Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-12

went there the retreat was closed. There
were three places operating openly in the
business center ex-saloons turned into
near beer palaces" They serve the l
per cent alcohol sop allowed by law and
also bottled Budweiser shipped front st.
Louis and beer made by Lemp. These
are sold discriminatory. | drank one
glass Of near beer" looked grievedly at
the bartender. who apologlzed and produced
real beer. lie exclaimed that he was being
watched and that I was a stranger. An
hour later when satisfied | was not
spotter he sold me excellent whisky. At
Hendersonvile, also a dry town. l pur-
chased after few moments skirmishing a
brand OF white corn whisky said to be the
product of an Illicit still. The man who
sold it to me informed me that since the
enactment of the prohibitory laws in Bun
Combc county name sinKularly appropriate
as far as prohibition is concerncd) Illicit
distilling had been revived all through the
mountain district and he complained Bit
terly that the mountaineers had grown
wise and. instead Of turning out the famous
mountain dew" were sitting wrctched
slops. Later he supplied me with a bottle
Of corn whisky which he explained was
good, and he wnked wisely as II to con-
vey a hint that he had made It himself and
knew it to be good.
Much In RcdIands.
Redlands, Cal, is dry" saloons being
prohibited, the terrific impost of licenses
barring the sale of liquor I'm great many
California towns In three days in Red
lands / purchased whisky and beer at three
different drug stores. 1t is said that sew
eral drug stores of the beautiful city derive
their chief income from the sale of liquors.
They all forbid drinking on the premises,
but sell openly and seemingly without fear
Of molestation. The Jest of the matter is
that the police will arrest persons caught
In the act of drinking. Los Angeles at
tempted to close the saloons on Sunday.
They closed some. There is an establish
ment in one of the principal buildings of
the city which at once organized a club
where drinks are sold at all hours, and
which Is crowded all day on Sunday and
especially so at night. Almost anyone can
become member by having his name
posted on a slate and buying a book OF
tickets calling for drinks The slate is
retroactive one, for as soon as a mans
name is written 1t is dated back five days
so that he becomes a member at once. st.
Louis which closes Sundays, drinks in
clubs" organized all over the city. Three
Of these places which l visited were Of the
worst character of any dives l ever have
entered not excepting the bull pens" Of
some southwestern cities or the most
vicious places on san Francsco's "Barbary
coast" | have been in them on Sunday
when literally hundreds were drinking and
almost all drunk. and witnessed orgies that
were wilder than Mardi Gras i'm New Or
ppd1ipbt district From curiosity |
made a tour of these places. Five ! en-
tered without being stopped or questioned;
one the most respectable Of all, ! entered
with a key loaned TO me by a hotel clerk,
and I'm two / was introduced by a man
who did not know me and whom / did not
know, but who vouched for me as being
all right"
Hard 20 Get In wichita.
Wichita. Kan, is as nearly dry" as any
city I visited, and 1t seemed as II ! might
lose my record. After an hour and twenty
minutes strolling around / was directed to
an upstairs room where drinks were being
sold, mostly i'm short pints" The town
does an enormous business with st. Joseph
and Kansas city i'm receiving expressed
case goods and afterward / met several
residents who were willing to sell a bottle
or two of whisky from their cases. nor did
they seem to regard that as violating the
law. Bootleggng was widespread, but just
before my visit a campaign had been waged
and several bootleggers were severely pun
ished, which had checked the business. At
Topeka | asked a bellboy in hotel II it were
possible to get a drink. He laughed and
give him 81. Within ten minutes he returned
bringing two quarts Of beer l also bought
both beer and whisky in three other places,
two cigar stands and one drug store
Cali Il soft Drink"
/ There was one source of delight to me in
the investigation. That was at Shreveport,
La, where the saloons were selling beer
and whisky under alleged soft" drink
names. They also kept the limitations, but
served wretched articles of beer and
whisky to those they know to be safe"
/ Locker clubs flourished and keys were to
be purchased at slight expense. ! Joined
! two clubs, opened the lockers and found
/ intoEicants waiting. one locker was empty,
and / waited curiously. A slide at the
back opened. ] ordered a drink. It was
mixed and put onto the locker shelf, then
1 l opened the door again and drank. The
/ brewery, which had made a fine beer, was
closed, and the drinkers were swallowing
/ inferior articles of whisky. The negroes
were being served with vile whisky by
white bootleggers and the higher class
whites We're receiving their wines and beers
/ by express from New Orleans chiefly.
The pleasure of the business had TO do
| with a man who had been away. but who
returned after the prohibition law went
/ into effect secured an abandoned saloon
/ and began selling with fragrant openness.
the teacher. foolish friends and careers