The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-03
THIRTEEN SALOONS
OUT OF BUSINESS
Charlottesville Dry as the Pro-
verbal Bone Except for
Few Cellars.
GO TO NEARBY TOWNS
Liquor-Dcalcrs, Driven from
Charlottesville, Reappear in
Orange and Gordonsville.
Especial to The Times-Dlspatch.

CHARLOTTESVILLE VA, Septem-
Der 2.---At 10 o'clock tonight, in obe-
dience to the decree of the people,
Registered by ballot on the 4th of June
last. thirteen saloons and three other
dispensers of liquor went out of the
business of selling spirits in Char
lottesville Several will transfer their
operations of this kind to Orange, Cor
louisville and other nearby towns. with
view, 1t is understood of supplying
the Charlottesville trade without vio-
lating the local option law
What the effect of the discontinuance
iii legal traffic in liquor in Charlottes-
VILE will be Is. OF course, more or less
matter of conjecture. 1t Is time
of prophesying and visions The pro-
phets foretell contradictory things. and
the clairvoyants see decidedly differ
ent pictures The point of Wow has
great deal to do with IT. and accounts
for the period of disaster and the pc
riod of fortunate conditions predicted
by opposing philosophers as falling in
the same space of time in Charlottes-
willie. 1t may be safely expected that
both sides will be mistaken to some
extent. Eternal smash or dry rot is
not likely to occur, nor will there he Il
lack of serpents in this liquorless Eden
Unquestionably very large traffic
will come to an end. 1t has been es-
timated as reaching an annual total
of s250,000. What the total of pur-
chases by residents of Charlottesville
from out-of- town dealers will be may
never he known, but that 1t is eX-
pected to be large is shown by the
fact already stated that a number
OF dealers will open depots of sup
ply in easy reach by phone. Here,
again, 1t Is likely that there has been
some miscalculation, and 1t is also
barely possible that this traffic will
be assailed. Already the question is
privately raised as to whether pur-
chase made over the phone does not
violate the meaning and spirit OF the
local option law. 1t Is claimed that
the purchaser is in Charlottesville, and
from his place at his phone in this
city places his order and al his place
OF business. or home or elsewhere In
the city, the sale is completed by de-
livery Are the spirit and purpose of
the law defeated? Are not some of
the fruits of the dry" victory de-
stroyed? Will the courts permit this?
Income Not So Great.
The question of revenue to the Guy
in favor OF mo license" The pro-
license men insisted that there was
large consideration, amounting IN tne
total to more than Sll,00U. II Is the
the city. who speak by card-or, rather,
by book-that the total income would
not exceed $1,000, the amount received
during the last completed fiscal year.
1t is pointed out that the annual in
crease in revenue incident to the APP
probation of property and other cir
cumstances of municipal progress has
for several years been larger than the
total liquor revenue. Ii this contln-
ues to be true there will be no serious
financial distress chargeable to the new
state of things. 1t is even predicted
by these same officers that the increase
this year will very much exceed the
lost revenue-probably nearly double
it. Others. however. expect dehcit
in the city's finances at the end of the
present fiscal year.
Another incident which might be
mentioned is the fact that many are
storing in their cellars considerable
quantity of antidote against a drought.
1t is all guesswork, of course, as to
how much but few put the number of
gallons of wines, whiskeys etc, thus
prudentially cornered at less than five
thousand.
The sale over the counters in the
shape of drinks is said to have been
enormous in the last days of the reign
of King Alcohol. While there has been
an Increased indulgence, there has not
been very marked increase apparent
of drunkenness in the streets. Things
We're a little lively in a quiet way
Saturday.