The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-09


what's in a bag-whether pig or pup
before investing money in a purchase
of the bag. When a man says he's
for good government, he may mean
great deal or nothing. What he may
consider good government | might not
so consider. I'd rather know what I'm
voting for; and / take it for granted
that, men, who propose to do the fair
thing, will not hesitate to tell how
they stand, and. for what they stand.
If one does not know how and for
what he stands: or. if he knows and
don't like to say. I'd rather not vote
for him. 1t some times happens that
non-commitals make good representa-
tiVeS, but, as a general rule, a non
commital is, to say the least of it, d
very unsatisfactory candidate. as his
non-commitalism raises the suspicion
that he has no opinions, but will be
controlled by circumstances. should he
be elected. I'd rather. / repeat, know
what's in the bag. before buying. And
l feel better when l know what the
man l vote for will do, if elected. /
repeat, has much as to the city sells Ii
quor it ought to sell the water, also.
heard fellow say once that. after
he had been on a big drunk, a day
or two, he was that hot inside he felt
as if he would like to have a spring
branch turned through him for about
L day, to cool him off. If the city
owned the water works and had a
place fixed up for the Cooling off
business, and kind of hose made to
run a stream of Walnut creek water
through a fellow, for an hour or two.
would be paying business; for,
instead of a fellows being obliged to
spend a whole day cooling off, in
the ordinary way. during which time
the dispensary is losing his custom. he
could right up in an hour or so and
DE ready for another pint bottle. Every
friend Of the dispensary who is desir-
)us of increasing the sale of liquor,
ought by all means. favor the citys
owning the water works. 1t would in
Iced be a consolation to us to be able
% say: I'VE heat 'em when they are
old, we cool 'em when they are hot"
Wouldn't that be the proper thing to
10? Instead of making a poor devh
drunk and locking him UP in al dark
hole, for a night to suffer for water,
and then trotting him out. next mora
ing. to be tried and fined for what the
city encouraged him to do. the pa
triotic fellow, who drinks to help raise
revenue. ought, rather, to be kindly
treated-coOled off, washed out and
rubbed down, and then treated to one
of Schwartz's best beef steaks, accom-
panied with buck-wheat cakes, maple
syrup and a cup of coffee, as a reward
for his heroic and patriotic endeavors
to increase the school fund and help
work the county roads Yes, let's buy
the water works and establish ''cool-
ing-off" department. next door to the
dispensary and publish our humane
purpose to the world by the following
signs. placed respectively over the
front doors of the city's two institu-
lions:
over the dispcnsary-"H Here we fire
EN- up!"
over the water works-"Here we
cool 'em Off,
If we charge the same for cooling
as we do for heating a fellow. it's
plain to be seen that the whiskey and
water combine would shave a fellow
'gwine and a coming. If my numerous
friends had solicited me to run for
mayor or alderman, (but, they forgot
20 do so), l certainly should have agi-
tated that "cooling-off" business; but.
as it is. can only suggest it.
Before the war we didn't have any
saloons. with screens to hide a fellow
when he was practicing at the bar,
but, we had "grog-shops," and Hargett
street, between Fayetteville and Will
mington streets, was known as "Grog
Alley" while that section of Whining
ton street from Hargett to Market was
known by the odoriferous title of
Cologne"
John Kane and w. r. Pepper, the
former on the corner occupied by the
Citizens National Bank, and the lat
ter on the corner occupied by Royal
& Borden's furniture store, kept eating
establishments in connection with the
sale of liquor. On the corner occupied
by Johnson's drug store Harry Keim
kept a beer saloon. He was a, Dutch
man and a very clever fellow, and had
a host of friends, because-of his kind
heartedness. which, a great many i'm
pecunious beer guzzlers. took advant-
age of, greatly to his financial hurt.
He would get on a spree once or twice
a month: on which occasions he'd lock
his door and parade the streets tell
ing all he met, he was keeping his
birthday So it got to be saying when
he was seen on the street "Old Harry
is keeping another birthday
John Kane's establishment, on Fay
etteville street, was largely patronized
by the country gentlemen-the well-to
do farmers who came to town to at
tend court or to see Mr.. Holden, the
editor of the Democratic paper, or
Mr.. Gales. the editor of the Wing pa
per, to get the political news. 1t was
no uncommon thing to see a group of
Kane's. and the Dassers-by could see
them stirring their grog and hear their
good-natured, friendly conversation.
while they slipped their mint juleps. or
drank their grog. John Kane was a
hearted Irishman; but, he'd hit
a fellow certain if he undertook to cut
up in his house. 1t was told of him.
that he kicked drunken. noisy. fell
low, out of his house one day-kicked
him across the sidewalk. and out
near to the middle of the street, and
when, finally, he let UP on him. he
said, in the mildest tone of voice "Mr.
c., l don't want to hurt your
feelings. but if you ever come into my
house drunk again, I'll insult YOU
The by-standers were of the opinion,
that, if the kicking Mr.. O. got
didn't insult him, Old John would fail
should he ever undertake to carry ont |
his threat. AS he had no heir i'm this
think his property escheatct
to the University. when he died.
| am reminded of an incident which, |
report said, occurred at John Kanes
A young fellow who had been devoted
to a certain very pretty girl. and, hav- |
ing been refused by her a half dozen |
times made UP his mind to leave the |
city and the State. and bury, himself in |