The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1917-08-02

Fully aware of the influence Of intox.
icants on men at all times and more
especially in times of war and having
their attention most forcefully called
to this fact at this time as the blue
jackets We're nocking to the colors and
awaiting summons 10 board train for
training camps, as our boys are wait
ing now; similar incidents that We in
this, suggest that we still need first
aid to clean and safe homes and com.
munity welfare. At that time there ex-
listed in u town three saloons in a
town OF a few hundred inhabitants.
The largest saloon on the east side
kept by a big redfaced lrishman, Tom
Barnes, n on the west side by one
Fuller, and a bar at the hotel kept by
one Norvell. Within a period of a few
days n OF our older merchants. a
Mr.. Moore, died of delirium tremens-
a very bright young lawyer, promising
when sober. in a spell of drunkenness
visited the stock barns of the town
slashing with a knife cattle and horses
as they stood in stalls. Such evidences
Of the saloon business so stirred the
citizens that a meeting was called
with results that, while the men furn-
ished the money and a guard, the real
operation was PLACID in the hands of
the women. These women organized
and marched as soldiers to the largest
saloon for attack, as Americans us
ually do. They read TO Mr.. Barnes a
proposition TO buy his goods and sup
port him in some legitimate business.
He swore that in spite of God, man
and the devil he would sell whiskey.
The soldier women had each a Ratchet
under her shawl anticipating just such
a reception. Deliberately the leader
knocked in a bung and the liquor be
gan TO flow. Old Tom struck this wo-
for a general housekeeping and shelly
es were swept and floors were flooded
with booze till it flowed over the
Threshold and some Of Il caught in
cups outside by thirsty bystanders. Old
Tom was touched up by a broomstick
and stuck his own hand through a
large mirror cutting himself badly.
Soldier guards entered and took
Barnes to safety. Barnes attempted
later to prosecute these women but
his license having expired he was in
this way at least a lawbreaker. The
ether saloonists fearing the earnest
ness of this soldiery decided to quit
the business and did, after the second
threat, close their bars and there has
not been a saloon in that town. to this
day. Years after that an attempt was
made to conduct a bakery where a loaf
of bread was sold and a glass of beer
given away, but within a few days the
keeper was missing. evidently a lively
deserter.
This vas n of the early war drives
and remember my mother coming
home late at night and removing her
liquor soaked shoes and stockings and
she told me what she had been doing.
The women did it and won a victory
for all time. For many years following
a drunken mar was not at home in
that town for we boys hoOted such
fellows out. if any such appeared on
the streets of that burg.
Soon after this my father, not being
acceptable for war service at the front.
moved to the country to care for a
soldiers farm, but war with the fam
lily broke out SO We took a hike for 4
forty acre farm, bought on time, on
which my father built over our heads
a small house. while I, as a boy, cut
cornstalks and built walks, as the mud
was real mud. The school house was
q the other corner of the forty and
there | gathered a very little ~learnin.
The earlier val Influences and excite
ment organized the school on a war
basis and military drills were done
daily. But n rebel family lived in
the district, one boy and two girls who
insisted on %hurrahing for JEFF. Davis.
Lin~colnites could not stand that so we
every night drove these youngsters
to their homes about a half mile and
into their home forts, our weapons
being dirt clods. OF course we never
killed anybody but we fired frequent
ly and accurately. And how we hated
the father of that family, who, when
Lincoln was shot, came over to our
house and told us that our president
was assassinated. | asked mother If
Lincoln was not also old Wells presi-
dent. and such he proved to have been.
Those We're indeed trying times. Shin
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