The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1921-09-06
RIHAMAs SEND HUGE
QUANTITIES OF WH|skEY
,NDs ESTABLISH WARE
uo1IsES THAT ARE HOLD
INC TREMENDOUS STOCKS.
MYSTERY" SHIPS A BIG JOKE
,.:,,ss Know All About Fleet of
Nt S.hooners Enaged in Running
Sunnlies of Booze to America. Bus
;rsss Is Well Organized.


pstveen eight and ten million dol
,..., worth of liquor is stored in the
p.b,ra Islands, waiting an opportu-
~ ~ he whisked into the United
Coates according to word from Mas
s.n It is known that fleet OF fish
nn boats and motor boats make reg
,,ar trims between the islands and
Florida. carrying large cargoes OF Brit
rb and American liquors.
Natives of Nassau say there is no
,rsterv about the so-called mystery
,b;o" recently sighted in the Atlantic.
i Thew say that during the last II
months an average of 10000 cases of
iopors a week has left the islands for
tbe United States, and that 90 per
cent OF it reached American threats.
Big Schooners in Trade.
During the last fortnight at least
$4,000 cases of whisky, gin, rum and
brandy have left Nassau, GIN Bay
and Grand Bahama for the states, At
Last six two-masted schooners, heav-
iv laden, left Grand Bahama under
British colors. They cleared in ballast
FIR point at sea about IS miles off
& The American coast. They were loaded
after nightfall by negroes to whom a
hJing dav once was affuence and
Who now demand $40, $40 and even
SO for a nights work.
Two wears ago the Bahamas faced
bankruptcy and possibly crown rule.
Now, due to American prohibition, re-
n wrts show the Bahamas as the British
y mpres most prosperous colony Ev-
81 gvthing was used for booze warehous-
and the American distillers were
wiling to pay almost any price for a
place to store their wet goods.
The Bahamian government was en-
nched to the extent of $4,000 on
liquor import duties alone in 1920.
q Nassau is the only port of entry in
he Islands and the value of liquor
imported into Nassau during 1920 ex-
ceeded Sl,l14,000. No record of liquor
exports is kept.
The vast majority of liquor carriers
having the Bahamas do not show
liquor on their manifests, having clear
cd to ballast and shipping the stuff
after having cleared. Others clear from
Nassau with whisky aboard for anoth-
er island principally Gun Bay and
Grand Bahama, a process entailing no
technical difficulties.
Oh course it is desirable that the
schooner or other vessel leaving the
Bahamas for a run to the American
coast fly the Union Jack and sail I'M
der British registry. American ships
have been making the change over
night but recent rulings of the United
States Shipping Board have made it
more difficult to transfer a shipping
board vessels registry.
Much of Whisky Diluted.
Much of the whisky leaving Nassau
for America is diluted. Generally
speaking, they throw the contents OF
" barrels of whisky into vat. To
that is added ten barrels of rain water
and three barrels of kick" called Ger
man Spirits"
mere trif1e like that, however, is
81 no consequence to Americans, fol
they have been known to pay as much
las $3.50 a case for it in the states. 1t is
common enough to get $500 case
Tor it. This diluted whisky is bottled
u Nassau and then sent by way Of
The mystery" ships to the confederates
~ the states. The entire business is
we'll organized, headed by shrewd bus
mess men, who pay large salaries tc
her men and who, in turn, are being
made millionaires through their bust
ness OF supplying bone dry Ameri-
"a with whisky and gin.