Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-11-08
An Excerpt From William E
(Pussyfoot) Johnson in
Christian Herald.

Christian Herald.
About the middle of January, | was
riding on the train from Augusta,
Ca, to Columbia, S. c. AS I stepped
into the smoking compartment, fat
man apparently recognized me. He
was one of those fat men whose head
runs up to a point and who could
take his shirt off without unbutton-
ing his collar. AS I entered, he began
to groan. 81 don't know what this
country is coming to. Since we got
prohibition, everything has been 60
ing to the dogs. Everybody is drink
ing. People who never did drink are
drinking. The young people now are
all drinking. I have two little girls
and I don't know what is going to
become of them," he moaned, rolling
his eyes to Heaven like sick chick
en- in thunder storm.
Just then the train conductor en-
tered. Recognizing me, he grasped
my hand. "I want to say something
to you," he said. "Before we had
prohibition, it was my custom for
twenty years to conjure up some ex-
cuse to get ten-day layoff during
Christmas holidays to avoid the
drunken disorder and fighting that
we used to have on the trains. Dur
ing the past two years l have not
done this and we have not had bit
of trouble. In that time, l have seen
only one drunken man and that was
at Columbia
AS the conductor left the car, l
turned to my fat friend and asked,
"What do you think of what that
man said?"
81 have got to get out at this sta
tion," he replied, as look of anguish
swept over his face.
A few days later, was riding on
the train from Asheville, N. c., to
Knoxville, Tenn. AS we were going
through the roughest part of the
mountains, the train conductor came
and SAT down beside me.
"Do you know where we are right
now?" he asked.
"No," was my reply.
"Well, he said, s:you are right in
the middle of the worst nloonshine
district in the United States. have
been travelling on this run for fifteen
years and know what am talking
about. But the conditions now are
prayer meeting as compared to
what we had before we got prohibi-
ton. just wanted to tell you that, "
he concluded as he went to another
part of the train.
Early in April, in the LaSalle Ho-
tel, Chicago, as was preparing to go
to bed, one of the editors o.: the Her
aid Examiner called me over the tele-
phone to tell me of the horrible con-
ditions in Chicago and asked what I
had to say about it.
"Nothing, until ] know that it is
true. am from Missouri; what have
you got to show me-" replied.
Promising to "show me- he sent
one Of his reporters to my room with
instructions to take me all over Chi
cago and buy drinks in my presence
so that I could see with my own eyes
the condition of dry frightfulness.
'There are thousand places in
Chicago where anybody can go in
and buy all the liquor that he wants
openly and without any questions be-
ing asked" Began the reporter, at
once opening the attack.
"In the old days, there were sew
en- thousand places-things seem to
be improving, but I would like to
take a look at few of the thousand
that you say are left" I replied.
Tie reporter got a taxicab and
drove through what used to be the
slums for two and a half hours, seek
ing some of the Thousand" In the
two and a half hours of searching,