The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-04
HOW MUCH MONEY IS SENT AWAY FUR WINES AND LIQUORS Money Order Business Alone Shows Gain of S33,323
 Over Last Year
S1O0,OO0 PER MONTH IS
 THE AMOUNT ESTIMATED
cuIlman, Mobile and Montgomery as We'll as Outside Cities Are Reap ing a Harvest From
 the Thirsty.

Since the dawn of the era Of prOnlDiIlOn and the succession of the reign of the blind tiger and money order system, how much cash do Birmingham people pay monthly for the stuff that cheers?
 Were this question asked the average man he would answer without taking thought, and his figure would be near the $1000O0 mark.
 To arrive at the probable figures IS matter of great difficulty. It is impos- sible to get at the postoffice the amount of money orders sent to whisky houses in Nashville, Chattanooga and Memphis It is impossible to estimate, save rough ly, the amount of money sent by means of personal checks and New York eX- change through the several banks IL has proved an impossible task to get the figures at the Southern Express of- flee of the amount of express money or ders sent to other cities, or the num-' her of jugs that have been received through that medium for local men with a thirst.
 A gentleman in a position to know esti- mated the amount of money spent Tor
 whisky per month by Birmingham peo- ple at S1O000O. It is true that the Soutn- ern Express is doing the biggest ousl-
 ness in it's local history. It's every wagon
 goes it's route loaded to the brim, ana the drivers are having hard work In re- moving the jugs addressed to MT. Jones,
 ar Mr Bill Smith. The clerks at the
 postoffice have had their hands full is suing money orders, and there is now
 rt.f, rfa for
 room in the local government building.
 Thinos To Be Considered.
 In spite of the fact that the estimate
 of the money spent per month for whisky by Birmingham people is a healthy one,
 as stated above, in arriving at an aver
 age amount which will be spent, there are several facts in extenuation to be
 considered.
 In the first place, the expenditures or the first two months of this year cannot be reckoned as an average, for several l reasons, one of which is all the local l supply has not been exhausted as yet' | another, that the local thirst has not be- | come as accentuated as a longer period of abstinence will make it, and another l that Montgomery and Cullman are still | doing a great business in this state, not so far distant from Birmingham. As is known, before the dawning of Iannarv the saloons sold their liquors at A greatly reduced figure. This result ed in promiscuous buying in large quan- titles. While the supply in many m stances doubtless, has been eXhausteo' if ia safe to reckon than many men were to hI1U titles Cullman has sold muchs whisky to local people, this expenditure pelng impossble to arrive at. There are very few men. too, returning from Mobile or Montgomery in this state. as well as the
 sources of irrigation in other states who do not bring their suit cases back loaded to the handles.
 Montgomery papers state that Mont eomery sells s4OO0 worth of whisky to At lanta per month. If that is true, now
 much does Montgomery, which is nearer and more easy of access, sell to Birming- ham?
 Receipts at Birmingham Postoffice. It was learned yesterday at the Bir-
 mingham postoffice that during January and February of this year 4lSl more money orders were issued than during the same months last year. This increase is attributed to the fact that DrOllDlI1On ODldnlluS III l'iiii'if6 ham, it has been rfecessary for local people desiring to quench their thirst, to send for material to Chattanooga, Mem phis. Nashville, Montgomery and Louis vile.
 This increase in money orders totals an increase in amount of S33.3 .323 29 over
 the amount of January and February last year
 If this average remains as low as it at present is, and does not increase accord ing to the belief of the well informed,
 Birmingham during the present year, through the postoffice alone, will expend the round sum of s199,9Ss.So for whisky and beer in a year! According to the most conservative esti- mate this amount is~one-ffth of the total amount. According to this estimate, even if Birmingham does not expend $100,ooo per month, as some well posted people believe. the average will total up at the end of the year $10O0OO0.
 1 Atlanta estimates its monthly expendi- | ture for foreign whisky at $20OOOO or s2,- l 100000 per year. There are many men l in Birmingham who do not believe that Atlanta can surpass or exceed Birming- ham in any thing.