Gilpin observer., 1914-12-17
CONDITIONS IN A DRY TOWN

The following interview had with
a merchant of Grand Junction and
published in the Sentinel OF tfat city,
is reprinted to give the citizens of
Gilpin county an idea of what they
will have to contend with in case
the prohibition amendment passed at
the recent election becomes operative
a year hence. Grand Junction for
several years has been dry territory,
but ever since the saloons were clos
ed the authorities have had their
hands full prosecuting boot-leggers
and endeavoring to prevent drunken
ness. Not only is ? poor quality OF
whiskey consumed in the town, but
substitutes in the form Of liquids con-
tanning a high per cent OF arcohol
are drunk, which are far worse than
any whiskey obtained in the lowest
of saloons:
"T notice the Sentinel's editorial
charge last night to the effect that
bootlegging is as flagrant in Grand
in several years. l have no doubt
that this is true. There is lot
of liquor being sold, but l want to
say right now-and there is plenty
OF proof to back my charge-that at
least half the drunkenness that is
so noticeable in our city today is due
to the Jamaica Ginger, Hostetter's
Bitters and other bitters and ginger
that are being sold by drug stores
and other stores in Grand junction
to all who care to buy declared
we'll known business man today.
"'Of course this stuff is not sold
in violation of the law, as it is not
branded as liquor of an intoxicating
nature and is classed as medicine,
sauces, etc., but nevertheless a man
doesn't need to patronize bootleg
ger in Grand junction in order to
get on a drunk. Daily scores of Nit
tie bottles of Jamaica Ginger, con-
tanning from At to 80 per cent of al
cohol are being purchased in this
CITY. lHSSe DOttleS Ttldll dill lHc
way from 25 cents up. A man will
buy bottle of this stuff, then go in
to a soft drink establishment and
buy a glass of cider, pour about
fourth of the contents of his ginger
bottle into the cider and he has as
strong and enticing an intoxicating
drink as he could want. Furthermore
he can get several great big drinks
cut of this 25-cent bottle and get on
a spree that it takes several days
to break up and makes him meaner
than a plain whiskey drunk would
make him. continued this business
man.
1.-The same can be said of a lot
of prepared bitters that are easily
purchased and are mainly made UP
OF alcohol
This business man and others
have pointed out to the Sentinel to-
day great quantities of empty Jamai-
ca Ginger bottles that had been emp
tied by their purchasers. They de-
clare that every day big quantities
OF these BOTTLES are picked up and
many witnesses testify to seeing
men frequently mix Jamaica Ginger
with cider and other soft drinks
However, lots of those WHO buy the
ginger and bittels drink them
straight" and have no trouble in
getting on a beastly drunk as a re-
suit.
''Ycu are right. There are plenty
of bootleggers in Grand Junction and
a lot of liquor is being unlawfully
and flagrantly sold, but i want to re-
peat that the bootlegger is not the
cause of all this drunkenness in this
town today, not by any manner of
means. These alool olic gingers and
bitters, lawfully sold and lawfully
purchased, must bear their part of
the blame. Never in the history OF
Grand Junction was there such a sale
of CT demand for Jamaica Ginger,
Hostetter's Bitters and other kinds
of bitters and what are you going to
do about it?' concluded this business
man.