The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1917-11-02
HUNDREDS OF BUILDINGS
ARE FOR SALE IN
DRY" DENVER
WAGES VERY LOW
San Francisco Labor Council
Receives Communi alton
Describing Conditions in
Colorado City as Result of
Prohibition.

The following letter, dated Denver,
Colo, and addressed to an officer of the
San Francisco Labor Council, to which
6ro. Mortimer the writer, served sew
eral terms as an honored and infuen.
tial delegate OF the Cigar Makers
Union. IS published for the purpose OF
giving the San Francisco labor move
-lent re.iSble information on a subject
concerning which the truth is difficult
TO learn by reason of the bias and in
tereSts OF the partisans on either side
Of the question. The letter from H.
Mortimer reads:
AS l have been here in this dry
'0Wr ahcHt Two months and was able
to study the effects of prohibition on
the town and its inhabitants at first
hand; having gained a fair idea about
t. thought | would drop you few
lines.
Tie cigar business is very good here
just now But that has nothing 10 do
with prohibition. though it is claimed
so by many elsewhere. The reason is
that two OF the largest firms have ex.
tended their selling territory outside
the State of Colorado.
When | landed here. the very first
day, and went into a restaurant. the
first man | met coming out was a
drunk, aud he had dandy" load.
asked a druggist to sell me ten
cents worth of alcohol for medical pur-
pose. He asked me II had doctors
prescription. When l replied that l
had not, he said that must have one
be'ore ne could sell me any alcohol. He
informed me ii only cost one dollar for
a prescription. Can you imagine pay
ing one dollar for the privilege of buy.
ing ten cents worth OF alcohol.
Clean Plumb Disguised.
The more ! observe things here and
get acquainted, the more am disgust
ed with Denver and prohibition. | don't
know how the working people get
along here Necessities of life cost at
least 20 per cent more here than in
San Francisco, where, God knows, they
are high enough this year Wages gen
orally are less than am used to find
them. To illustrator Lamb chops are
sold for so cents a pound, goat chops
So cents a pound and sold in many
places for lamb chops, California
plums and apricots are selling here
at present for 141a cents a pound, Tur-
lock melons 10 cents each, and Califor-
ME cherries sold here six weeks ago
for 35 cents a pound Before | left
San Francisco I bought two pounds
of them for Is cents. Wouldn't that
get your goat? One is practically held
up for everything one buys.
Hundreds OF vacant housed here can
be rented at your own price. and nc
one to occupy them. II IL the only
cheap thing here Many OF the streets
are not improved. even In the so-called
good neighborhoods, and the grass Ia
quite high now. Denver appears to
me like small, neglected village In
stead of large western city. Ii looks
the part Of prohibition town. They
have two large institutions here for
curing drunkards, and they are vel
patronized and prosperous.
This prohibition stun" has an awful
kick" After you drink II you need
medical attention at once.
There is no building going on at all /:
places for sale by the hundreds every
one that can gets out. and l think
will be out Of here before the SLOW
nies.-Labor Clarion, San Francisco