The Columbian fountain., 1846-01-13
For the Columbian Fountain.
Contributions from the Highlands.
NO. VIII.
NO. VIII.
VISIT TO A FRY.


Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink
HAB. ii, Is.
1t was on the morning of beautiful day
in the month Of September that deter
mined to fulfill a promise previously made
to spend part Of day with the family of a
very hospitable individual, who, unlortun-
ately, was at that time engaged in the unuse-
full occupation Of making what the Indians
call (and very properly too) g fire water"
My time at this gentleman's house passed
away pleasantly; for the company was COM
posed Of those whom could but love, and
with whom delighted to be. One thought,
however, would, despite all my efforts to
resist it, thrust itself upon my mind, in re-
gard to the house in which we were, the
comforts and luxuries around us, and all the
accommodations they are purchased with
money procured by the making and selling
Of ardent spirits! This single thought SEEM
ed to mar the enjoyments of the occasion,
and to distress me beyond measure; and it
was with considerable difficulty that could
stop the torrent of reflections connected
with the subject of intemperance- subject
which, from my youth, have been accus-
toned to consider with sympathy and inter-
est, in behalf of the tens of thousands who
are daily suffering its results.
| In the course of the visit, the company
was asked to walk through the .distillery,
which was near at hand. | shuddered at
the request; for, though ! had read great
deal about these awful places for the man
ufacture Of alcoholic drinks, yet had never
been in one, nor did ever expect or even
care to be. On this OCCASION, however,
thought best to go. All along the way my
mind was absorbed in serious considerations
concerning the woful depravity of man, by
reason of sin. Soon we were at the door,
The barrels were around us, the hands were
al work, the fires were not quenched-the
spirit, not of God, but Of evil, was there
One of the company remarked to the man
who appeared to conduct the establishment
for the proprietor, swell, John, here comes
the army" "O,'' said the proprietor, g
reckon he is hardly afraid come on.n j
could not resist putting in a word, and ad-
ded, "Ah, John, you do great deal of mis-
chief heren' s'Well, don't know, sir,''
was the only reply the poor man made,
while his employer hurried us on; for ]
could plainly discover that there was no
desire that should remain with them long
in that place. began now to feel some
anxiety to inform John of the immense evil
done by single distllery to point him to
the taverns supplied therefrom, and then to
the thousands reduced by this " dread CURSE"
to poverty and misery. If he could see the
tears falling from the eyes of broken-hearted
women and fatherless children; and the
" fires of hate" kindled in the hearts of
men who, otherwise, might have honored
society, as plainly as he sees the fires of the
distillery and the "stream of ruin " created
by them, he would leave business so truly
degrading, and that at once. Yet, in this,
may err Perhaps he, and others similarly
employed, do see the evil they are doing,
and yet will not desist Is it not shameful
that men will support such injurious estab-
lishmens Do not all know that it is
written in Gods word, ssWoe unto him
that giveth his neighbor drink, and maketh
him drunken ~
"The army" l. e. the temperance folks
in our company, all showed, in a very suit
able manner, their disapprobation of the
works we had witnessed, and, without IN
sulting, gave sharp, though silent reproof
to the master Of the same, as well as to the
servants. In proper time we departed from
the house of our friend; and sure am
that shall not more wildly remember his
kindness and hospitality at home than
shall his evident signs of self-condemnation
during our first, and, perhaps, our last visit
to the distillery. J. T. w.
UNFoRTUNATE ACcIDENT.-We regret To