Mohave County miner., 1916-08-12
OPERATOR TELLS WHY
 MINING Is DELAYED

"ln the past week We have lost four
 or five shifts on account of our men
 being drunk" said prominent Oat-
 man operator yesterday to the Daily
 Miner representative, "and know for
 fact that nearly every mine in the
 district is having the same trouble. It is our best men, too. in nearly every case.
 q have been in a great many min
 ing camps and other towns all over
 the world, but I have yet to see a
 place with as much drunkenness for
 the population as there is in Oatman.
 l never saw the like anywhere. Every
 day on all the streets, in alleyways
 and on the steps of prominent busi-
 ness blocks you will find men sound
 asleep. It would not be so bad if it
 were a good grade of liquor that they drink, but it is terrible stuff and puts
 them down and out quickly and for a long time. They sleep we'll but whether or not it is the refreshing slumber of youth that makes them bet ter and younger men after experienc- ing it cannot sa-, for personally I have not tried itB I doubt it, how ever.
 "Just look at that, for a sample" he continued, touching piece of wrap ping paper in the street with his foot, and wrapped of a quart bottle with the familiar words, "Old Crow" on it was turned over in the sunlight. "To be sure, that may have been shipped in under the recent decision for per sonal use,' but it is here just the same and shows that the contents of the wrapper, at least, have been dis turbed.
 "I have mined in a great many diff ferent places, but this is the first time in so-called dry town, and this is the worst place of the lot for drunk enness. Indeed, never before had to lose so much time in account of it with wide-open saloons. I am opposed to drunkenness and am willing to adopt any method to wipe it out, but if this is the best that can be done 1. under prohibition say let's have the open saloon again.
 'sNow, don't understand that I am i only talking about the time since the decision allowing shipments, for it was as bad and even worse before. Dur . ng the earlier months of the year, prior to any decision I could take you to a certain spot within 100 feet of lpper Main street and show you from to 20 drunken men lying down sound lsleep, dead to the world, at any hour If the day or night. It is the same low and positively disgrsceful con lition. But personally what I care bout most is the manner in which mining operations are hindered and delayed"
 One poor fellow, not likely to have ,een miner from one of the shifts f the operator above quoted, was asleep a couple of days since n the bench reserved for waiting pas engers in front of the United Auto ,tate office-this is only one out of ozens. Lou, the spieler, came by and hook him for at least five minutes efore the inebriate could heave up roan. Then a member of the clerical orce inside came out with a pitcher f water and dashed the contents over is head and neck. The inebriate did ot raise up and run like a scared . off" He merely tilted over a little ! lore. It took at least IS minutes of | making and scuffling with him to get m to straighten up and stagger away ! 3 as to not be an offense to passing I omen. n This is not the prohibition that the il eople voted for" said a prominent u yesterday. "This is O imply what the judges gave us. For u 1 never saw the like "