The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-15
CUP OF JOY FULL
Colonel Lusk's Fight for
Prohibition
Began tie War Fifty Years Ago and
Has Never Grown Weary in Well
Doine-Thousands i'm Ashc,iiic
Are Glad.

Especial to News and Observer)
Asheville. n. C.. oct. 9-While there
is 10 doubt that hundreds OF men and
thousands of women and children in
Asheville today are made glad over
the result of yesterdays prohibition
there is one Asheville citizen especi-
ally whose cup of joy is full to the
brim. He is Colonel Virgil S. Lusk,
ex-Confederate soldier, lawyer, states
man and politician and like wise the
"old war horse" of the Republican
party in Buncombe county. For more
than half a century-in season and
out. on the stump and in private-Col.
Lusk has fought the battles of pro-
hibition. Last night he lay down to
sleep with the full knowledge that
his one cherished hope had cen re-
allied. Col. Lusk is perhaps tie old
est prohibitions in Asheville. He
went dry in 1856 and since that
time has been a consistent prohibit
ZIONIST Col. Lusk. who is a most
interesting conversatiOnalist and &
profound thinker, was in conversation
With a newspaper man the other day
when the subject of the local pro-
hibition campaign came up and the
Colonel declared that Asheville was
surely going dry"
Colonel" spoke the newspaper
AhAlA-s 49, AASNt A - i<t'h y
twenty odd years, chow long have
you been fighting for prohibition ?"
Col. Lusk cleared his throat and
made this reply: For more than half
a century. joined the Sons of Tenn
perance in 1856 and that year made
my first prohibition speech. / have
been at it ever since. It is my cher
ished hope to see both Asheville and
Buncombe county dry when not q
drop of liquor can be sold legally in
either city or county"
If Col. Lusk. who in 1895. repre-
scented Buncombe county in the Cen
eral Assembly in North Carolina. is
spared to see the dawn of a now year.
he will have lived to see that long
looked Eor day. on that day the
saloons of Asheville and the distill-
cries Of Asheville Will go out OF bus
mess and both the city and the
county will be dry"
Intolerablc situation Recalled.
Col. Lusk in the course of his con-
v~ersation the other day said that
Asheville and Buncombe county had
never in their history been dry"
Asheville was once dry for a short
period 1t was in 1872, according
to Col. Lusk. that whiskey was voted
OUT of the city. At that time, however.
the county was wet As q result
the saloons in the city were moved
J OSt u vi 1A--oII IN " a - %
the city-and the situation. said Col.
Lusk was horrib!e-simply intolerable.
the reasons being that the saloons
were running in fun blast and without
police regulation and restriction as
was the case in the city. This situa-
ton and condition, however, was soon
abated and the saloons were voted
back into the city. Since that time
they have never been closed except
on elections and Sunday or for half
a day voluntarily,
About eight years ago whiskey in
the county went out under the Curtis
law. That law prohibited the sale
and manufacture of spirits outside
of the citv and as n consequence all
the distilleries were brought into
town. o the people have voted
both the saloons and the distilleries
out Of Asheville and after midnight
on December 81. 1907. no whiskey
can be made or sold legally in Ashe-
vile or BunCOmbe county