New-York tribune., 1920-01-17
Liquorless Era Greeted
in Broadway Cafes
With Little CEREMONY:
Few Farewell Parties
Church Bells Ring
In Joyous Acclaim,
Persons of Many Creeds
Gather in Hampstead at
Service ofThanksgiving

Demon Rum, who has had more
funerals of late than even the most
robust cat could expect, had the last
and positively final obsequies said
over his bier along Broadway last
night. The ceremony was as dolor-
Gus as even the most mournful could
ask. In fact, the occasion was so
gloomy that there was scarcely any
ceremony at ~..s.
TAs Eighteenth Amendment to
the Constitution slipped into the
history of the United States at one
minute after midnight this morning.
A pail of snow covered the once
Gay White Way as it gave up the
spirits for good and all. The usual
theater crowd ducked through whirl-
ing clouds of flakes across streets
and into lobbies or subway stations.
Their shiverings were more painful
because of the thought that here
after there would be only heat to
warm them.
Neither theaters nor restaurants
showed any unusual number of
patrons and those who were there
evidently were too depressed to
tighten John Barleycorn's passing
with overmuch feasting, drinking or
song.
Some Farewell Parties
In a few places special farewell
supper parties had been planned,
with all of the trappings of mourn
ing and whatever liquor the diners
we're able to bring with them. These
gatherings assumed forced air Of
hilarity, but most of the restaurant
patrons seemed to prefer to sit
silent and listen to the keening of
the wind outside. Il
None of the hostelries were over
crowded and some were half deserted.
Few reservations were made for tables
in advance and no extra charge was
made for covers, as is usually the Gus
tom on gala nights. Broadway was in
anything but festal mood.
At midnight funereal walters passed
by the tables and announced hoilowly
that no one could drink hard liquor
from then on. Having done their duty
they retired into the background and
gloomily allowed the diners to do as
they chose. Many of them chose to go
home.
Hampstead, L.. l., is pretty long
walk from Broadway, and the church
celebration of the occasion there was
an antithesis of the affairs in the
bright light section. The Woman's
Christian Temperance Union issued
call early in the week for a general
non n-denominational meeting in the
Presbyterian church to last from morn
ing until prohibition became a fact.
II they had taken that call literally,
they would still be in the church, but
they were content to break up about
half past twelve this morning.
There was a practical tone about
tne services in the Hampstead Presby-
serian Church. Speakers exhorted the
voters there to demand that their rep
fesentat!ves in the state Assembly
pass stringent law, something along
the line Of the law in Illinois, which
would reinforce the Volstead act.
Appeal to Churchgoers
The invitations toe the gathering at
tee Church were headed:
Let the church bells ring and let
mere be great rejoicing, for an enemy
the counterpart of Prusslanism in
ir'gntfulness has been overthrow and
victory crowns the efforts of the forces
o. righteousness. Let US see that no
boishevistic liquor interests shall ever
.sar the Eighteenth Amendment from
sae Constitution of the United States"
The prayer that began at midnight
snaed when the church bells began to
1'sg. But there were bartenders and
ss'oon proprietors in Hampstead and
sssewhere In the land in. whose ears
'aose bells echoed altogether dismally
Few Hours of Grace
There was no effort made to enforce
lne Volstead act in it's stringent and
more personal application in the early
nours to-day and no such enforcement
- II expected until supervising pro-
...oisson agent has been appointed for
~. sns district that includes New York
Ivy Long Island, Connecticut and
shode Island.
lin, mnc after he has been appointed, ne
ne'e 70 BRING into existence first
- olganlzation and then frame Of
ss m,no. After that it may not be uny
nS.-s Tor few years to read nowt
aa 1se men that kIohn Doe, forty-six, of
fsen Darleycorh Boulevard, was fined
80 ana sent to Jail for six months
49,. az oid offender against the prohibi-
~ ~ 'A", IN that ne did, feloniously
~. ~ uniawfully, take drink from
!. oi cologne spirits while trying
rsssae saae behind the storm doors in the
9u2lsc library.
MI ns zane editions Of the newspaper
~ men continue story about the
~.s ~.srsure OF Richard Roc for FIVE
soIS "Journ 10 Sing Sing for having
liz PM OF kitchsnetts- made rum TO
hsxLdoor neighbor.X
Ia anticipation of some such thing
onssss.s oss snneylin, aged forty, who lives in
M 49, ~, rorough, has been clearing out
hs.S SssE IN the Custom Hoage. Hc is
s'an p. TIE alien and delinquent d.vi-
(:ni<~ shs revenue department., ind
jats.ashi, DANIEL l.. Porter, supervising
r1-:i.. fsvenne agent, rho }s tcmpo.
ssrs.,. x egafHed with enforcement Of
q asnb'onai prohibition but without
4afv v1s9usats s9,sts force 70 accomplish This
se,s.s. sss nsiieyss that Mr.. sheyIju will be
sSsx. supervising, prohibition
n.s ser this district.
~ yssEeI nn2I Porter said yesterday that
ss.N. - xysse sfs Just ~ responsible under
eSntiasted on pa0s three