The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-07-01
MORMON CITY
AND VINEYARDS
Nauvoo viii be Ono Of the Hardest
hit Spots In Illinois on Ac-
|. count Of the Prohibition
Laws.
BEEN WET FOR 70 YEARS
In the Early Years Whiskey Was Sold
in the Grocery Stores for IS
and 20 Cents Per Gal
lon

Nauvoo, made famous in the early
days of the Mormons. famous during
the last two years for it's saloons,
and always famous for it's vineyards
and wine cellars, is one of the hard
est hit wet spots in the state OF I'LL
! nois. Commenting upon the closing
days Of the saloons, the Independent
in it's last Saturdays issue, said:
THE country is going dry next
Tuesday. All hope that the presi'
dent would remove the ban on beer
and light wines or declare demobili'
zation before July / has gone glim'
mering. Nauvoo will be dry for the
! first time in about seventy years.
The first grog shop started here
some time in the early fifties. The
Mormons claimed that when they
were here Nauvoo was the only dry
| city in the state. But it has been
wet now for nearly seventy years
In the early days whiskey used to
| be sold in the grocery stores at 10
or 20 cents per gallon. Nauvoo at
one time, when the license fee was
only $25 per year, had as high as
fourteen saloons. The past Few
years 1t has had six.
"The town has been lively this
week, one Of the liveliest towns IN
this section OF the country, as the
result of the bone dry law that goes
into effect Tuesday.
For the last two years Nauvoo has
been one Of the leading bases OF
supply for dry Iowa, mecca OF
.bootleggers,' and as the result the
residents Of the town have beer
proud to call it the biggest little
| town in the country The liquor
business has been the life OF the
/ place and abnormal times have re
| suited since Iowa became dry terri
tory. Many people have been coming
to Nauvoo this week to buy supply
of liuuor before the saloons close
The streets, especially in the even
ings, have been alive with peopie
and crowded with autos, the scene
resembling that Of a celebration. 10
day and Monday will wind up the
business, and the climax no doue
will be something fierce. The saloons
have reduced their stocks wonder
fnlly Some may not have any stock
F, except remnants, ISL Wy Au'
night. Next Tuesday we will have q
saIoonless town and our people will
soon be in a position to realize wha'
a difference the disappearance OF the
saloons will make. With an abnorma
| life here during the past two years
and it's sudden elimination, we opine
it will seem very quiet here foi
| snna time at least.
Vineyards to Suffer.
Before the saloon boom came u
| Nauyoo the city's chief industry was
its numerous vineyards and wine
| cellars. which will now be PRACTICAL.
mt out of business. Throughout thu
town and it's vicinity there are Vas'
expanses of we'll cared for growing
grapeyines, and already many are
wondering what is to be done WITH
this wears yield. The best grapes
this wear, as in the past. will DC
placed on the market, but what VII
be done with the inferior grapes Il
not known. In the past these nave
been made into wine and placed IL
the forty-four wine cellars that have
heen in existence there. Many O
them. however, have been neglected
during the last few years ana are
now in dilapidated condltloh.