Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-17
WHISKY IS
SOLD OVER
SODA FOUNTS
LONG BEACH DRY ONLY TO
UNINITIATED
HERALD MAN FINDS 1T SMALL
DIFFICULTY
Buys Bad Booze from Drug Store
Where Traffic In Liquor Is Con-
slant and Known to Every
body in City
BY WINFIELD s. MORGAN

Well dressed women, business men of
alert appearance, mechanics in their over
alls, a negress washwoman, the city
transfer man-these and others entered
Prittle's drug store at Locust street and
Ocean View avenue, Long Beach, secured
the drinkab.es they sought and departed
during the short half hour I sat on a
stool, communing with the spirits con-
tanned in two little nips of bourbon IN
front of the popular soda fountain.
Not so bad, eh, for prohibition" Long
Beach, the city of sensations and re-
ltgious reputation?
l was prepared for difficulties, and ex-
rected long, hard hunt before Landing
thirst emporium in the model beach
city, but of all the places l ever searched
for the wet" Long Beach was a little
the easiest. But of that anon-l am get
ting ahead of my story.
Long ago. when L was about to make a
journey through a prohibition district
one of my intinates, versed in the ways
of like spots, informed me, out Of the
fullness of his knowledge, that 'the price
and a wise friend" were the only re-
quirements necessary for the securing of
q drink, throughout the length and
with the blind-pigs and speakeasies OF
Southern California in general, and Long
Beach In particular, have served only as
warrant for the addition of an amenda-
tory phrase land most frequently you
oon't even reed the wise friend
Wins a Dinner
Long Beach. Queen City of the
Beaches" boasts of many attractions,
Il pi
olds a reputation for sobriety and abste-
miousness hard to beat. Before /. start
ed my hunt for liquor in the little city, l
was confidently informed by one OF its
residents. that there was only one place
here liquor could be secured and there
1t was only to be had on a physician 8
pres escription." We wagered a dinner on it.
and next week I'm going out to sample
the cookery which my friend swears is
making his wife famous. And she's only
a bride at that! If she doesn't offer me
haking-powder biscuits, I'll take
chance. Her personal charm would make
even that almost worth while.
Not only was my friend wrong about
the number of places, but about the pre-
scription requisite In many or the drug
stores. this much attention is paid to the
law, but there isn't a store in town
whose obliging clerk won't tell you just
where to go Tor the nee0lul preScriptioh'
and at one where 1 inquired, the youth
full incumbent even offered to phone
and be sure the doctor was in"
Few of the stores ] visited but admit
ted to me they occasionally, when we
know man Intimately sold whisky
without a physicians orders. All offered
to sell me a single drink and allow me
20 consume 1t on the premises, provided
l had a prescription. although they
know of the law which prohibits the
consumption of intoXicants upon the
premises, even when they are legally sold
'for medicinal purposes"
Conductor Knows Ropes
At Prittie's, where 1 finally secured
drink, I used no particular arguments
to attain my ends, nor did l assure the
posessor of the "red fluid that l was
"all right but after his initial ques-
tioning of the polite fiction that I'd
''got it there before just waited until the
spirit moved him, and the drink was
forthcoming All of which is but demon
stration of my claim that any stranger,
Of average intelligence may CLEAN in
formation within short hour which will
enable him to Connect" with drink
If he chooses.
When l reached the scene Of my in
vestigations during the morning hours of
the day my trip occupied, 1 decided upon
of the electric train on which 1 made
the trip from Los Angeles.
Its an awful fate to find yourself