The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-03-16
Tells Of His Experience Hunting
Blind Pigs in North Dakota

Following is the blind pig" story
recently published in Leslie's Weekly
from the pen of Robert d. Heinl, which
has created a great deal of comment
| throughout the state:
North Dakota is drier than it has
been in its history. Let's see how arid
that Is. Collector Ellerman, of the in
ternal revenue service, reported for the
fiscal year which ended June. 1909, that
1896 special tax stamps so-called gov
eminent licenses, had been issued in
prohibition North Dakota for the
manufacture Of beer and sale of
liquors and malt liquors. One hundred
and eighty three less stamps were is
sued te@South Dakota, which is a
license state and of nearly the same
population. Moorhead wholesale deal
ers claim to have shipped a thousand
cars of liquor into North Dakota last
year. East Grand Forks, across the
river from Grand Forks, N. D., makes
the same assertion, plus the hundred
car output of a local brewery. Bust
ness progressed so rapidly that the
stuff couldn't be shipped in fast
enough
A large wholesale dealer told me
that If he could have the difference be-
tween $4,00o,000 and the price of the
amount of liquor over that figure
shipped into North Dakota in a year.
he would be rich. According to this
informant, the wholesalers are satisfied
with prohibition, as it is known in
North Dakota, because they are selling
more liquor than they would If saloons
were allowed. If there is an arrest,
the retail dealer suffers. not the whole
saler. Everything is cash for the
wholesaler, no licenses to pay, no prop
erty or fixture investment
Would Make coney Island Blush.
Moorhead and East Grand Forks are
Minnesota towns across the line from
prohibition North Dakota. They do
rushing saloon business. Folks were
roaring about Coney Island last sum-
mer. Either of these places would
make old Coney blush for a week.
Each town has fifty saloons (also ten
to fifteen beer distributing agencies).
These saloons are not shacks or dug
outs; they are as extensively
equipped as those of Chicago. More
than $4,000 is represented for in
starce, in the furnishings and equip
ment of the House of Lords in Moor
head. i. This saloon takes in from $3.50
to $500 a day. In these villages beer
sleighs have the right of way over
fire department cutters. jag wagon |
is supreme.
At my suggestion my guide shouted |
to the men, who lined a sixty foot bar |
at East Grand Forks. How many of |
you boys are from Grand Forks North |
We have a wager" Tween
ty-eight OF the twenty nine signified
their residence across the river.
Bottled Beer Shipped.
In Moorhead | saw the, wholesalers
packing bottled beer into sugar bar
rels, seventy two quarts in each. Kegs
they send openly Formerly the ship |
ments were sent to any old name. With /
the beginning of this year they must
GO to bona fidel address. A draft
with a bill of lading In sealed en-
ve!op is sent to bank in the town
Of a customer. The latter is notified
that his draft and invoices are at the
bank. He pays the draft, the banker
turns over the bill of 1ading, the Gus
toner presents 1t to the agent and
gets the goods
Local trains in North Dakota. get the
name Of beer specials because theyl
ire often held forty minutes for the
liquid cargo to be unloadtd. At one
station, going from Fargo to Bismarck,
beer kegs We're stacked half as high
is the station Hardly without except
ion, the platforms were litered either
With 'efnpties' or filled sugar barrels