The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-01-07
DODGING THE LAW
By FREDERIC j. H4SkIN
V.-BOOTLEGGING

n.ent ON the kind OF drug store oper-
a.ed by Dick Is unnecessary.
Whisky has been called all sorts or
names, both by its users and opposers.
So has beer. which Is known In some
places as nectar, In others rs pear
cider and others as ambrosia. In one
state which had some counties wet
and some dry. T. was customary for
man wanting drink TO go 10 the
local merchandising place when the
town was dry. and ask for a load OF
locust posts. II he was served with
whisLey and made no Protest, all we'll
and good. IL he did not happen 10
be a drinker. the clerk pretended TO
have made a mistake and assured him
the locust posts would be forwarded
The next day. his became such
ce eventually that the Locust ,st''
communities nearly all went dry 1T
the next election.
The excuse for buying a drink legal.
~ is often as hard 10 find as the drink
itself One OF the favorite pleas for
liquor in arid spots has been snake
bite. In this connection an actor tells
story OF man who went TO drug
store in "A dry town III Kansas and
asked how he Eight get drink OF
prohibition whisky. had no collie
or other complaints and the highly
moral druggist was at loss how TO
get the money and at the same time
escape arrest. Finally he remarked:
If you were bitten by a snake it
would be all right, for liquor is the
only cure for such afflictions. In you
want TO take a chance there Is a
snake In the barber shop next door"
The visitor went TO the barber shop
and found forty-seven in line ahead
OF him. He waited until forty-six of
them had been bitten and was pre-
pairing To take his turn when the own
er OF the snake announced All off
Tor today The snake is tired out and
has no more poison
The undignified hilarity OF the resi-
dents of a home for old soldiers at.
tracted the attention of the officials
some time ago. Not a soul around
the place could be suspected but the
Festivities continued At last a care
full watch revealed that the veterans
were most cheerful after Wednesday.
when the washing was returned by
the women who had the contract for
laundry. Further investigation re-
vealed that every bundle OF returned
laurdry, when the signal had been
given, contained pint OF whisky. A
steam laundry now does the work.
The ruling OF the government that
any beverage containing less than
one-half OF one per cent OF alcohol
was non-alcoholic. and therefore not
subject TO government stamp, caused
the brewers to food the market with
large quantities of weak beer Usually
this was labeled Hops, Near. Beer, -
etc. and was kept in stock at soda
fountains and other places supposed
TO deal only in soft drinks However,
the chance for deception proved so
easy that the keepers Of these soft
drink establishments soon began to
ork on reserve stocks OF real bot
tied beer. When a stranger entered
the place he was given Near Beer"
but when John or Bill or anyone
known to the dealer came in and call.
ed for soft drink he was given the
real thing
One enterprising hotel man in
southern town gave all guests at his
hosiery card OF introduction to a
soft drink dealer up the street, and
the bearers OF these credentials were
invariably given the genuine article
instead OF an imitation Finally,
government agent was passed along
from the hotel to the oft drink EN-.
porium and now the landlord and the
foxy soda jerker have gone out OF
business for themselves and are work.
Ing for the state.