The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-29
SANITY LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

SANITY LIQUOR TRAFFIC.
It is now almost an old story as to
how President Joseph T. Smith added
TO his profits by means of misbranding
his salt; but the spirit of that transac-
tion appears to be somewhat prevalent
among the greater and lesser leaders
in the Mormon priesthood This recital
shall be more particularly turned to-
ward the matter of selling Intoxicating
liquors within the confines Of the State
of Utah, and incidentally within the
politico. ecclesiastical jurisdiction Of the
Mormon church-outside of Salt Lake
City.
1t will not be denied by certain
couucilmanic elder at American Fork
that once upon n time he ordered from
Salt Lake box of "books' to come
by express Nor will he say it to he
untrue that he told the express agent
there that he expected such a box of
books at the same time delivering
to the agent n request that he be noti
fed of its arrival. And we feel
sure that this councilmanic elder will
admit it to he true that the express
agent complied with that request, and
that the conversation was in effect
about like this: Brother Blank. your
box of books is here go, is that
so2 Good! II send down for 'em
right away!' FYou d better do it
quick-one of 'em is leakin'"
Out at Grantsvillc, Tooele county,
they have no saloons-speaking of such
concerns in a straightforward way A
visitor at tho house of a certain dis
tinguisbed elder out there was struck
by peculiar circumstance. On the
first day of his stay he noticed that
there were many men callers at the
house of this prominent elder, but that
the opposite sex did not appear in any
number whatever. 1t looked funny. He
stopped at the place a couple of days,
and then the thing was partially ex.
planned. Upon stating bis wonderment,
he was told by the prominent elder that
while the Mormon church did not coun-
tenance the consumption of intoXicat-
ing liquors, it believed that for medici-
nal purposes they were indispensable;
that the brethren usually liked little
nip in moderation, and knowing that
he (the prominent elder) always kept
it in the house. the brethren made regu-
lar calls TO take advantage Of his hos.
pitable generosity, "hecause, he
added, ''you see, we prefer to LET them
have il in that wav than to tolerate
any saloons here,' 1t was found, upon
still further investigation. that the
prominent elder simply took his Mel
chisedek visitors down into a certain
quiet nook and filed up their pint and
quart bottles with booze from the Il,
| G. M, I. drug department, collecting
therefor n price in advance of that
charged by open dealers, 1t ism Il neces-
denial of this little recital Will bring
| forth the names.
We have no reason to suppose that
] the people connected with the Kays-
Vile Coop. store have poor memories.
Therefore they will recall the incident
that we shall briefly relate. They know
that one day less than a hun
| qTeu years ago lHS SupeIlHbtnutnL oI
that institution ordered one Of the
clerks to open up a box of dry goods
that had Just been received from the
| Il. G. M. J. at Salt Lake, There were
number Of boxes in the entire ship
ment, and why this particular case
should have been selected for first at
teution did not appear until three
gallon Jug of booze was tenderly lifted
from the Hmidst' of tho dry goods.
It is unnecessary 10 add that The super
intendent took immediate charge of the
jug.
But, of course, all this is merely a
matter of the pursuit of thrifty busi
ness. As an instance in point we might
say that Malad City was about the first
town in Idaho to go "dry." Malad
City. as everybody knows, isn't run
by any American party, but is rather
one Of the special wards of the Mormon
Melchisedeks. A certain solicitor for
n liquor firm went up to Malad City
not long after the town had gone