March 19 - 21, 1915

Fri. March 19, 1915

Sunny in A.M. but turned cloudy and snowy.

Went to inter-city track meet at St. Thomas new armory. 8 Schools competing. North won 36, West 2nd 28, Central (Mpls) 3rd 23, Central (St. P) 4th. Home - tired- mother sick. I did not get to bed till about 12:30.

Sat. March 20, 1915

Sunny in A.M. soon turned cloudy and snowed hard, but warm. Worked mother up and better.

Sun. March 21, 1915



Semi - cloudy and warm.

Mother and I to church - fine sermon on "How To Save The Church." 5 in my Sunday School class and they were good and attentive. Hone and read "etc." Got history lesson in eve and to bed. Took bath in A.M. Sunday School lesson on John The Baptist.

A prohibition wave is sweeping over the country. Many states even Southern and Western are dry and here we have county option now, which will make Minn. nearly dry, At the present rate the whole country will soon go dry.
An anti-drug act has recently been passed by congress and drug fiends all over the country are giving themselves up to take a cure. Under this law a fine of $2000 and long imprisonment are provided.

Author note: I think my grandfather is talking about the Harrison Narcotics Act that passed in December of 1914.

wiki: "An Act To provide for the registration of, with collectors of internal revenue, and to impose a special tax on all persons who produce, import, manufacture, compound, deal in, dispense, sell, distribute, or give away opium or coca leaves, their salts, derivatives, or preparations, and for other purposes." The courts interpreted this to mean that physicians could prescribe narcotics to patients in the course of normal treatment, but not for the treatment of addiction.

The Harrison Anti-Narcotic legislation consisted of three U.S. House bills imposing restrictions on the availability and consumption of the psychoactive drug opium. U.S. House bills H.R. 1966 and H.R. 1967 passed conjointly with House bill H.R. 6282 or the Opium and Coca Leaves Trade Restrictions Act.^[3][4]

Although technically illegal for purposes of distribution and use, the distribution, sale and use of cocaine was still legal for registered companies and individuals.