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Historically Speaking
By Jean Hayworth
Early in 1927, the Bell Telephone company experienced unprecedented expansion in Breckenridge, which required more office space and equipment sent to the Breckenridge office of Bell Telephone from the main office at Mineral Wells, to pick up the slack. During 1925 and 1926, 447 new phone customers were added in Breckenridge, which required more lines to be run. Since the first of the year, lines have been steadily added with more applications for phones to be installed on a daily basis. According to E.E. Daniel, manager of the Mineral Wells District, Bell Telephone reported an expansion of phone service in the extreme southwestern portion of Breckenridge and even more expansion on the east side of the city of Breckenridge. Bell officials regarded Breckenridge as a permanently growing city, which has forced Bell to upgrade equipment so the customers would receive improved services. Bell officials cited the new Stephens County Courthouse and seven churches as major contributors to the growth of the city and now the new hotel construction project will bring more requirements for upgraded services and equipment with added commercial enterprises developing at a very fast pace. Weather sometimes interrupted service, especially the recent storms in the Stephens County area, which caused toll line connections with other cities and disrupted service because they sustained a great deal of damage. All lines between Breckenridge and Fort Worth were badly damaged but that problem was quickly rectified and the phone company didn’t foresee any further disruption of services.
The auditorium at the First Baptist Church was filled to capacity for two noted prohibitionist of the day, W.E. (Pussyfoot) Johnson and Major F.B. Ebert, who were nationally known prohibition lecturers. They both addressed the crowded auditorium about the conditions of the “Prohibition” question in America and abroad. Ebert spoke specifically about the legal side of the issue because there was a movement organized to modify the 18th Amendment, which was tantamount to abolishing the law altogether. “I had rather see us return to the old saloon days before prohibition,” Ebert said, “than to see this modification act passed, because it will eventually result in a repeal of the law without the old restrictions, supervision and taxation that was formally enforced over the liquor interests.” “Pussyfoot” Johnson spoke about his travels and observations concerning the enforcement of the prohibition laws which he thought were less violated during the past seven years in the United States and was better than the old system. Johnson spoke specifically about New York City as our “most wicked city,” and compared it to London, which was a similar size as New York, at the time. Johnson reported that there were more than 3½ times as many arrests for drunkenness in London. He went on to compare the “wine addicts” of Paris which was two-thirds the population of New York but there were twice as many arrests for drunkenness as in New York. Stockholm had a rationing system but it had more than 10 times as many arrests for drunkenness as New York had reported. Norway had the “light wine and two percent beer” system which they attempted to foist on America under the guise of “modifying Americas dry laws.” Liquor interest around the world had taken aim at America, telling all sorts of wild, lunatic stories about what they called, “ the failure of prohibition.” Maybe a small refresher course should be injected at this point. Prohibition, known as “The Noble Experiment,” became the law of the land from 1920 to 1933. The 18th Amendment was proposed Dec. 18, 1917 and approved by the required 36 states. Next, the proposed 18th Amendment was ratified Jan. 16, 1919 and became effective the following year on Jan. 16, 1920. The Volstead Act, as it was more widely known than the “National Prohibition Act” was passed by Congress over the veto of President Woodrow Wilson on Oct. 28,1919, it prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages. During the Depression years, Prohibition became increasingly unpopular despite the activities of the Ladies Temperance Union and other prohibitionists. On March 22, 1933, President F.D. Roosevelt signed into law an amendment to the Volstead Act, known as the Cullen-Harrison Act, which allowed the manufacture and sale of specific alcoholic beverages. By that time, New York City had 30,000 to 100,000 speakeasies in operation. Finally, on Dec. 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment was signed into law, which repealed the 18th Amendment, making it null and void. A meeting was announced for the purpose of clarifying the new provisions in the city Milk Ordinance and would be conducted at City Hall at 8 p.m. All dairymen and others interested were encouraged to attend. City health officials were present to correct any confusion or misunderstandings associated with the new Milk Ordinance or the Beef Ordinance. Both ordinances were published in the Breckenridge Daily American and the Breckenridge Weekly Democrat and were in print in pamphlet form, according to Inspector E.D. Baccus. Also, city physician Dr. P.C. Wray said, “It is believed when people understand that the ordinances were passed to protect the health and well-being of everyone who purchases the products, then I think everyone will be onboard. There was no intention to inject a hardship on anyone.” The ordinances were considered a marketing tool for Breckenridge. The city’s objective is to present safe products to the consumer, with the proper enforcement and adherance to a standard for cleanliness and safe beef and milk sold in Breckenridge to the mutual benefit of everyone. The orchestra of the First Baptist Church played over the airwaves at WBAP Fort Worth. “This is the best church orchestra that has ever played over WBAP,” said ‘Wired Hand,’ a popular announcer at the station, at that time. His comments were directed to the members of the orchestra, members of the FBC congregation, the community of Breckenridge and all the listening public of WBAP broadcasts. With the new Stephens County Courthouse in full operation, the Lions Club was focused on moving the pillars and entrance of the historic 1883 courthouse to the southeastern corner of the courthouse property, known as “Lion Park.” |
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