The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1907-10-03
Entered al the PostO6fce at RendersOnvIls
NC. as mail matter OF the second class.
REGARDING BLIND TIGERS.

Asheville, the Gazette having seen ut
to print the following paragraph In the
course of q discussion of tine Beasts
P~eculiarities," or the "blind tiger" in
prohibition towns:
'tThere is HendersonsonviIle, our
neighbor, as another modern instance.
A long while ago, we believe Hender-
sonvilIe went legally dry and immedi-
ately the one or two open salOOus, that
were conducted under the eye of an
officer, gave way to exactly thirteen per-
sons who/are today selling whiskey un-
der q Federal license, and under the
protection of the Federal government.
OF course some of those licenses are
held by drug stores but it iS also true
that some of them are held by blind til
gers, direct, and the men who conduct
these do not appear to have a great diff
Guilty in escaping detection by local
officers"
This is a serious charge and should be
resented by every self respecting citi-
zen in this orderly little city. 1t is not
only q reflection on the own and its Law
abiding people, but an insult to the ca
pable and faithful officials who are adj
n 444Al6UC4A Ing UA0 &ho1AS vi Jul C1bJ XIV
eminent SD wisely and so well. 1t is a
well known fact that whiskey is sold,
on prescription, by the two drug stores,
q condition which has existed ever
since they began business, but the in
situation that any and everybody can
procure liquor in this town, whether
they have a prescription or not, is a
base SANDER and the charge cannot be
sub~stant1ated. And the further sugges-
tion that ''the men who run these (blind
tigers) do not appear to have great diff
hculty in escaping detection by local
officers" is an unwarranted and un-
truthful reflection upon q set of officials
who have, so far, given the town of Hen
dersonville the most satisfactory ad-
ministration it has had during the past
six or eight years. Our police depart
ment has succeeded in putting several
so-called blind tigers out of business
and if there be others they dare not let
their whereabouts be known. Prohi-
bition prohibits only where the officers
and the people cooperate in enforcing
the Law. The people of Hendersonville
realize this and appear to be standing
together in the promotion of public en-
terprises and the adjustment of all dens
OF vice, whether they be blind tigers or
places given to other/ immoral prac-
tices.
We do not maintain that no whiskey
is illegally sold here, but most emphati-
cally deny the charge that blind tigers
are numerous in this city. It does not
necessarily follow that there are nine
such places here, simply because gov
eminent licenses have been issued to in
dividuals aggregating that number, for
recently n of Uncle Sans deputy col.
lectors came here and extracted q con-
siderable amount of cash from each of
the small fruit dealers who happened to
be selling q mild drink they called Beer
Inc. This collector represented to them
that the Pure Food Law lately enacted
by congress required them to have Ii
to sell this drink and naturally
they, one and all, put up the required
amount, rather than be subjected to a
fine and. imprisonment Ii these be
blind tigers the Gazette is partially
correct in its assumption; if not, it
should apologize for having slandered
the good people of H~endersonville, who
have been helping support It for all
these years. An Individual who is de:
termined to find liquor, at any cost, can
get 1t in almost any town, but the pub
lie generally Ia not attracted to 'tholes
in the wall" and gives attention to the
purchase of family necessities, rather
than waste time and money in an en-
deavor to find a pint of whiskey through
the assistance ofsome lawless character.
And If, perchance, there should be
blind tigers in Hendersonville, they are
much less harmful than those having
eyes which enables them to pounce up
on every unfortunate man who comes to
town and deprlves him of the little
means he may have procured for the
support OF his family. We suppose the
Gazette speaks with authority. If So
10 should make good it's statements and
The Hustler is willing to assist in she
undertaking, by Offering a reward of
twenty-five dollars to that paper, in
each case, for evidence to convict the
ugly monsters which it says are so plen-
tifuli in our lovely little CITY. factions
speak louder than words"
Since the Gazette has accommodated
its readers with the gratuitous sugges-
tion that H~endersonvi1le is afflicted with
blind tigers, will it tell them, also, that
since the saloons we're closed here, by a
vote OF the people ten years ago, the
town has been more prosperous and its
citizens happier than during any decade
in all its history? Will it further state
that the city upon which it has been
casting aspersions has been growing in
nopu1aritv aa al a11n~A na.o- -