Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1849-10-03
The Razor StrOD Man.

>! The Razor StrOp MAN.
Many of our city readers will remembe
Smith. the razor-strop man who attracted
crowds at the corner of Spruce and Mas
sau-street>, and a, other places. to witness
his odd way of crying and disposing 0
r his wares He is native of England
!. and at one time, we believe. was addicted
to the Incorporate use of spirituous liquors
but having taken the Temperance pledge
he became a sober man, and occasionally
Ia Temperance lecturer. We learn from
the Lutheran Observer, that after travel
ling from Nova Scotia to Texas. he is
now on his return, and for the last month
or two, has been driving his business in
Baltimore. The observer says:
"Every afternoon he opens his budget
| in North Street, in front OF the Post office.
where he is sure to find an audience and
purchasers. The principal articles OF
sale are razors. strops. shaving soap, &c
Last evening we stopped a minute to see
what was going on. We found him stro-
| ping razor. and in a few moments he
tested the edge By cutting hair with it.
Now. gentlemen said he, YOU see what
smooth keen edge this razor has; you
must admit that il is a capital thing. or
SO little stroppiag would not give il such
an edge; or if YOU doubt this. then you
must admit that the strop is first rate
You can buy either, or both, or half do
zen of each at the low price Of &c.
''But Smith sometimes packs his razors.
&c. up and delivers temperance speech,
and here is one OF them:
''Some folks say that it is right to drink
alcohol hccanS,a IL a ,rDnI #
God. Well. grant that it is SO; 50 is cas-
tor OIL and so is vinegar good creature
Of God; but is that a sufficient reason for
a person to drink it three. four, or do
zen times day! A dog is a good crea-
ture Of God; but suppose dog gets mad.
and bites man or woman. would you
let him alone because. as YOU say. he was
"a good creature. Would you be satisfied
with cutting off his ear, or his tail; or
would you knock him on the head. and
pitch him headlong into the street! Now.
alcohol is more than a mad dog. for
bite from mad dog only destroys life,
while bite from aichy destroys reason,
reputation, life. and every thing else. be-
sides dragging down the family of the Bit
ten man 10 poverty and want.
But alchv dosen't bite a inouthful. at
only tckled me little, liked it first
rate. and was anxious 10 have another, and
still another bite. The old rascal of a
tyrant kept nibbling away at my heels as
though ne didn't mean to harm me. while
|, like poor fool, kept coaxing him on.
until al last he gave ne snap in earnest.
and took the elbows right out Of my coat,
Next he took the crown Of my hat, the
shoes OFT my feet, the money out Of m.
pocket, and the sense out of my head I'M
I'll at last went raving mad through the
streets. perfectly a victim to aichiphobia.
But | signed the pledge and got cured;
and if there is any man who has been
bitten as l was. let him take this tetotal
medicine. and III warrant him speedy
cure.
but allowing alcohol is good crea-
ture of God. are there not other good
creatures. too. such beef. pork. pud-
dings. pies, clothes, dollars and fifty 9TH
Of the same sort?' Now, shall a man
cling to the one good creature. and have
the ninety and nine untouched! Shall
man drink whisky because it is a good
creature. and 60 without good hand some
wife. and good we'll dressed children
No-sir-ree! As for me; give me good
beef and pudding. good pork and sausage.
good friends. good clothes. good wife.
and good children Cor bad rather than
miss. and III try to make 'em good. and
old king alchy may go to Texas, for all
care.
''Some say that wine is good creature
because our Saviour once turned water
into wine. Very good! but then he didn't
turn rum. gin, whiskey. logwood. coculus
indiyus aud cock reaches into wine like
some people DO. He turned rater into
1cine. Now, if any wine billing apollo
ni>t will take gallon or Il barrel of pure
water. and by praying over it, or in any
other way. without mixing any other stuff
with it. convert i into first rate wine. I'm
the boy as will 60 in for swig of it -
Such wine must be good. and ! go in for
that kind. and nothing else. But as for
your nasty. filthy. drunken stuff. which is
sold in your grog-shops. it's base coun-
terfei:, and blasphemous libel on our Sa-
viour 10 liken it TO the pure beverage he
made
Now. you. such as prefer one good
creature of God TO all the rest. go and
drink rum or whiskey until you get pick
ed as bare a Sleeps back, after it has
crawled through brier patch; but you as
prefer the ninety and nine good creatures.
20 right straight and sign the pledge
Thousand have been saved by putting
thier names to that precious document |
and still there is room for few more OF
the same Sort
A Cruel Stratasem.
Did YOU ever hear of Old Smith that |