Of course, editorials have a hint of bias. This particular one that was published in the Lassen Advocate in 1924 caught my attention. While truthful, its also misleading. Newspapers then were great civic boosters and promoted their locale. Susanville was still in its boomtown heyday, but to some outside the region was still known of its Wild West atmosphere of saloons and bawdy antics. While the Advocate’s editorial provided the appearance, that it getting things under control, and it looked good on paper, the reality was a different story.
There was Susanville proper as in the city limits, which was relatively small. The southern boundary was Susan River, eastern Weatherlow Street, northern Piute Creek and western Inspiration Point. The greater Susanville region as a much larger territory. While the editorial proclaims how Susanville is cleaning up after bootleggers proper those bootleg operations outside the city limits continued as usual. The three main areas was Rooster Hill (Indian Heights), Milwood and the area around the Susanville depot. This territory was under the jurisdiction of the county to enforce. Some times they did and some times not. Some county officials thought that prohibition since it was a federal offense, and it was up to federal officials to enforce it. Anyhow, here is the editorial.
Lassen Advocate, 20 February 1924 – Enforcement in Susanville. Not only the bootleggers of Susanville, but the consuming public at large is beginning to feel the pinch of an honest endeavor to stop illicit in traffic in Susanville.
Taylor Clement who has been on night duty relieving the regular nightwatchman has been giving the bootleggers a run for the money at night and they have been complaining. He makes his regular rounds every 15 to 20 minutes and has kept bartenders and proprietors busy by dumping their liquor. And he does not make his calls at any stated times. They never know when he is coming. A few nights ago, he through h is actions forced the proprietor of a Gay Street establishment to close. Later in the evening espying three men under the grammar school hill he threw his light on the same three men that had left the Gay Street resort. They broke a bottle that they had with them.
Between Marshall Lannie Long in the day time and Taylor Clement at night the bootleggers are between the devil and the deep. Even some of the heavy consumers are complaining that they can not buy a drink as often as they used to.