Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-13
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BREWERIES
by EREDERIc ,. HAsKIN.

WASHINGTON. ID. C., March 12.-The
District of Columbia has just been
added to the list of States that arc
dry" There is now a total OF TWEEN
ty-three States in the dry column. and
three others have elected Governors
and legislatures OF such character
that prohibitionists are confident they
will follow tho others into state of
ardity.
Prohibition affects half the nation
far more than half IL dry" coun-
tics are considered. Quite aside from
the hitter controversy that RACES over
the rights and wrongs, the advantages
and disadvantages Of a prohibition law.
II is highly interesting to note tho
economic adjustment that follows tho
passage OF such Il law. Immense CAPT
tai Is invested In tho various branches
OF the liquor industry. III distilicries.
brcwerfes and saloons. Some use has
TO be found for the buildings and ma
chinery that were formerly part OF
tho industry. Tho owners have to do
the hest they can with them when
prohibition arrives. and they have nut
their property to some uses u thou
sand miles from what 1t was originally
intended for.
After an exhaustive investigation OF
converted breweries, tho prize for
tho most thorough conversion ia unan-
imously awarded to an ex-brewcry In
the town OF Flint. Mich. This brewery
has been turned into Methodist
church. use for which it Is safe to
say 1t was never designed by its
builders But Methodist congrexa-
tion saw in II a building suited for
their purpose. and when the State went
dry and the brewery was offered for
sale they bought It, The prohibition
ISIS regard the change az one OF their
most striking evidences of victory.
and that there is an element OF the
picturesque In tho conversion nobody
will deny.
Another brewery that has turned
from the manufacture OF beer to a
WIDELY foreign purpose is one in Chi
cago that has become hospital Tho
Illinois conference of tho Lutheran
Church paid 100000 for the building
I" use for hospital purposes. Tn In
the state OF Washington. tho brewing
industry was thriving before tho State
wen, Dry ana as result there were
numerous plants for which new uses
had to be found. \ former brewery in
Aberdeen. Wash. is now canning CLAIMS
One III Spokane is manufacturinS vine
gar.
In Olympia. the eS-brewcry is In the
dairy products business, and in Bell
ingham. Wash. the farmers got to-
eether and bought the brewery to use
'or cooperative creamery. The larr-
est brewery in the State was formerly
located in Seattle. That brewery has
worried out process for producing a
me grade OF table syrup from crack
cd rice. and is changing its machinery
TO go into the new line OF business
Ihey VIII produce denatured alcohol
as byproduct. which is closer than
most OF tho old brewerics arc coming
To their former product,
Bcc0mc CoId-Storngc pInnt.
Inc cummoncst use To which brew
cries arc put when tho state goes
dry is the manufacture Of ice. or for
cold. storage warehouses. Few changes
arc needed To make them serve such
purpose. and reports of brcweries
now in the ice business come from al
most every state. Packing plants also
frequently replace brewerics, and 80
do crc:tmcrics.
Perhaps tho most interesting OF all
tn" converted hrcwcrics is the Coors
Brewery in Golden. Col. This is the
case OF a man who wouldn't be beaten
by tho prohibition law that put him
out OF business. but turned in and
created an industry TO replace IL that
Was Just as profitable, and moreover
practically new to tho State.
Tho founder OF the Coors brewery
came from Germany more than forty
years ago. and set UP his plant In
Golden. In Germany then. and even
to-day. about all that they ask OF
any brewer Is that he shall make good
beer Iropa Eanda against the brewer
Is practically unknown. Coors came
10 America and proceeded to fulfll all
the duties Of brewer by making good
beer: and he prospcrcd accordingly.
Those who Travelled in Colorado two
or three years ago will easily remcm-