Prohibition Hangover- Part 6: Anti-Immigrant Sentiment

Michael Lerner, in his book "Dry Manhattan:  Prohibition in New York City," says courtrooms and jails were so overcrowded that judges began accepting plea bargains, "making it a common practice in American jurisprudence for the first time."

Anti-immigrant sentiment was a factor behind Prohibition, partly because of record-high immigration in the preceding decades.

Saloons in immigrant neighborhoods were prime targets because middle-class white Protestants viewed them as political and social danger zones.

"Often the political machines run by the bosses were based in these saloons, or used them for extending favors," Aaron Cowan said.  "So there was a concern about political corruption, changing social values, immigrants learning radical politics."

Prohibition's start in 1920 coincided with a major expansion of the Ku Klux Klan, which supported the ban on alcohol as it waged its anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic and racist activities.

The Volstead Act "provided a way for the Klan to legitimize its 100% Americanist mission -- it could target the drinking of those they perceived to be their enemies," McGirr said.

--CootDrinking

10 Lesser-Known Facts About Revolutionary-Era America-- Part 1: We're Taller, and We Can Read Better and Make Babies Better. Then There Is That Drinking Thing

From the July 4, 2018, ListVerse by Kevin Klatman.

Go to the site for pictures and a lot more information.

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10.  AMERICANS WERE TALLER THAN THE BRITISH

On average, the British stood at 5-foot, five inches, and Americans were three inches taller.

9.  AMERICANS HAD A HIGHER LITERACY RATE THAN THE BRITISH

Much of this because the Puritans in New England valued education for religious purposes.

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8  ONE IN THREE WOMEN  WHO WALKED DOWN THE AISLE WAS PREGNANT

Perhaps because of the practice of bundling.

7.  AMERICANS DRANK ... A LOT

Alcohol safer than water.  Go figure.

6.  SOUTH CAROLINA: ONE OF THE MOST TOLERANT AND CULTURED OF THE COLONIES

New England colonies were too Puritan to go much for the arts.

--CooterGiveMeABeer

Wondering What the Police Did in 1945? Did You have a 'Double-D' Charge?

From the May 6, 2020, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1945, 75 Years Ago.

"Police department report for the month of April, as prepared by Chief of Police Horace Fothergill shows thirteen arrested during the thirty day period.  The arrests included ten on the "double-D" charge, drunk and disorderly, three on disorderly  conduct, and one person was arrested for not having a drivers license.

"Other activities of the department during the month included six autos stopped for defective lights, eleven complaints answered, two attempted burglaries, three stolen bicycles recovered, three minor auto mishaps, nine funeral and three bank escorts, five fires attended and five dogs disposed of  on the order of the department by the veterinarian."

"Defund the Police?"   Yea, Right.   Idiots.   --Cooter

What They Ate (and Drank) on Titanic's Last Night

From the October 16, 2019, Chicago Tribune by Amy Bizzarri.

Before it sank to the bottom of the ocean in the wee hours of the morning on April 15, 1912, the "floating mansion" that was the Titanic set the bar for luxurious dining.

Four city blocks long and as tall as an 11-story building, the mega-ship spoiled its first-class passengers with exquisite 10-plus course meals prepared by top chefs using state-of-the-art cooking equipment, including toaster and the electric sorbet maker, served in airy cafes and lavish dining halls that rivaled the finest restaurants in Paris.

More than 1,000 bottles of wine, 850 bottles of spirits and 20,000 bottles of beer were stocked in the ship's hold and the bartenders knew the latest and fanciest drinks.  That included the stirred, strained and bracing Manhattan and the gun and sparkling lemonade Tom Collins.

If you've always wanted to know what they ate and drank, author Veronica Hinke has a book to tell you just that, titles "The Last Night on the Titanic:  Unsinkable Drinking, Dining & Style."

--CootDrinker

Drunks Coming From Maple Park to DeKalb in 1918

From the November 21, 2018, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1918, 100 Years Ago.

"Saturday and Sunday seemed to be busy ones for the police as there were several drunks arrested Saturday night and early Sunday morning, many coming back on the last car from the nearby oasis, Maple Park.

"The fellows given a chance to sober up at the city bastille and Monday morning were before the police court and assessed the usual fine for such misdemeanors.

Maple Park Was A Major Destination for NIU Students in the 1970s for the Same Reason.  --DaDrunk

Nine Things You Didn't Know About the 4th of July-- Part 2: Three Presidents Have Died July 4th

3.  During the American Revolution, George Washington gave his troops a special treat on July 4.

On July 4, 1778, he ordered a double ration of rum for his soldiers.  He also ordered a cannon salute for the occasion.

Drinking has always been a large part of the 4th of July celebration.  In the past it was traditional to drink 13 toasts, one for each of the states that voted for independence.

4.  In a bizarre coincidence, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826.  The two Founding Fathers and adversaries died within five hours of each other.  As Adams lay on his deathbed, unaware that Jefferson had already died, his reported last words were, "Jefferson still still survives."

James Monroe was the third president (and only one since) to die on the date, July 4, 1831.

Some Coincidence.  --DaCoot

A Drunk Driver Finds Himself Between a Fence and a Fire Hydrant in 1942

From the October 18, 2017, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1942, 75 Years Ago.

"Police department officials had something new to look after while cruising in the squad car, and one that required some dexterity on the part of the city street department workmen to extricate the automobile of a Cortland man.

"From information available, the Cortland man had spent much of the day in taverns and as he attempted to return home, turned the wrong corner and found himself on a dead-end street and the next thing he had driven his machine between a fence and a fire hydrant, the rear of his machine hooked onto a fire plug.

"He endeavored to release his car and threw enough dirt with the back wheels to resemble an early spring plowing task."

Don't Drink and Drive.

Oops.  --Cooter

Ten Classic Men, Ten Classic Drinks-- Part 2: From Madeira to Jack

Benjamin Franklin:  Madeira--  a fortified wine from the Portuagal island of the same name.

Truman Capote:  Screwdrivers

Barack Obama:  Bud Light (also Red Stripe) and Blue Moon

Bono:  Jack Daniels

George Clooney:  Straight Tequila

One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila, Floor.  --Cooter

Ten Classic Men, Ten Classic Drinks-- Part 1: From Mojitos to Boilermakers

From the February 11, 2016, Esquire.

Earnest Hemmingway:  Mojitos

U.S. Grant:  Old Crow bourbon

F. Scott Fitzgerald:  Gin Rickeys  (Invented by Col. Joe Rickey at a Washington, D.C. bar called Shoemaker's in 1883.

Oscar Wilde:  absinthe

Charles Burowski:  Boilermakers

Pour Me Another One.  --CootDrink

Looking Back to 1916: The Anti-Saloon League Battling "Demon Drink"

From the January 27, 2016, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois) "Looking Back."

1916, 100 Years Ago:  "With the exception of a very few churches in which Anti-Saloon meetings have been held of late, there were stirring local option sermons given in all churches of this county yesterday, at either the morning or evening services.

"The day was a field day for the Anti-Saloon League and some hard raps were taken at the Demon Drink, who was castigated to beat the bands.

"The county is dry now and the aim of the league is to keep it so and also to secure an even closer degree of law observance than has obtained in the past."

The Anti-Saloon League operated from 1893 to 1933 with the motto "The Saloon Must Go."

No Drinking, In Other Words.  --CootDry

Ten Things You Might Not Know About Chicago Taverns-- Part 1: Lincoln's Body and Mickey Finns

From the August 16, 2015, Chicago Tribune by Mark Jacob and Stephan Benzkofer.

Alright, we have some more interesting factoids from these two.

This article appeared because Illinois once again has Happy Hour.  That's nice, but a bunch of the places that now have it, dropped their daily drink specials.

1.  A depraved plot took place in 1876 in a Near West Side saloon called The Hub when a crime ring decided to steal ABRAHAM LINCOLN's corpse from a Springfield cemetery and demand a $200,000 ransom and the release of an imprisoned comrade.

Their big problem was that one of their members was a mole for the U.S. secret Service.  When they opened Lincoln's sarcophagus, the feds moved in, but they escaped but were later arrested in Chicago.

2.  The expression "TO SLIP SOMEONE A MICKEY" comes from a South Loop bar called the Lone Star Saloon and Palm Garden, circa 1900.

The proprietor was known for doctoring drinks and stealing customer valuables when they passed out. His name was Michael Finn, aka Mickey Finn.

One, Two, Three, Floor.  --Cooter

More Drunkonyms

Thanks to Heidi Stevens from an earlier post today, I had to look up Benjamin Franklin's "The Drinker's Dictionary" and I found many more good ones. I'll give you some of them here.

By the way, the Tribune article had a picture of one of the great drinkers of all times, Barney from the Simpsons. And Homer is no slouch on the Buzz Beer either.

Piss'd in the Brook. (Did they use the "P" word back in the 1730s?)
His Head is full of Bees.

He sees the Bears (And believe me, as a Bears fan, sometimes that's the only way you can watch Rex or Jay play.)

Cherry Merry (I really like this one.)
A Cup too Much
Has Dipp'd his Bill

Wet both Eyes
Cock Ey'd (Another good one.)
He's Friskey

Fuddled
Booz'd the Gage
As Dizzy as a Goose

Half and Half
Juicy

And from Poor Richard, "Nothing more like a Fool than a Drunken Man."

Old Ben Had a Good Sense of Humor. --DaCoot

Drunkonyms

From the August 10th Chicago Tribune by Heidi Stevens.

What with all our debt problems these days, some folks are using drunken metaphors to illuminate us.

"We spend like drunken sailors. The debt deal is like curing a drunk with vodka.

Heidi Stevens wants the folks to use some more interesting ways to say drunk.

She suggests Founding Father Benjamin Franklin's "The Drinkers Dictionary" in which he used more than 200 synonyms for "drink."

It was first published Jan. 13, 1737, in the Pennsylvania Gazette. He broke it down alphabetically.

The Letter "A"

He is Addled.
He is casting up his Accounts.
He's Afflicted.
He's in his Airs.

The Letter "B"

He's Biggy.
Bewitched
Block and Block
Boozy
Bowz'd
Been at Barbadoes

Some others she likes:

Cherubimical
Crump Footed
Lappy
Staggerish
He's had a Thump over the Head with Sampson's Jawbone.
He's right before the Wind with all his Studding Sails out.

I like Staggerish myself. I've seen some Staggerish folks. Even been Staggerish myself back in the day, but not much anymore. The next day is too rough.

Hey, I Just Might Have to Check Franklin Out. --DaCoot