The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-03-04
THIS ISLAND SOBER
LOCAL OPTION CUTS DOWN NEW.
FouNDLAND'S DRINK BILL.
ST. Johns the One Wet Spot-That
City Now Talks Of Closing Its
Saoons--In the Wild Days
of Heavy Drinking.

st. Johns, n F.-There is now an
interesting experiment taking shape
in Newfoundland which promises to be
Of special Importance to temperance
workers the world over. II is nothing
less than to put the city of St Johns
under the local option or persuasive
| law, known in Canada as the Scott act,
and by this means bring about virtual
prohibition, because, while the impor-
tation of spirituous liquors will still he
! possible, their sale will be prohibited
except for medicinal or mechanical
! purposes.
In 1872 the local option law was
| first enacted in Newfoundland and the
initial move for its enforcement was
made by the hamlet of Bregus being
started appropriately enough. by
man named Waterhouse. This law
provided that any township could by
a two-thirds vote decree against the
sale of liquor therein. though the i'm
portation OF liquor from abroad or
from other sections, for the personal
use OF residents was still allowed. Tho
consumption of liquors of all qualities
I'm the colony in 1871 was 212,6l gal
Ions. The population of the colony
then was l61 .374, SO the consumption
was 1872 gallons per capita annually.
The consumption Of liquors in 1908
was 1853, 427 gallons The population
now is estimated at about $4,000. it
being 220,9S2 by the census of 1901,
so that the consumption of liquor is
only GO gallons per capita annually,
or exactly oue-half Of what il was 81
years ago
The drink statistics of Newfound-
land, as compared with other c0un-
tries, show it to be the soberest coun-
try in the world. Practically the whole
island except st. Johns, is under local
option, for the temperance sentiment
gradually became strong enough 10
wipe out the two-thirds clause and sub
stitute q simple majority vote, aud
as the years passed the spread of local |
option grew general. If local option |
should be carried in St JOINS il would |
mean not alone the closing of the |
saloons there but a stoppage Of the |
use of liquor in the rest of the island |
except by importing it from abroad, !
as it is now obtained almost wholly |
from st. Johns.
Fifty years ago Observation-Disclosures !
We're much addicted to the use OF in /
toxlcants, In those days every vessel !
owner among the coast fishermen laid /
in a puneheon of rum 600 gallonsl |
for winter consumption, as regularly |
as he did any article of food. If he /
was still more prominent h. brought |
home two puncheon. This liquor was
used rs fibUratty tHCr rs -sUrr drinks
are now. Every man emplo, ed about F..
his vessel or premises took daily his
three horn" of liquor. lie started with
his morning when he began work;
had "leycer' at II o'clock, or before !
while many took a "nightcap" also
before going to bed
Every day at the hours named a
servant maid would make the rounds
cut into chunks and a pewter mug;
and each man would help himself to
his nip and his "grog Bit as the
bread was called. Fishermen took iars
Of rum in their boats when they went
out fishing as they take Kettles of tea
now; and it was not unusual for them
to drink a quart day without hurt
to themselves. Every sailor took his
gallon Jar of rum TO the ice fields in
The seal hunt of the early spring. and
the ship itself was supplied on an
equally generous scale Shipwrightsi
stipulated in their agreements that
their daily wage was TO be so many
and a bottle of rum. Black
smiths and sailmakers made similar
contracts.
Yet nobody ever got really drunk. Il
)ld-jimers say, except once year. on
St, Stephens day, which is the day
lfter Christmas and which was the oc-
aston chosen for sealeTs tc secure
heir places on board their ships Then
men flocked to the principal sealing |
,orts from all sections of the island
after signing articles with his own
hipper each man made the rounds Of |
he town, asking other shippers for ,
,laces. who knowing the practice
would express themselgss as unable
o give a berth. but would ask each
o take a glass OF liquor by evening
hey were an usually fighting drunk
nd a disturbance was not uncommon. G.