The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-30
HOW SICK ARE We
Topeka Is Having an Epidemic
of Indigestion.
That lis What Druggists Re-
ports Indicate.
SHOWS BIG INCREASE
Number of May Permits Will
Be 1900.
Boys Do Well Picking Up Emp
ty Bottles.
SHOWS BIG INCREASE

When the druggists doing business in
the city, and there are over 40 of them.
report to the probate court on June l
on the number of sales of LIQUOR they
made during the month of May and
within the terms of the prohibitory
law. their returns will show an agere-
gate of about Il. 900 sales This num-
Der will be larger by several thousand
than the sales reported for April and
the number made during that month
was the largest monthly liquor business
ever reported by the druggists in the
history of the city. One druggist alone
VIII report that he made over 1900
sales of liquor during the month of
May and this is a greater number of
sales than were reported by all the
druggists of the city during each of
several months towards the close of
last year when the town was open"
OF course these sales reported by the
druggists do not represent the amount
OF hquor that was consumed by the
tnlrsty OF Topeka during the month of
May, for many clubs and individuals
order their beer and other drinkables
directly from foreign ports. But these
sales show one thing beyond perad-
venture. And that is that never before
been so dry" this word being used to
convey the nonprevalence of "joints."
1T is drier in this CITY now" said an
ex-jointist the other day. and he is a
man who is Well qualified to speak on
the subject, than it has been since the
prohibitory law was placed on the
statute books. People can get their
beer and whisky. of course. by going
to certain class of drug stores and
signing the death warrant but 1 be-
lieve that You can rake this city with
fine toothcomb and be unable to dig
up more than two or three joints and
these are run so closely that only IA
vored few know of their existence and
they are only running spasmodically
as it Were And even the druggists
with their permits to sell liquor accord
ing to the law. are more careful in the
conduct of this branch of their business
than they ever have been before There
are very few of them that will let a
drop of liquor out of their places unless
ii is signed up for and a good many
Of them who always used to have bot
tied beer on ice. even when the Joints
were running, have stopped selling beer
They don't want to take a chance of
having their permits revoked. But
those who are selling beer are reaping
a harvest. They can get all the beer
they want. despite the activity of the
general with his injunction
and most of them have
established a rule not to sell less than
two bottles of beer to any applicant.
This is hardship on the guy who
would be satisfied to swfg bottle of
beer in the alley before going home.
He has to buy two and either throw
one of them away, and not many will
do that when quarter IS paid for it,
or drink more beer than he wants
''Oh these are certainly fine times for
the druggists" continued the ex-jointist
with a sigh. and fine times, with a good
strong sarcastic emphasis on the fine
for the thirsty. 1t sure is an expensive