Evening journal., 1919-07-09
CITY NOT "DRY'
BY A LONG SHOT
Fellows Who Loaded Up
Before Drought Have
Plenty Lett
OTHERS DRINK THE
ZONE HALF OF ONE"

How are you thriving under the
Drought
such was the question asked OF a
business man who Is known to Ike a
glass OF toddy after business hours,
but who hews 10 the line at other
times In mercantile matters.
Drought" said he. no drought as
yet. IL you doubt me, come over to
my oillce at an hour when | have my
correspondence Strengthened out and
I'il set out as fine a bottle OF rye as
YOU ever sampled-as fine, as Ger
tain orator would say. as ever chased
a skeleton from a feast or painted
landscapes on the brain OF man. No,
indeed, no drought for some time TO
come and maybe before long. an op-
portuniiy TO lay in new stock, We
should worry
Around the corner came another
man. an occasional drinker Asked the
question put to the first man, he re-
Piled
no drought yeti have a little put
away. don't drink sny down town,
which is Just az well, but you Just
come out 10 my house tonight. ] have
mint patch right at the back door
rs growing fine
The foregoing are fat specimens OF
The attitude OF the man in the street,
the fellow who has been drinking the
red llquOr--he has in most instances
stored up a supply against the oppo-
site OF The rainy day-the great
drought. In some cases The Store has
been laid i'm with a view TO a dry sea-
son OF three months. but those who
have ample funds have almost invar-
ably refused TO take chances and pro-
vidcd for all time TO come so far as
The probabilities Of human life are
concerned.
Asked how much he had stored, one
business man replied with confidence
Enough 10 last my natural life and
then some. And all kinds at that-from
champagne down 10 beer made before
the war. ! can give a party every
month and not run short
SO they have not yet begun really to
feel the drought. for IL is not drought
as long as there Is. plenty TO drink. |
thought there was a-circumstantlal re- |
port today OF a man who should have |
known better than 90 take a chance, but |
who was caught without anything pot !
able and who had offered a whiskyless |
barkeeper $40 cash for a quart OF liquor. |
With the beer drinkers the situation |
Is somewhat different. but as yet by no |
means desperate. They are drinking |
the so-callcd one-half OF one per cent. |
brew and many OF them think Il Is al,
right. So long as they are getting Il
they are letting tomorrow take care OF
Itself. Tomorrow we may die, say
some OF them. so why borrow trouble7
There is no answer.
The fact is that some bars which for
merly did their chief business on beer
are still doing very we'll and complaints
are few as the weak brew is all that
has been going over the bar for long
months.
The customers come IN. ask for beer. =.
drink down what the barkeeper hands
them without question, pay their mon
ey and walk out. But 10 is a fact 10
be noted that the weaker the beer. the
less desire 10 brings for another and an
other when the inexperienced would I
think that the effect would be just the !
opposite.
In those bars where whisky and
other strong drinks were the beverages
chiefly consumed and which are still
open the scene Is one OF desolation. An
occasional customer comes In, looks /
around rather dolefully, faces the
lonely barkeep and says IN a whisper
Give me a whis-beer." The barkeep
smiles as he Nils the order. In one