Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-06-18
MARTINsBURG, VA. THURSDAY, JUNE 10. 1920.


ing some means for livelihood. | have
been the preceptor OF school in fifteen
DIFFERENT villages and neigbbeurboods;
have conducted the editorial DEPART
ment OF eight different newspapers, to
three Of which my name was attached;
aud have worked as mechanical prin
ter IN thirty or forty different offices -
But SO completely had the desire ofspir
ltuous liquor acquired the ascendancy
that the earnings of month were not
untrequently squandered in week;
aud IT was never I'LL my pockets were
emptIed, that left the tavern, or the
grocery, 10 quest of employment Bu,
an empty purse was the least Of all the
evils oc casioned by this besetting and
besotiing sin The same stimulants
which heated the blood, and enfiamed
the animal spirits, oyerpowered reason,
while the feet tottered, the arms trem
bled, and the tongue faultered, the soul
was in the widest frenzy Three times
| have been led TO excess which fell
within the cognizance Of municipal law;
and imprisonmentfo followed; twice for a
few days, and once for a little more
than year,
The details of my unhappy course
would fill volumes I will merely men
ton two or three additional incidents
One OF The instances ofimprisonment
which have already mentioned. was at
Salem, Washington County, N. Y for
transaction at Whitehall, where had
been the actual though not the nominal
editor of the Whiteba3 Emporium. l
lett the prison pennyless. and Mr.. Ste
venson, Secretary of the Washingto
County Bible Society, aud one of the
propretors Of The Salem Post, received
me into his office for a few days, for
the charitable purpose of repairing my
exhausted funds. At my departure he
cautioned me with much lie nderness, to
guard against "the sin which so easily
beset me- and requested me to read
the Scriptures. placing at the same time
copy of the Testament in my hand.
| did not leave Salem before my money
was squandered at the tavern; and that
] might indulge the sinful propensity to
the uttermost, sold the book, which
was given NE for a very different pur-
pose, TO an inn keeper. and received the
guild pro quo from the bar. came OF but
view this as the blacklist action Of my
wicked life. should do injustice to
myself if | did not add, that the first
moment Of reflection, whent he madden |
ing influence of ardent spirit subsidized, |
my soul shuddered at the thought that |
had been base enough 10 convert the
generous feelings that would have re.
claimed me, in TO the means of a further
sinful indulgence; and perhaps the pur.
chaser who was aware OF all the cir.
cumstances, was little less guilty than
myself, Again destitute, | wandered az
could TO Trey, where my necessities
were supplied BY a literary gentleman,
resident at that place.
entered The borough of Easton.
Penn. at another tine, on my way from
New York to Harrisburg, at which lat.
ter place | had business, and where,
some years before, had conducted the
editorial department of newspaper.
was stranger in Easton, and Satan
seemed to whisper that | nigh. here
crafty my favourite propensity better
than at place where had any char.
acter at stake, Having squandered the
small funds | then had, fifty dollars,
which were divided between the bar
and the card table, ne1t Invested my.
self of every valuable article of appa-
rel. Pennyless. a stranger, and almost
naked, the stomach was still unsatisf fed
and to crafty lis incessant clamors, as
last resort, joined small recruiting
party, then in the place, as a private
soldier, under the assumed name of
Thompson, from no higher principle
than that of converting the six dollars
advance into rum. We've shortly af-
ter transferred to Fort Niagara, where
remained about a month. But The
discipline of the camp could not guard
against the expedienis by which con-
tinued to crafty this fatal propensi-
tyi and, in ut of inte temperance, was
guilty of violation of discipline, rem.
dersd capital by the rules and articles
OF war; for which was transferred,
prisoner, to Sacket's Har bour, confined
in the guard.room, and loaded with i.
rons. Before a court martial convened
| contrived. though at the hazard of in
slant death, to effect my escape. Over
lea min Or tho nick cite of the eantonraot