PROHIBITION: A Matter of Record

“Izzie” Einstein, who has the most widespread reputation of any agent of the Prohibition enforcement department, was reported to be the author of the following statistics. They are the length of time which it took him to obtain a drink in twelve leading cities.

New Orleans ………35 sec.

Detroit ……….3 min.

New York ………….3 min. 10 sec.

Boston …………11 min.

Pittsburgh …………..14 min.

Atlanta ………..17 min.

Baltimore …………18 min. 20 sec.

Chicago …………..21 min.

St. Louis …………21 min.

Cleveland ………..29 min.

Minneapolis ……….31 min.

Washington …………2 hrs. 8 min.

The story of the low and high records:

“When I got into a taxi at the railway station at New Orleans, I asked the driver where I could get a drink. The driver pulled out a bottle and handed it to me without a question. . . .

“Washington, though, is the tough nut to crack. After I had wandered around there without any success for more than two hours, I was about to decide that the capital was as dry as a bone. Then I went into a barber shop for a shave. The barber asked me if I wanted bay rum. I told him I preferred real rum. He put me in touch with a $12 bottle.”