Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-01
COLEGROVE
WHISKY IS
POOR BRAND
DRUGGIST SELLS MISERABLE
BOOZE
GIVES INVESTIGATOR FIzz FOR
HIeHBALL
Brisk Trade in Juice of the Forbidden
Fruit ooes on In Suburban
Town--No One Need
Go Thirsty
ny wINFIELD $. MORGAN

by WINFIELD s. MORGAN
It's almost as difficult to get drink
of whisky in Colegroye as 1t is in a Los
lAngeles saloon--not quite-for frequently
In Los Angeles the man" is too busy
to fill your order promptly. In Colegrove
there is no such trouble; you are served
at once.
1t was we'll along into the afternoon one
Monday when descended from a car at
Santa Monica avenue and Vine street,
Colegrove. to start Investigating for my
How to Get a Drink In Colegrove'' story,
and frankly the outlook asn't very fp->
viting. Before starting had been told
that I was ''up against it, and that the
town was really dry"
Absolutely without information I head
ed for pool room next the corner as q
likely spot for securing It
The place was devoid of players when
I entered. The barber shop, arranged In
a front corner of the room, was entertain-
Ing patron with shave at the moment.
and "Old John" the proprietor. was too
busy to more than nod at me. I picked
out cue and started banging the balls
around alone for time, waiting for the
moment when the boss should be ae
leisure to beat me game.
powdered. departed I proposed the game,
but much to my surprise was refused the
pleasure
Woman Young and Pretty
IT don't care anything for the game"
he explained, "and there's nothing In IL
but wearing out lot Of shoe leather,
anyhow. Somebody will be In that VIII
want to play In a minute or so--wait for
EN-" did.
A youth, maybe Is or so, same in a
little later and accommodated me with
a game. But he was way shy OF infor-
nation
When he left me after rubber of rc-
tation strolled out on to the street to
hunt on my own account The drug store
at the corner attracted my attention and
entered.
Right up against it Tight 1t was
woman, and a mighty pretty young
woman at that, who came forward to
learn my wants. I handn't the nerve to
ask her for whisky nor yet for beer. so
glanced at thessoda fountain and faint
lily suggested "Coco-cola, please
Now far be 1t from me to decry tenn
perance drinks but I give you my word.
the peculiar sensation that swept over
me few minutes after drinking the de-
coction went long way toward convinc-
ing me that the w. c. T. u. might well
toy with a chemical analysis of the bev-
erage ! drank don't know what was
in it--nor do I really care much, but it
affected me as strong drink on an empty
stomach does My head whiried round
and felt mighty funny.
had begun to despair of securing the
, drink" for which I had visited Cole
grove. when the door opened and w. r.
johnson, the proprietor Of the store en-
tered.
Booze Trade Grows HrIsk
His advent was evidently apparently
the signal for an influx of business. for
within a minute and half a man came
} in who walked to the rear of the store
and asked Johnson for quart of whisky
II haven't any quart bottles" said the
druggist; 'Tll have to give you two
four-bit bottles" which same. being
agreeable to the customer, he did. and
the man departed
Hardly had he left when buggy con-
! tanning two men drove up to the door, and
one of the men entered to secure and de-
parted shortly with bottle of the wet"
1 thought 1t was my turn, and. stroiling
back to the cash register, rendered pay
ment for the coco-cola and at the same
time requested something stronger to cut
the sciCish taste out of my mouth.
what do you want?" asked Johnson
'sWhislxy in plain werds.'' replied. cor
spirits frumenti. if you like the medical
term better"
How much7'
About ten drains will do. guess
81 can only sell In original packages
said he. How much shall get yours
about six ounces. If / must have a
bottle" I answered, and he departed to
procure the liquor.
i Now there's a whole lot about original
packages that / don't know anything
about. but I always labored under the
deiusion that an Original package" of
liquor had to come in sealed and prop
erly labeled bottle. Also | always thought
that druggists had to put their ''paster'
on all bottles filled by them for sale to
the public telling what the bottle con-
tanned. But not In Colegrove I know
because what l got was an 'originsi
package" and 1t wasn't anything but a
plain six-ounce bottle filled with a rather
poor grade of whisky.
Gets His HIehbaIl
requested glass from which to drink.
1.-THE law forbids your drinking 1t on the
premises. even when liquor is sold for
medicinal purposes" Informed the drug
gist
'sWhere am I going to get chaser ?'s
inquired. water in glasses isn't runs
ming around loose out of doors"
'Well" replied the accommodating
johnson, ''I've told you you couldn't drink
In the store. but l don't suppose | could
really prevent your doing as you wish
about the matter" and in a most accom-
!modating spirit he drew glass of charged
water from the soda fountain for me and
set 1t on the marble counter l poured A
good drink into the bubbling water. drank
my "highball,'' and departed. with the
request to "call again ringing in my
ears.
Turning out Santa Monica avenue re-
entered the pool room and set game
with one of the ioungers whom. from his
appearance rather thought might have
some first-handed information ON how to
get bottle of beer.
After allowing myself to be beaten
few games / cautiously advanced tho
suggestion that II would buy drink pro-
vided somebody here lfrows how to get it
in this town." MY proposal was accepted
IN a most friendly spirit, but f'nobody
knew" and l was obliged to leave for
town with my information sheet blank
under the ''beer' caption.