The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-02-25
SOBER MACKAY

For 80 days Mackay has been on
the water wagon" and there has
not been an arrest made in the town
since the saloons went out. Not an
intoxicated individual has put in an
appearance to cause the marshal I'M
easiness. Before it went dry" Mac
kay would have voted two to one for
saloons, but with the town dry for
80 days the exact reverse would be
the case. The temperance advocates
would secure sweeping victories If
the saloons in wet territories could
be closed for 80 days proceeding
elections on the question.
Miner.
Pioneer Merchant Talks
]. H. Greene, the pioneer merchant
OF Lost river valley, manager of the
Lost River Mercantile company and
mayor of Mackay, was at Blackfoot
last Monday and remarked that Mac
kay had undergone such a change as
they had not thought it capable of.
They had not an arrest in the whole
month of January, and he had not
seen anybody drunk. The fellows
who had been in the habit of drink
ing, simply stayed sober and said
nothing. They sometimes gather in
little knots on the street corners and
talked, but kept silent about liquor
and drinks. He had heard that one
man had been drunk; Jack Dunston
had said that man came into the
hotel under the influence of liquor
since the town went dry, but there
did not seem to be any drinking GO
ing on. If anybody was bootlegging
it had not come to notice excepting
in the one case.
Pioneer Lawyer Talks
W. J. Lamme, one of the lawyers
who lived in Custer county for some
1S or 20 years and is now a resident
or Arco, came down the line Mon
day on his way to HALEY and when
asked how they get along in Arco
without booze, he said they just
simply quit. If they had not quit
1t had the effect of quitting, for mo-
body was seen acting up any more.
Everybody was sober and minding
their own business pretty much. The
country had simply gone dry and
there was nothing to it but memory
and they did not seem much disposed
to cherish.
Senator L. r. Thoams stated that
while in Boise he met Democratic
friend, who has always posed as a
decided wet" and on greeting each
other Mr.. Thomas said, well, how
are your" Whereonup the wet said,
why, look at me. never was bet
ter | feel better, and | charge the
difference to having quit drinking. L
am better off for not drinking and /
realize 1t myself. / don't see liquor
any more and don't think of it. II
can put five-dollar bill in my pocket
now, and l am fixed for spending
money for week or more, but in
the old wet days money didn't last
a man at all. He and the other
drank it up. / am sincerely glad of
the change"
w. II. Bernhart, a resident of
Spokane and former Blackfoot man
who patronized the saloons, has lived
in "Wet Spokane" when it had rich
trade from the dry counties of
northern Idaho. and for years the
city has seen hard times. 1t has
been dry six weeks, and the signs are
disappearing from the windows
where they had been bearing the
words, For rent" The buildings
are about all rented, the business
men are hiring more clerks, the con-
tractors are employing more men,
and business is better in Spokane.
The very men who were scared for
the future If the town went dry are
now pretty generally convinced that
they were wrong in their judgment, |
and if it came to vote today, most
of those same men would vote to
make il dry. and do it gladly.