The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1914-11-25
Country Prosperous I'm
der DRY" Rule.
HAS PROVED GREAT SUCCESS
A Nation Of 150.O00,000
People That Was Made
DRY" In a Day.
HAS VANISHED

Petrograd. Russia. Nov "a
There is prohibition in Russia to-day;
prohibition which means that not a
drop of vodka, whiskey, brandy, gin
or any other strong liquor is obtain
able from one end TO the other of
territory populated by 100000, 900
people and covering one-sixth of the
habitable globe.
The story of how strong drink has
been utterly banished from the Rus
sian empire was related to the Asso-
ciated Press by Michael Demitrovitch
Tchelisheff, the man directly respon-
sible for putting an end to Russia's
great vice, the vodka habit.
II should be said in the beginning
that the word prohibition in Russia
must be taken literally. Its use does
not simply a partially successful at
tempt to curtail the consumption of
liquor resulting in drinking in secret
places. the abuse of medical licenses,
and general evasion and subterfuge.
1t does mean that vast popula-
ton. who consumed 100000, 900
worth of vodka a year, whose ordi-
nary condition has been described by
Russians themselves as ranging from
slight degree of stimulation up
ward. has been lifted almost in one
day from a drunken inertia to sObrie-
ty.
The nation has been compelled.
virtually overnight. to abandon its
enormous consumption Of vodka,
liquor that is almost pure alcohol,
and become abstemious to the extent
OF letting no liquor pass it's lips.
On that day when the mobilization
of the Russian army began, special
policemen visited every public place
where vodka is sold. locked up the
supply of the liquor, and placed on
the shop the Imperial seal. Since
the manufacture and sale of vodka
is a government monopoly in Rus
STA, il is not a difficult thing to en-
force prohibition.
From the day this step was taken
drunkenness vanished in Russia. The
results are seen at once in the peas
antry: already they are beginning TO
look like different race. The
marks OF suffering, the pinched looks
of illness and improper nourishment
have gone from their faces. There
has been also a remarkable change in
the appearance OF their clothing.
Their clothes are cleaner, and both
the men and women appear more
neatly and better dressed. The des-
titute character of the homes of the
poor has been replaced with some
thing like order and thrift. In PetrO-
grad and Moscow the effect of these
improved conditions Is fairly start
ling. on holidays in these two cities
inebriates always filed the police sta
lions and often they lay about on the
sidewalks and even in the streets.
Things are so different to-day that
unattended women may now pass al
night through portions of these cities
where il was formerly dangerous
even for men. Minor crimes and mis-
demeanors have almost vanished.
This miracle has been virtually ac-
complished by one man. He is Mich
ael ID. Tchelisheif. peasant by birth,
originally a house painter by profess
sion, then Mayor of the city of Sam
ara and now "a millionaire. Physical
ly he is "A giant, standing over six
feet four inches, and of powerful
build. Although he is fifty-tive years
old, he looks much younger. His
movements display the energy of
youth. his eyes are animated. and his
black hair is not tinged by gray.
In Petrograd Mr.. Tchelisheff is
generally found in "a luxurious suite
of.rooms in one of the best hotels.
He goes about clad in blue blouse
with a tasselled girdle, aud baggy
black breeehes tucked into heavy
boots. He offers his visitors tea from
ssmoyar and fruit from the Cri-
mea