100 years ago in Spokane: “Booze censor” goes to work

From our archives,

100 years ago

Miss Amy Roberts had the honor of being Spokane’s first “booze censor.”

At least, that’s what The Spokesman-Review called her. She worked for the John W. Graham department store, and she was in charge of going through all of the magazines and out-of-state newspapers and clipping out every ad that “breathed, smelled or told of booze.”

Liquor advertising was banned in the state as part of the statewide prohibition law. Miss Roberts’ job was daunting, she said, considering that the store handled “hundreds, and even thousands, of newspapers and periodicals.”

The magazines were easy, she said. But in the newspapers, booze ads were “scattered everywhere.” She admitted that a lot of people were complaining about the gaping holes in their newspapers. Stories on the back of the ads were eliminated entirely.

Also from the prohibition beat: The city chemist said he had found no trace of alcohol in “carbonated fizz” drinks (soft drinks), nor did he find any in the near-beer now being manufactured by the Inland Brewing and Malting Co.

The brewery’s head brewer said it was made just like beer, with malt and hops, but without the alcohol. Customers were adding everything from red pepper to vinegar to Worcestershire sauce to give it a little more oomph.