The Detroit times., 1910-03-29

Kalamazoo Is Center of Operations
For Men Who Ship Liquor Into ST.
Joseph, Van Buren, and Barry.
tFrom a staff correspendent.)

(From a Stdff correspondent
KALAMAZOO, Mich, March Is
One OF the most-discussed things in
the local option campaign which Is
in progress in this section OF the
state. Is the traffic OF the "booues-
ger" or whisky smuggler. There IS
10 local option election In kalama'
700 county. but the adjoining coun-
ties OF ST. Joseph. Van Buren, ana
Barry are all involved In the strug-
gle. All are now dry and Kalamazoo
has been a center of operations Tor
the boctleggers who supply whisky
70 the thirsty OF the dry counties.
That the trade is hourishing is
demonstrated By the fact that there
are two mail order houses here which
sell whisky by express while all the
liquor dealers and saloonists OF THIS
city derive profits from the purchases
made of them of goods destined 10
be- consumed in the surrounding airy
counties.
The men who make a trade o.
2eddlng whisky come here IN bug
gies. BY electric car and by automo-
bilcs And many others. who DO not
make bootlegging a business. come
mere 20 trade and take back a satchei-
iul Of the stuff that inebriates.
Although a liquor dealer. Albert
Doll, Of this city. is opposed to this
trade He has taken an active part in
behalf Of the vets in the local option
campaigns in the counties mentioned,
although the going wet OF those coun-
ties would mean a great diminuuon
OF the whisky trade of Kalamazoo.
l.. 81 ont n :
are such as 10 disgrace what he con
siders the legitimate saloon business
and endanger it in the state.
Doll some years ago recommended
TO the kalamazoo aldermen the
adoption OF a local saloon ordinance
along the lines OF the Warner-Cram-
ton law.
People who dc not come ia touch
with conditions as they are have no
idea Of the consumption OF whisky
IN dry counties" says Doll.
IL know of one bootlegger who laid
up $4,000 net in three years by selling
whisky in Van Buren, county. He
was in the habit OF coming to KALI
,nazoo frequently, often spent several
days here and was a very liberal
spencer, spending SIS to $50 day,
yet he made that net profit
Another man was caught at whisky
selling in that county recently. lie
declared that he would remain aud
take his medicine. There was rea-
son He had made about $500 in
approximately a year and had the
money in the bank. Another man used
to sell whisky until he had a profit
of $1,000 TO $1,000 and then go into
some other business. Each time he
failed in business and went back to
bootlegging. He died after his third
failure
Tho condition is bad. At dances
in Van Buren, county there is usually
great deal OF liquor drunk and this
results in fights and disorder. One
saloon in kalamazoo sells from one
TO 20 gallons OF whisky every day that
finds its way into Van Buren,"
ST. Joseph county people admit
there are plenty of dives in that
county.
"One man was caught this week
but there are a dozen or twenty
more who haven't been caught" said
Three Rivers man.
A firm ar Hastings. Barry county
makes a profitable trade out of gath
ering empty whisky bottles and ship
ping them back TO the whisky max
ers. A carload of such bottles was
shipped out last week and another Is
10 go this week Much of this whisky
comes in by express; the remainder
Is sold by the bootlegger from his
wagon or barn.
PALMER.