The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1920-08-13
Editor Asks Fourteen, Only
Two Wanted Bars Back
> POLICE SAY DRUNKS
VERY SCARCE NOW
Merchants Do Not Want the Saloons
Reopened
CAN PREVENT IT SEPTEMBER IS

On a recent Saturday night the
editor of the Issue visited Amboy,
Illinois. Before July /, 1919, Amboy
was wet. With much of the sur
rounding territory dry under local op-
ton, Amboy, a city of about 1,OO0
in Lee county, was considered an
oasis by drinkers but in reality be-
came a cesspool into which flowed
streams of drink craving humanity
and from which the evils of drink
overAowed into the surrounding ter
: rtory.
Several years ago the editor had
visited Amboy while the city was
wet. The change wrought by one
year of Prohibition was wonderful.
Gone were the drunkards who form
erly staggered out of the back doors
of saloons swearing and making
nuisances OF themselves. Gone were
the rowdies and roughnecks and ho-
boes. Instead the streets were
crowded with we'll dressed happy
men, women, and children. Every
store and shop was full of customers
buying bread, meat, drygoods, cloth
ing, hardware, candy, and mcrchan-
disc of all kinds. In the refreshment
parlors families gathered about the
tables to enjoy ice cream sundaes and
beverages that refresh but do not in
toxicate.
"How Do You Like It?"
Chrious to know what the people
of Amboy think about Prohibition
after having been without saloons for
zone year the editor interviewed II
persons. None of them knew whether
he was wet or dry but all except two
answered without hesitation that Am
boy is much better off without sa-
looms.
Merchants are Pleased
Three merchants interviewed said
they were glad the saloons are gone,
One said that the dray man now
hauls dry goods instead of beer. An
other said that trade is much better
now, more goods are sold and there
is much less business done on credit
One merchant said that the stores
-. a... ,Io,a ea,,or,1 bourc earlier
on Saturday nights because it is no
longer necessary to have them open
until midnight as place for women
to wait while waiting for their hus-
bands to start home after the saloons
closed.
Police See Few Drunks
The Chief of Police on duty direct
ing traffic said he had not seen a
drunk for about two months. Com
pairing present conditions with the
past he told of the great improve
ment that had taken place and ex-
pressed the hope that liquor would
never come back. In the old days
this policeman was kept exceedingly
busy on Saturday nights looking
after drunks. After watching him
for while as he directed traffic,
shook hands with his friends, bowed
to women and greeted the children
}who knew him it was easy to under
stand why he would not welcome a
return of the saloons to Amboy. In
stead of acting as a peace officer with
a club making drunk men behave or
locking them up he was in reality an
official usher at the social occasion
of Amboy's weekly Saturday night
street gathering.
Anboy Jail Empty
The night policeman of Amboy
was even more enthusiastic over Pro-
hibition than his chief Most of the
work Juggling drunks to the Jail had
fallen upon him in the old days. ut
is quite a relief" he said to the edi-
tor, mot to have to be pulling drunks
around" He stated that his last ar
rest for drunkenness was made al
most year ago. Before July l, 1919,
he arrested from one to dozen
drunks every night He said that last
winter they never built fire in the
Amboy jail This had never happen