The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-09-14
CIGAR DRUMMER TELLS
A PROHIBITION STORY
His Experience When His Home Town Went Dry-Safe in a
City Like Wilmington-"King Omahandru" Got
After Him-The Bachelor Dipsomanisc.

knew il, though nobody else did. After
breakfast | went up town, but at he
front gate was urned back to my
by the demon having charge of me.
and managed 10 get down another
drink. Great Scott Right on top Of
breakfast,
For the first day or two I invited
a friend o. twO up TO my room to take
a drink; but the lust Of possession vas
stronger than c~omradeship, and besides
| became greedy and frightened to
see how rapidly the whiskey was going
| sent an order OFF at once for six more
quarts, and t~henceforWard stayed al
home, mostly lying on my bed, and
treaSuring my reduced store of vile
stuff that became d.arer to me han
all else on earth though it had ceased
to give pleasure or comfort. for my
stomach was diSOrdered, nerve shat
? tered and my nights were wakeful and
horrible.
Il resOrted to opiateS to cure in
sOmnia. and TO whiskey TO brace me
up-and now the devil stuck both claws
into me up to the gives. One day the
crisis anne suddenly and for forty
eight hours | was to all intents and
purposes, a mailman. | was lying on
the bed m afternoon, and through me
open window l saw going N, in a
clump of trees on the edge Of my
premises, a vaudeville or variety show,
with girls dancing or performing on the
stage, men riding horses and carrying
on acrObatic featS, clowns tumbling
about, trumpeterS and other musicians
Though | could not bear their instru-
ments)-all up in the trees, Will the
audience got access to the show by
swinging up by the branches and Sit
ting on the limbs, and among them
| recognized many men and women OF
the town whom | knew.
Even while the play was going on
| could see two three-stOry stone and
brick stores on fire, though there were
| no stores in the neighbOrhOOd, their
place being occupied by two frame
residences. | heard the alarm bells CT
the hose wagons, the trumpet orders
of h fire chief, and all.
But the worst was to come. In the
next room | heard my brother read
ing from h town paper a confession
over my signature of my commission
Of a horrible social crime; and then
the comments of the newspaper mat |
deserved death. Then followed the
family consultation, every syllable COM
ing to my ears, that it vas best that
I die at my brothers hands. l heard
the verdict without any surprise, and
| without a particle of fear | Eve call
&c my brother in and gave him some
last directions about my affairs. But
at the last moment at night my heart
failed me. l opened the shutters Of q
window and jumped out, and ran to the
house of a neighbor, where | told my
story of intended murder. | draw a
! veil over the rest-Of my slow return
TO reason and health by medical care.
Il received a bitter lesson and l
have not unlearned it yet. When l
reach a city like Wilmington or Rich
mond I feel safe. | know that I can
take a tOddy, with plenty of water.
lemons and sugar. Or a glass of beer,
! when | feel disposed. and need not
rush ahead to drink all in sight. for
fear there is no more t come. When
| get to a dry town I'm dry with the
town. No mOre bottle drinking; no
nor drug store dope: no more eX-
press company denominations; no more
blind tiger poison for yours truly.
That's all
Man" said the tall young fellow in
the SLOUGH hat, rising from his chair.
follow me-" The crowd filed off, and
in a few moments, not far away, ice
cold Schlitz beer from necks Of bottles
was gurgling down thirsty outlets. Then
the crowd filed back and took seats.
for they had seen that there was mora
beer back there.
The strangesI case of jag that !
ever knew said an architect of me
of the large buildings going up on Hay
street. happened in my town a few
years ago. Late one afternoon Il train
passenger alighted from the omnibus
in front of the hOtel-a tall slender
man about thirty-fve years old. we'll
dressed and carrying himself very
erect. His hat was pushed we'll back
On his head. and revealed a startling
sight-his whole forehead a notified,
burning red, and his face as white
rs a corpse. He cast a startled and
puzzled glance Ove the hotel front, to
the right and the left, and clear to the
top, and then entered the office. Al
the desk he wrote his name on the
register in a firm. clear hand, but the
clerk was surprised to see the pen
wander across the page in a meaning
less Scrawl. He went up &c the room
assigned to him. and a few minutes
later appeared at supper. He was quite
affable to the head waiter, but ate
nearly nothing except tomatoes, which
he fairly devOured. He was just pep
pering and sailing about his fourth
plateful when a tall, ginger-cake-color-
ed negro. with cOmbed gu kinky hair
passed the table with a tray full OF
dishes.
AS the STRANGERS eyes lighted on
him: King OmahandTu by the eternal
Gods he yelled. jumping to his feet.
Il knew this was his Internal castle as
soOn as | got out of the omnibus
Then he rushed II of the supper room,
and bounded down the stairway, nat
less. yelling and waving his hands, On
out into the street. up which he ran
for two hundred yards, slipped in the
mud and fell heavily When he vas