On Christmas eve at New York’s Herald offices, Mencken found only two people sober.
“All the rest were full of what they called hand-set whiskey. This powerful drug was sold in a saloon next door to the Herald office, and was reputed to be made in the cellar by the proprietor in person–of wood alcohol, snuff, tabasco sauce, and coffin varnish.”
H.L. Mencken, Newspaper Days
Whatever Holiday You Celebrate around This Time of Year,
Please Try to Stay Clear of the Coffin Varnish.
