A “Blind Pig” was an old slang term for a dive (or lower-class drinking establishment if you will) that sold alcoholic beverages illegally. The operator such as a saloon or bar would charge customers to see an attraction (such as a “blind pig”) and then serve a “complimentary” alcoholic beverage, thus circumventing the various laws covering alcoholic beverages.
Apparently Los Alamitos, which had a number of legal drinking establishments (which gave the town a wide-open reputation) also had more than its share of Blind Pigs, some quite creative, as this 1905 LA Times article points out, regarding a blind pig where the barmaid stashed beers in the waters of a pond.
The blind pig in question seems to have been just north of the factory – either in the woods around the banks of Coyote Creek or Carbon Creek. Since Los Angeles deputies were involved with this – the Los Al pigs muct have technically been on the north side of the creek in Los Angeles county.
This was not the first time illegal liquors had been stashed in the shallow waters of the then-forested riverbed. Five months earlier, George Coleman, a black man who had once been a slave told the story of an assault by his former master, R.P. Fixley, whom he had followed to California and worked for, presumably as a barber or real estate agent but according to more knowledgable sources (including Seal Beach justice) John T. Ord, Fixley was a booze-vendor. Coleman confirmed the booze-vending, and showed the constables Fixley’s stash of forty-two gallons of beer, two gallons of wine, and two gallons of whiskey. He proved this by diving “twelve feet into the turbid stream and bringing to the surface eight bottles of beet at four dives.” [ref] LA Times, May 16, 1905, pII8, and and May 17, 1905, pII8,
Blind Pigs Turn Turtle
Armed Resistance to Posse of Long Beach Officers
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Fruitful Raids at Artesia and Also at Norwalk
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Barmaid Approachable at the Latter Place
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE TIMES)
Long beach, Sept. 30, 1905 — Over in Los Alamitos they have a new name for bottle beer which is sold by blind pigs. They call them “turtles.”
Not long after midnight a weary team drove into Long Beach, pulling a surrey, carrying three tired men, and a miscellaneous load of bottle, flasks, demijohns, and kegs, all containing liquor. The men were Deputy Constable William S. Cason and a posse, and the assortment of wet gods was the result of three successful blind-pig raids last night at Los Alamitos, Norwalk and Santa Fe Springs.
For ten days detectives from the District Attorney’s office have been at work on suspected blind pig cases and yesterday afternoon Justice Bymton, on complaint of T.W. Teter, issued warrants for the arrest of F.M. Smith at Los Alamitos, Mrs. Jose Sims at Norwalk, and A. Serbeck at Santa Fe Springs and gave them to Deputy Constable Cason for service.
SHACK OF THE TAME TURTLE
The constable secured an assistant and with Teter and two other detectives, left at once for Los Alamitos where Teter said they would find a “nest of turtles.” F. Smith lives north of the sugar factory, his residence settling far back off the road. In one corner of the ranch, just off the road, is a small shack, 6×8 feet, in a clump of willows surrounding a pool, some two feet in depth. In the shack all the day sits Smith’s daughter, a buxom damsel who weighs 180 pounds. Occasionally a thirsty wayfarer comes along, greets the maiden cordially, and then asks for a “turtle.” The girls dons a pair of gum boots, wades into the pond, and making a swift grab beneath the cool waters, deftly catches a turtle of a new variety. It is round of body with a slender neck and requires a corkscrew to dismember its head. The customer indulges, pays his two bits and goes on refreshed, while the turtle, transformed into a dead duck, is quietly thrown aside.
SWEETHEART WIELDS KNIVES
The officers arrived there at dusk and found a thirsty crowd of cholos standing about. Smith could not be found, evidently having been warned. Cason grew tired of waiting and concluded to take the girl as she had sold the beer to Teter. To this the cholos objected, and one of them, a swarthy fellow, the sweetheart of the girl, ran into the shack and came out armed with two murderous beet knives, and started towards Cason, who drew his gun, the sight of which caused a stampede. The girl was loaded into the buggy, as were several bottles of beer, wine and whiskey, which were found hidden in chicken coops, under boxes, in the pond and even cached in the ground. They drove to Artesia, where the girls was left in charge of Deputy Richardson until their return from Norwalk.
ARM AROUND THE BARMAID
It was growing dark when they started for Norwalk, where they arrived at 7 o’clock. The suspected joint in the old saloon on main street, and the proprietor Jose Sima, is now serving a sentence of 180 days in the County Jail for illegal sale of liquor, but his wife conducts the business. She was on the front step when the posse drove up, and followed them into the house and back into the old bar-room where her daughter Mamie, a vaudeville artists, was found seated on the counter with the arm of a lounger around her. In the room were three other room who attempted to escape, but were stopped by Cason. He arrested Mrs. Sims and searched the room, finding a considerable quantity of beer and win on ice. The woman had several small children and Cason went to a telephone to ask the District Attorney’s office for instructions as she could not furnish bond. He was told to have her appear this morning in court. The officer went back to the joint, arriving in time to prevent a tragedy. One of the men had acted ugly toward the officer in charge and drawing a knife threatened an assault. The deputy, taunted into wild anger, had his hand on his revolver when Cason interfered.
Leaving Norwalk, the posse drove to Santa Fe Springs, arriving there at dark. To ascertain Serbeck’s whereabouts they drove to Baker’s winery and asked for a bottle of wine which was sold to them without question by Baker himself. To inquiries about his employé Baker said he lived in the first house up the road, but was laid up, having been bitten on the hand by a dog. The officers drove to Serbeck’s and arrested him despite his denial that he was the man wanted. He finally admitted it, and gave the officers $250 cash bail to appear next Tuesday to plead.
HEAP OF WET GOODS
The Posse drove back to Artesia where old man Smith was found in charge of Deputy Richardson, he having come to the rescue of his daughter. Smith also furnished bail and then the posse returned to Long Beach, arriving there about one’o’clock this morning. The good were deposited innthe justice room until this morning, when they were removed to safe quarters pending trial of the cases.
Mrs. Sima appeared before the justice this morning, daintily dressed. She is a French woman about 50 years of age, yet retains traces of girlish beauty. She says the beer captured last night was in the stock left by her husband and that she has sold none of it. The justice released her on her own recognizance to appear Tuesday for trial.