Evening star., 1926-10-10

~ quantity Of confiscated moon
shine paraphernalia and turn
it, presto, into good old-fashioned corn
cakes and Sirup.
He can rip a few yards of red tape
from around the docile neck of a cap
tured still. murnur over it a few
words of official mysticism. as ii were.
and produce q brace of capdleslicks,
half a dozen WatchfobS and ii flock Of
Iretties for the family whatnot.
Under his unCanny spell The char
coal-lined kegs into which trickled but
Yesterday the crystal products of
somebody or others hidden distillerE
blossom out today into most intriguing
flower pots TO grace the greenhouses
nf the Botanic Garden.
Glass jars. which overlooked few
months back with highly Illicit
'hootch" from, let us say, JUS firm
stance, southern Maryland'S dew-mois
tened landscape, now greet the eye in
he guise of thoroughly dNnesticated
Jelly glasses and such.
And SO on. ho-hum, might We 20 in
elaboration upon the wonders effected.
almost unnoticed by the busy world,
by economy-iInbued public servants OF
This great Government of ours
Economy that is the magic word
which inspires these startling trans
mutations at the expense of prohihi-
tionized bootleg and moonshine appa-
ratus.
II is economy which diverts into
humanitarian constructive channels
the vast quantities of captured corn
meal, sugar. barrels, jars, alcohol and
copper distlling outfits which are the
nakinS' Of the illegal liquor indus
try hard by the National Capital.
Economy for Uncle Sam-but darn
hard luck, however deserved, for the
owners and operators Of the wet goods
attached by the 'revenooers.
\ y
A NYWAY. let's see how this econ
Only business works out.
The corn meal. if you must know,
goes into tiapjacks for hungry wards
Of the National Training School for
Boys, way ont on Bl3denShurg road.
The sugar. whether "Cawn" or cane,
is cooked up into luscious mOla sSeS for
Use in Snl0theCinG those d"lccta HE
griddla cakes aforesaid.
The kegs are sawed in halves TO
make a pair of as attractive rubber
tree or roSnhuSh bots as one could
wish, or are turned over 70 the Gov
ernment Printing Office for use in
shipping SCRAP metal 10 Sundry leS-
tinatiOuS.
The jars. most Of them of half gal
Ion size. are sent to such institutions
as the National Training School arr
st. F.lizabcth's Hospital and filled win
preserved vegetables and fruits.
The copper from the once stnaming
boilers and coils goes to the occupa-
tioual therapy wards in Government
hospitals here. pricilmily Walter Reed,
and to the Washington Navy Yard for
melting into various ;,adgetS. guns or
whatever they are making down there.
The alcohol is supplied to Federal
garages for protecting Government
automobiles from freezing weather or
IS mixed with varnish with which To
coat the chairs. tables aud desks Of
the Nations distinguished legislators
on Capitol Hill.
IT cannot truthfully be said. how
= ever. that every ounce Of confis-
Gated material Of the sort hereinbefore
specified is Salvaged by Uncle Sans
prohibition forces and put t. good
uses.
Had it not been for one Edgar 4.
snyder, who happens t" be the United
States marshal in these parts it is Il
matter of conjecture. furthermore, If
any of the goods would have been
salvaged.
W Hen Mr. SnNubf llfSI SuSScStt'l MS
economic ideas in this connection to
some OF his colleagues at the court
house. they laughed ~ him and said
II Just couldn't he done--this salvage
business.
But Mr. Snyder is Il determined
soul, and he decided that the best way
To practice economy was Just to go
ahead and practice il. come what may.
He untanglcd the red tap" which
others said would preclude realization
OF the Snyder ideas gave the procure.
ment and supply officials of half a
dozen Government agencies q shock /
ny telling them the lid of the curious !
moonshine grab bag was off and sat !
back in eXulting contemplation OF the !
result !
The result SO far. in short. has been i
the saving for the Government of
more than half n million dollars for !
merly expended in the open market !
FOR the very things whiy. Govern /,
ment agents had been Wartunly de- /.
stroying.
To say nothing of the lInr, or iasS /,
Intangible good done fellow beings il
uther ways, such as prpNlAin.; the ,
Wherewithal for crippled soldiers IL !,
Government hospitals to SUPPORT them .
selves and their families
Marshal Snyder, like q lot % ia" ,
rest of us had been reading with Z
good deal Of interest about the dnings
nf Government revenue ANA pfohlbi- !;
tion agents in and about the Nation = .
CAPITAL Vivid press accounts of mid
night raids on secluded stills far from
the madding crowd aroused his ilnaGi- i
nation. Detailed descriptions cf how
these fearless upholders Of law and
order swung axes or welded fire d
brands IN pitileSS destruction Of the 4
raptive machinery. hylroducts and .
pther appurtenanceS which had been I
swelling the flood OF Illicit beverages /,
into WASHINGTON stirred Marshal Sny- ]
Ger'S curiosity.
The papers had mentioned the de- /
etruction OF bags of cornmeal. sacks !
NJ sugar, gallons of alcohol truck /
loads of copper diStilling whatchamay- j
tallums Cornmeal and sugar, he rea- .
eoned. are considered good to eat /
down where he came from. Alcohol /
has it's very valuable legitimate uses I
cf wholly external character. Copper ,
Is constantly in demand at various !
Governments bureaus and institutions. /!
could il be possible that all these |
things were being made 10 pay the !
penalty for the miSdeeds of their con-
EcienceleSs human masters? If 50. /
tust what was 10 prevent the inter /
cession in their behalf of ii duly con-
stituted court official. namely, the |
United States marshal for this juris- !
iiction"
i x X x ,
WELL. TO make long story short. +
p" Marshal Snyder interceded. the !
ruthless massacre of unSuSpeCting /
food products. glassware and hard I
ware was abated. and today Uncle .
sam iinSles in his pockets some $500 :
Il loS bat.
had not the unique SaiVasinS cam
,.ninn i,nanonrafed lern henn inst.