The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-11
$500 THIRSTY VETERANS.
DRY DAYS COMING ron OLD
SOLDIERS AT FOCUS, ME.

no W.. @. T. u. Has Prevailed Upon the
Governor "a order the Ciesing Of h
Canteen- Veterans Mourn - Existence
ef . Famous Maine Band Threatened.
what arc the bugIes BLOWN FORT said Files on
Parade.
TO turn you out. TO turn you Qua" the Color Ser
geant said.
what makes the tears stand In your syesf" said
Files on Parade.
mo more canieen. no more csntssn.- the Color
Sergeant said.
--Tis tho funeral Of the cantecn. you osn hear tho
dead march play,
An all the sogers on parade arc sheddin' tears
to-day.
Oh. the vets are awful thirsty. but they'll get no
beer to-day.
monln'."
From Ballad, Of rosu,. Win apologies 10 NJ.
Ktplfng.
No more beer at Togusl This ID the topic
that every one Of the $500 veterans at the
national home just a little way out OF Au-
gusta, Me, Is discussing as the time draws
near when they will have to drink water or
60 dry.
For Maine is a prohibition State. The lines
have been drawn tighter and tighter In the
past year or two, until almost every city in
the State Is nominaly dry.
Portland, Lewiston, Bar Harbor and all
the towns that were formerly wide open
have been forced to close up. until you can
hardly get a drink Of anything stronger
than birch beer or ginger ale Tor money
and certainly not for love.
And now the Woman's Christian Temper
anoe Union has prevailed upon the Governor
TO keep the veterans at Togus from par
taking Of drink. 1t has been decided that
in a few weeks at most the canteen which has
been run for their benefit must close up,
and the veterans must get their drinks
outside, II they get any at all.
Consequently they are mourning, and
the celebrated band there, the finest In the
State, is rehearsing Choptn's Funeral
March" and other pieces Of a like character
for use when the real closing comes.
sSh'd think they might let a few old vets
who at. bled an died fer their country to
have a little beer once in a while indig-
nantly said one veteran. Here after the
war when we came back from the South
there want nothin' too good for us.
we wuz heroes, all Of US, the men h
wore the blue, an the country wanted to
do everything they could for US. even 70
puttin' a statoo fer every one Of Us. We
wuz saviors OF our kentry, then, an they
didn't know how they wuz gOin' 70 reward
us, an now they won't let US have a glass Of
beer to drink once a day! Oh, it's a great
kentry, it isl"
mo, I don't approve OF the abolishing
of this canteen,- said an officer. AS it is
now the men can get their beer right here
under our personal control and super
vision, and a verv little Of II. We are very
strict in dealing It out.
Look here,' and he showed two large
rooms where a crowd Of old soldiers were
sitting at little tables quietly drinking from
stems and swapping stories Of 81. -Tne
man who wants a drink must 60 up to this
window and buy a ticket.
He then passes through turnstiIe, where
the ticket is dropped into a box and recorded.
just the same ss in a subway station. Then
he goes to the counter, gets his schooner
and then through to one Of the tables,
where he sits down and drinks it at his
leisure.
Everything is conducted systematically,
and there is no disorder. The entire plac e
is under the charge of an officer. who sees
thai strict order and quiet are maintained.
III u mdn mas enough, III nus Judgment, ne
is sent to his quarters and not allowed to
purchase any more.
on the chaplain approves heartily of
this system. The men are going to have
something to drink, and II the canteen il
closed they will go outside to the hundreds
Of dives which will spring. up next spring
and to the pocket pedlers and poison them
selves with the stun that they offer for
sale. l wish personally that they'd let us
alone"
Said a bandman:
IF they shut OF he canteen il Is going
to do away with a lot Of the finest features
of the home. The band and we take pride
England, the library, the theatre, the amuse,
ment hall and all those things that the
Government doesn't support are maintained
directly from the profits of this oanteen.
when that goes they'll have to 20. II
will mean no more ban for one thing, and
they'll miss the daily concerts as much as
we do"