El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-01-28

have the proper regard for the liquor
business, the people have elected him
county commissioner and justice of
the peace. He held both of these
elective offices for time, but gave up
the latter at the late election, although
he continues to hold the position of
commissioner and to be one of the five
, men who direct the affairs of the coun-
", once the biggest in the state and
still third in size, being surpassed in
area only by FL Paso and Val Verde
Prohibition All Around.
The prohibitionists have got in their
work in all the other west Texas towns
the size Of Fort Stockton. and where
they have voted out liquor it has
stayed out; where they have put prohf-
bftion on the statute books, 1t has pro-
hibited, as any person can testify who
has ever Travelled west of the Pecos
mas tried to Quench a parching thirst
on the alkaH water found in most of
the wells and, having failed. has tried
to- secure something stronger as a sub
Stitute. 1t used to be possible to get
liquor in almost any town in Texas
regardless Of its standing on the cues
ton Of wet" or dry" but this is true
no more, especially in this region OF
Texas. The only way man in a dry"
community may get his liquor now is
TO send money order to some house
handling 1t in a wet" town and have
II sent to him by express-no more
C. o. D. business goes
The C. o. d. Business.
In the early days Of prohibition in
Texas the c. o. D. liquor men made
fat thing of it and a Missouri con-
Germ built up the biggest express bust
ness in the United States. The legisla-
ture, however, amended the statute so
that this was prevented. Now man
must pay for his drink in a wet"
town and have it sent to him prepaid
or he can't have it. Under the old sys-
tenn, scouts" were sent into the pro-
hibition or local option regions to get
names of men who took their drains"
as they say in the small towns. and.
regardless Of whether they wanted Ii
quor or not, a shipment was sent
them, usually four quarts at 81
quart and express charges When the
whisky arrived, the express agent. of
course, sent a notice to the recipient
that the package awaited him. If he
particularly wanted a drink, he jumped
at the chance. raised the price of the
-four quarts plus the charges for ex-
pressage, and soon had the LIQUOR in
a safe place, where he could get at IL
al Will # he wasn't "hankering for
drink, as they also say in the small
town, he often took the shipment anv-
how with the excuse to himself that if
might be needed sooner or later. IF
he didn't take it at all, he usually
mentioned to some friend that the
package had come and there was gen
orally an offer as he passed along the
news, from some friend or other. 70
take 1t off his hands "if he didn't
mind The result was that out of
shipment of 100 cases to some small
town, they would all soon be taken
out Of the express office If few
remained, the express agent wonld
soon get letter from the shipping
house setting forth that there ap-
pears to be in your office so MANY
cases Of whisky billed to Messrs. So
and So, which Go not appear to have
been claimed" Then the letter would
set forth that it would be very ex-
pensive and loss to have the pack
ages sent back and the express agent
could deliver them to anybody he wish
ed If he could find persons willing to
take them and pay for them.
A Second Helping.
By this time, the men who had hast
ily taken out their packages as soon as
they arrived, would be about ready
for more, and, as the express agent in
q small town is usually the telegram
operator and station master, too, and
knows practically everybody in the
place, he had no difficulty IN deciding
to whom TO offer the remaining pack
ages. and soon had the entire stock
disposed OF. By this means the ex-
press agent, unwittingly or otherwise.
became the agent for the whisky man