Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-10
IN DRYEST MAINE.
How Pocket Peddlers Do Business in
Original Prohibition State.
From the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune
For over week now Maine has been as
dry as the proverbial bone. all on account of
the Sturgis BILL which passed the legislature
on Thursday, March 49, and which provided
for the strict enforcement of the prohibit
tory law. This bill authorized the governor
to appoint three commissioners in each
county to see that the law is properly en-
forced, and SO 1t was not absolutely neces-
sary for the ,sheriffs to be any more siren
uous than they have been heretofore. but
most Of them. either for political or other
reasons, decided to carry out the law to the
letter. Consequently dealers and saloon
Keepers had only a short time to get their
goods out of the state. OF course, this dry
ness has given rise to many funny happen
ings and has made Maine the butt of many
a joke.
AS soon as Sheriff Pennell began his active
campaign in Portland. and all the saloons
and kitchen bar rooms were closed the
pocket peddlers began to swarm about the
city. These petty tradesmen in booze"
carry pint and half-pint bottles of whisky
concealed in their clothes, and sell to tim
Grant customers either by the bottle or
drink. They reap fabulous profit, some
times selling the poorest grades of whisky
at 81 pint, or % or 30 cents drink. Their
methods of carrying the stuff are ingenious,
and on one man who was recently searched
were found fifteen quarts of liquor. He had
specially constructed pockets IN MS under
clothes, his vest, trousers jacket and ulster,
and even carried half pint in his hat He
was. however. an exceptionally greedy one.
Many of them manufacture their so-called
whisky out of alcohol, brown sugar and
water, and one two drinks of the concoc-
ton is enough to give the oldest topper a
horrible case of delirium tremens.
The way that they obtain customers and
especially the manner in which they gull
strangers, is amusing. The most successful
pocket peddlers are generally associated
dress, who carries no liquor himself. This
'capper' walks along the street until he
sees some likely victim. If he be stranger
(and these shrewd fellows rarely mistake
one) the 'capper' walks up to him and po-
litely inquiries for some mythical street. OF
course, the stranger cannot direct MIN, but
as they walk along they generally drift into
conversation, which the ''capper," if he
thinks well, cleverly directs to the liquor
question. They laugh and chat over the abb
surd prohibition law, and then the "capper'
generally unbOSomS hlmSelf, something ike
this:
ITO tell the truth, l was looking for such
and such a street because l heard of a
place where you could get nice little drink
on that street I'm sure it's quite near here,
and if you'll join me we'll go down and have
a quiet taste"
OF course, the "capper" leads his victim
down side street, and soon as they are
well along in the shadow of the buildings
smooth-looking chap accosts them with:
PERHAPS l know what you gentlemen are
looking for" OF course. they all smile. re-
tire to an alleyway and take another kind
of a smile" the ''capper' buying the first
drink after which operation he goes after
another victim.