Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-01-13
SALOONMEN LONG ON
SMOkECRAFT CIGARS
Continued from Page one)

overstocked and shall probably be
overStocked for a long time to come,
said a Saloonkeeper with a tinge OF
bitterness in his voice yesterday after
noon as he looked suspiciously at
man who had just asked him if he
wanted to purchase some cigars.
Look here" said the man outside
of the counter, lowering his voice to a
whisper, cant you use about twenty
thousand 'Smokecrafts' in your bust
ness?-I come from up there" and the
mysterious one jerked his thumb back
ward over his shoulder in the direction
Of the city hall.
The saloon man turned pale as he
choked back some red hot words. His
anxiety was quicly dispelled when The
Herald representative explained that
it was a joke.
''Well, it's not particularly pleas
ing joke, my FRIEND" said the saloon
man, his face reddening but a hap
pier tone coming in his voice. Il
to buy some more. You see, a man in
a position to be kind to me or to get
me intOSerious trouble almost any time
he should take the notion came down
here one day and introduced a friend
whom he said he used to know back
home. He. said in way that 1 could
not mistake his meaning that any IA
vors shown his friend would be ap-
preciated. Well, his friend was in the
cigar business and pretty soon | got
the cigars and I wasn't much pleased
with the bill. I don't want to talk
about this and I don't want you to
mention my name. It's the same all
over town and you can get all the in
formation you want
"Oh, yes, l handle the cigars you
mention, but it wasn't my choice. I
am now, as 1 have always been, an
advocate of home product. We don't
gro wtobacco here, but there are
plenty of good cigars made in Los An
geles. Do I sell them? Well, not
many. You see, l have a lot of cigars
made in New York. l realize the
wages paid for making them was paid
in New York and did no good to the
merchants of Los Angeles. If those
merchants care about a little thing
like that they know the remedy. Don't
give we away in the paper; I don't
care to get trimmed right away"
That is the way another restaurant
man put his case yesterday. Then he
went on to tell how he formerly did
all he could to buy and boost home
; products, but that he was forced to be
good fellow. He admitted he was a
stockholder in Mayor Harper's oil con-
Germ and that he bought his meat from
the company organized by. Mayor Har-
patronlzed was a stakeholder in the
sugar company in which Mayor Har-
per and Polict Commissioner Nathan
Cole were so deeply interested.
oh, am a good dog" he declared
with a grim smile, II do everything
the powers want me to do. I'm not
taking any chances. I don't want nv
name used under any circumstances
Believe me, it is not my intention to
get in bad with the city hall people. j"
This mans experience seemed to
parallel that of score of other LIQUOR
dealers and restaurant men with LIQUOR
sellers licenses.
eve shall be bitterly disappointed if
there is not something done about this
matter" said real estate man who
is associated with one of the largest
firms in Los Angeles. "There are a,
dozen offices in the building where T
am located, and among the business
men in those offices there is unanimity
of opinion regarding the disclosures
made by The Herald.
"All my friends in the business world
are watching and admiring The Herald
for the way it has conducted it's case.
can subscribe to the statement of the
attorney quoted in this mornings Her.
aid. He said the case was presented
cogently. That describes it. The evil
dence seems to be overwhelming. The