The Springdale news., 1917-06-01
State NeWs Letter
BY Clio Harper.

by LILO Harper
Little Rock, May 29-June the first
viii see the outstanding indebted
ness Of the state considerably in
creased over what it was year ago.
Last Saturday the books of the State
Auditor showed the unredeemed
warrants outstanding amounted to
S533, 03l.3l, as compared with a total
of S5l0,863.59 for the corresponding
period of 1915. This year, however,
the state paid for a session of the
Legislature, $4,000, which it did not
have last year. Unless the S750,000
note issue is put through, it is evident
that the state is not very rapidly meet
ing its obligations, and must necessa-
rily become more deeply involved
Former Governor Hayes believes the
note issue is contrary to law and is
contesting it in the courts, the case
now pending in the supreme court,
- "a
King George, President Wilson, and
Gov. Brough have nothing on" our
own Tom Terral, Secretary of State.
The holder of the chief diplomatic
portofolio in the State Cabinet is an
enthusiastic gardener The doctrine
Of agricultural preparedness and
conservation has made a deep i'm
preston upon him. The other day
Tom was seen busily engaged on a
large vacant area a few blocks from
the state house, telling trees, digging
up the soil and preparing to plant
potatoes. He was using an axe and a
spade like a veteran, there were hon
est bHsters on his hands, and the
sweat of honest toll on his counten-
ance, and he invited all who accosted
him to come to his house next fall and
eat Irish potatoes for desert Which
recalls the fact that potatoes are not
as regular an article of diet as they
used to be on Little Rock tables, and
there have been actual cases of d
thrifty housewife serving the 81
bushel vegetable as a desert.
-.
Boot-leggers are taking some
mighty long chances to make some
quick money. The authorities are
active in running them
down, and great many arrests are
being made. The sheriff, the consta-
BILE and the chief of police are arrest
ing them and there are now large
number of cases pending on TIE
court doekets.
But more contraband booze than
booze sellers is being captured AMI
confiscated. Unless actually caught
with the goods. however, no one vel
has been bold enough to claim a'y
of the liquor after it has been cap
tured. The Office Of the chief Of po
lice is stored high with trunks, and
barrels and grips packed full of liquor
There are hundreds of gallons In one
haul, four big black theatrical trunks
were captured containing Il gallons
each in quart bottles. Contrary 20
the belief that prevails as to the chsr-
acter of the contraband liquor. much
of the captured whiskey and wine is
said by experts to be high-prcei
quality. However, one trick of the
boot-legger was discovered last week,
when a large shipment of higher
priced whiskey. according to ia la
bes, was found to have been Gle terly
The original goo4s hid
been withdrawn by means of remov
ing a plug from the bottom of the bot
tie, and then redlling it with cheap
stuff and fuzing the plug back s.
that it could scarcely be recognized
as having been tempered with
Many subterfuges are adopted to
evade the authorities One man, ar
rested last week for his third otfensa,
had large quantity of it buried IL
the sand on the river bank. Anoy lcr
was carrying a basket of fish, but
when a suspicious policeman investi
gated, he found that there was only
a layer of fish above basket of
quart bottles of booze One of the
cleverest stunts was the cask of whis
key concealed in a barrel of butter.
When the barrel was opened there
was a layer of fine yellow butter on
top But it was only a few inches
thick, and beneath was a barrel of
liquor.
Every heavy grip or suitcase that
comes into the railroad station is
under suspicion. A woman was ar
rested the other day with suitcase
full of whiskey she was attempting
to smuggle in from Louisiana, be
cause man had offered a good price
for the job.
No non-leakabfe suit case or trunk
has yet been put on the market for
use in bone dry states, and the old
kind has gotten many into trouble
IT is believed that large Quantities of