Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1830-04-28
To PULP j. SCHUYLER, Esq.


"Porismouth II. L. March, 3, 1923.
/ "Dear Sir,-Agreeably to your re-
quest, | send you few particulars, de-
failing very few among the many re-
suits, arising from the disseminating the
use Of spirituous liquors among the
workmen. tperhaps would not be inter-
esting to you, nor is it convenient for me,
to give you very minute account of
what / have experienced in this way
If understand you correctly, you wish
to know what has been the effect produc-
ed here, by excluding grog from tie
works, and also from the workman's hous-
es-and also, to inform you as to the
manner in which this was brought about,
and apparently to the satisfaction of all
parties. Previously to entering into the
details Of what has been done here, per-
init me to inform you, that this work ofre-
forming workmen from dram-drinking
and habitual drunkenness, is not new
to me. have been about eighteen
years actively engaged in breaking ZIP
old customs, stemming the common pref
udices and habits Of workmen, and when
| speaking of work collectively, l have
six different times proved victories and
| by the blessing of Him who aids his own
cause, have triumphed over many an
old and stubborn profigate, as individual
causes Ihave in my family journal ma
lny memorandums of time, place, and
name, of such particular instances.
/ From the beginning of the year 1910,
to this day, l have been the open and
undisguised enemy to giving workmcn
liquor under any circumstances; and the
more am concerned with workmen, the
firmer l am established in my opinion.
AT the first colliery / was appointed ST.
pe,intendent, there were about eighty
men and boys employed. The owners,
Messrs. Morris and Kinnersly, were
each of my opinion, and supported me in
all my plans. In about two years, we
had but few men or boys who would ci-
ther drink, or permit drink to be taken at
their pits or houses. Adjoining our
works, was the largest colliery in that
section of the country, called Kideron
Colliery, belonging to the Gilbert family,
and carried on by John Gilbert, Esq
who, unhappily for his workmen, belicv-
ed and encouraged the idea, that the
more eXtravagant and ignorant work.
man was, he was the better servant, and
always dependant on his employers
In 1919 he Mr.. Gilbert) died. Morris
and Kinnersly dissolved partnership ;
and Mr.. Kinncrsly purchased the Kip
eren Colliery, and combined the two
works in our concern, and appointed INC
7 to the chief superintendency. AT this
Kideren work, we found upwards Of
three hundred men and boys, in the
most miserable & unhappy condition, and
all the effects of fdram-drinking and ha-
bitual drunkenness. st. PauPs language,
Romans, chap. iii, from tenth to nine
teenth verse, describes their situation
much better than can. Their Sundays,
and other time not employed at the COLI
cry, were devoted to cock-fghting, bull
batting, gambling in all its forms suited
to their station, and to every vice at
tached to life of dissipation. What
saw achieved at this colliery in the way
of reformation, in the short space of three
years, has so confirmed me in my princi-
pies, that have never once since doubt
cd of cfiecting change, nor have L
ever failed; and since that time, have
triumphed over four other works, but lit
tie better than Kidercn; and if l am
spared little longer at these mines,
confidently expect the same satisfactory
results. In l8l3-l4, the first year We
had the Kideren works, our accidents
and killed were much less than previous