The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1843-02-11
COL. WALLACE.

COL. WALLACE
As this individual has spoken here and differ
ent places in this county several times lately on
temperance, and excited considerable interest,
and is withal remarkable instance ofthe power
of the temperance pledge in retaining poor
miserable, and degraded drunkards. we will give
our readers slight sketch of his life, gathered
from him in conversation, and from two speech
es we heard him make, in part and partly from
persons who knew him. the several springs he
fished in the county He was born in Bucks
county, Pa. and was brought up principally bv q
Baptist Clergyman, living with him in kensing-
ton, Philadelphia, from the age of 9 to 60 years,
tie learned the trade of calico printer, at that
time a most excellent business, could earn as
much wages as any mechanic in the city, and
had at the time he was married we'll furnished
house, and an unblnmished reputation.
lie recollects distinctly where he took the first
glass; in tavern with friend. He continued
to drink with his friends to visit groggeries, play
at games OF chance, was soon moderate drlnker
and ere long most degraded and miserable
drunkard-a path thousands have walked IN to
their utter ruin, but the wretched travellers III
which, happily are becoming fewer and fewer,
His money left him, his character was ruined; his
furniture, his clothes, the clothes of his wife and
children, even the last bed in his house he sold
to buy rum. He began by drinking glass of
wine occasionally with friend, in very few
years he drank halfa gallon of whskey daily,
the effect of which was to drag hi IN down from u
respectable position in society, and turn him out
on the world ragged, pennilcss bloat. Twenty
times he was confined IN Moyamcnsing prison
for drunkenness, and four winters he spent in
tho aims house, disowncd by his family, and I'M
able to work from debility caused BY rum drink
ing.
In the spring of 1899, lie lcf, the aims house
and came down into this county to fish, and hir-
ed with J. F. Cazicr, on the Negro Swamp shore,
here he states, he drank l-2 gallon of whiskey
per day, and would steal it from the Jug or bar
rel on every occasion. The next spring lie fish
cd awhile with Mercer & Wingate, lett them
because he could not get rum enough, and en-
gagged with J. McCracken, left him for the same
reason, and staid the remainder of the season with
Walmsley McCauley from whom he received
$50 cash when he left them. The whole of this
he spent in Elkton before he started for home.
During his spree here the boys had much fun
with him. tying squibs to him and firing them, &c
He left here one Saturday in May Is 40 intoxica
ted, on the Monday following he sig led the total
abstinence pledgein Phiadelp hia;since then he has
been ccturing OIL temperance with great Success.
In New Jersey alone, during last summer he OBJ
tanned 1850 signers to the pied gel altogether
he has obtained about 81 900 names.
We are persuaded that there are thousands Of
poor, degraded, broken-souled drunkards, who
long to burst the letters that bind them, and be.
come as they once were, sober, decent and respec
table In the Col they have strong example
of what determination can do No man coulc
have been sunk lower than him, he was most
loathsome and abominable drunkard, we saw hin
here and know it-hc signed the pledge and i.
now reclaimed from the enthralling vice, we see
him now sober, sensible man, his ia lny happy
again, himself again happy man.
We have several nne anecdotes of the Col
| which we intended to relate, but find we have
no more room.