The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1905-01-07
THE GREAT DRoUTH.
And Woes It Makes for People, wet
and Otherwise He had Awful
Cramps.

NIdulpSs
The dry town experiment is near
1y week old now. The people
who are having the most exper
ience under the new order, are the
drug stores. A campaign pre-
diction was that if saloons were
closed the druggists would continue
to sell wet goods and. in conse-
quence some of those who feel the
need of drop on one account or
another, go to the drug men for it.
The applications are not numerous
but each of the three stores is hav-
ing it's experiences, 1t is gener-
ally a case of cramps that is set
forth to the drug clerk as the rea-
son for the application. A case
Thursday is typical of all.
He was stranger in town. AS
he passed up street, it was appar-
ent that he was looking for some
thing. He was well dressed and
well kept, and the group across the
treetguessed with each other as to
what he was looking for.
'"Told you so, said one, as the
stranger tried the door at what
used to be- Wuestfe1ts saloon, be-
fore the town went dry. The door
didn't yield, and the stranger pass
ed to the window and looked inside.
Then he turned around, and looked
troubled as his eye swept up and
down the other side of the street.
Presently, he espied the gold sign at
Graham & Wortham' s.. 1t didn' t
take him long to get across the
street, and a smile played around
his mouth as he entered the door.
Il have a bad attack of cramps;
give me some brandy, quick" he
said to the clerk. Cant do it;
this is a dry town, and we are not
allowed to dispose of intoxicants,
save on doctors prescription. I"
''Well, I'll be id Amazed,
and in fact, almost transfxed, the
stranger stood for a second, rooted
to the spot. then inquired if there
was another drug store.
The other two stores were point.
ed out to him. He headed fo1
Graham & Wells, and Joe Under
wood was the clerk he encountered
Joe is prohibitionist, and natur
ally enough the statement of the
callers S case did not move him te
tears. Cant let you have it
this is a dry town. It was some
thing of glare that shot from the
stranger S eye as he listened to I'm
derWood' S explanation. He wa
silent for a second-just a second
! Then he ripped out, "well d.
your town This is the first tim,
I was ever in it, and it will be my
last"
1t is certain that nobody can ge
liquor at the. drug stores without
prescription from physician. NEv
en- the highest and mightiest citi
zen will have to go thirsty if he re
lies on a supply from that sourc
for at each of>the stores the demant
for the prescription is the first re
sponse to the request for fire water
At the same time the doctors ar
very particular about giving ou
prescriptions. The law is so stric
that physician cannot give a pre-
scription unless the party to whom
it is given be actually sick and i,
need of the intoxicant, to all Q
which the physician must certify
/ One physician had an application
for prescription on the "cramp'
theory, and was about to supply
until he read the law, when he re
fused to do so. The result was
sore disappointment to an old cit
zen, who had failed to provide him
self with a supply before thing
' went dry, and in consequence ha'
not had drink for several days
It may be imagined that a tea
almost welled up in the old man
eye when the doctor had to hnall