t
developed today that in a town
south of Rutland there is a saloon
in an undertaking shop. Consid-
ering the character of Vermont
whiskey this is not as incongruous
as may appear to people who drink
good liquor.
The town in question has a lively
temperance. society and the under
taker conceived the idea of rigging
up coffin for q bar in order to a.
void suspicion. The caskct which
IS old and dusty, lies on a bier in
the rear Of the shop. The glass COW
er is locked down. In other re-
spects it is like any other resting
place for the dead. When the un-
dertaker has trusty customer he
opens the lid and dinstead.of corpse
set of glasses and well-flled bot
ties are disclosed. These are set
out on the foot of the coffin and the
bar is ready for business.
Vermont has few saloons that
do not pretend to conduct legiti-
mate business along with the sale
of intoxicants. Forty out Of every
fifty drug stores have saloon con-
nection in the rear, and every hotel
of any size does Groom" or "bot-
tie" business. In Rutland there
are eight ful,-hedged saloons On one
business block. They are run un-
der the protection of the present or
der of prosecuting, and each has a
drug store in front. A little medi-
cine is sold, but in the main the
stores deal in rum in various stages
Of adulteration.
In one of these places a certain
brand of "spring blood cleanser"
received q remarkable patronage
until the local temperance society
discovered that it was simply whis-
key with a favoring Of horseradish.
The radish served to fool the tenn
perance folk for time and took a.
way the taste of fusjl oil in the
whiskey.
In another place in the same town
there was until recently bar that
served beer through a speaking tube.
There had been a long crusade and
beer was found to be two bulky to
keep with safety behind the bar.
The cellar had been frequently
searched and the proprietor hit up
on the scheme of placing the barrels
under an adjoining store and con-
Meeting with his saloon by means
of speaking tube.
No particular pains is taken in
the cities to conceal the saloons
owned by the men who stand in
with the machine. Any one who is
known can procure all tie whiskey
he wants at any Of the drug stores.
The saloon is divided from the store
proper by prescription desk at
the rear of the counters. It stands
directly across the doors, but lit
tie IN front and acts as q screen.
There is always rear exit to be
used in case Of a raid. Few people
pay any attention to the raiding Of
ticers as they do not interfere with