The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-16
In Prohibition Territory


i dry column of the State Of West
Virginia revives stories ana
methods tina, seem to go hand in
hand with the prohibition law. 1t j.
computed that there are already over
one hundred secret societies in the STATE
whose object is the obtaining of al
coholic beverages despite the law.
AT present the states Of Arkansas.
Georgia, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi,
North Dakota and Tennessee are dry
in addition to West Virginia, and ex-
cept in Arkansas the got 10 get a
drink societies are all nourishing
There is even talk of an amalgamatlon
of such organizations that viii take in
u countrywide membership.
Some of The societies are organized
as deliberately as odd Fellowship or
Masonry. They have their grips. pass
words signs and signals. They have
street greeting sign and in many in
stances the phrlseo,ogy Of the obliga-
lions taken follows closely the solemn
vows of the more precautions secret
societies. In scvgra. Of the dry States
in the South The obligation is considered
one not to he divulgcd until death.
The got 10 set a drink" benefits of
| the ulshnIza. IONS al" found to be in
Simultaneous, So nicely CONSTRUCTED and
irfinSrd are the distress si,ns and
| signals. stranger entering The state
81 Georgia. for Instance. and needing al
'uh".lc Refreshments N.H dl~plnv his
secret society sign. II. ha, been to
Georgia before, of course. and has been
initiated into the order. Otherwise he
would not know the signs. They cam
not be explained, nor can secret PASS
words be impaired except by personal
Initiation.
Down the main street walks the
stranger. his signal exposed. Soon h"
catches return. 1t Is mad" by a man
who is perhaps runner for secret
liquor dispcnsdry. Very soon the two
meet. exchange grips and then begin
soon led to whore h" meetsS another
brother who keeps a place. HS has his
alcoholic desires satisfied and procee Is
about his business. The dry State o
Georgia has not bothered him.
These societies are not by any means
the loose speak easy" affairs which
supply the methods Of getting liquor in
many other places. They have been
arranged Systematically. Nothing IS
left just to good fellowship You be-
long and pay dues and can get your
tipple or You don't belong ana yo,.
therefore don't get drinks. OF course
there are cases in which the Keeper u
a secret dsponSary takes his chances
in serving strangers There IL nothing
in his obligation to prevent him from
selling a nun-mcmbcr "A drink But tn
non-mcmber cannot be sure that he will
find such an oblig.ng seller. The MEM
her can.
The titles of these liquor procuring
societies are not at all of a kind that
will reveal their nature. Their letter
heads and envelopes have to go throug.
the mail and It would hardly be WIS"
TO have them reveal the objects Of the
organization. Instead they are named
in way that might intimate that
number of tea drinkers had banded to-
gether for psychologist study. \ title
approximating the Fortnightly Chem
lists Society Is one organization. Then
there is the United Liquidation Com
pany of North America. This isn't IN"
real title Of course, but YOU come very
close To it when YOU read II.
one Of the societies has "A novel
minor obligation. The members pledge
themselves always to have not less than
one quart of whiskey or brandy laid
away somewhere, SO that falling to get
the stranger brother To "A regular dis
pensary. ne shall not 20 thirsty. As no
messenger can he trusted with the com
mission to buy and carry such liquor,
thousands % citizens who have Joined
the societies have prrfurcr become car
rirrs Of Alcohol. Some who might not
carry alcohol otherwise excuse them
selves now on the ground that II Is
fraternal ohlgatiun Of their order.
The organizers connected with the
Georgia societies have had their ati"n-
ton called to jamestown despatch
telling of the destruction of $4,000 bot
ties of beer and much whiskcy and gin
by the New York state ENcis" Depart
ment because It was cached without
license. The Georgia men declared at
a recent meeting that the discovery
showed the lack of system existing
among the unorganized. They maintain
that no such seizure Cou'd have been
brought about in their state.