The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-07-04
Misrrllanfut1r.
From the Spirit Of the Age.
HORACE WEST:
THE EFFECTS OF "0NE AND THE FIRST GLASS;

In pleasant part Of the good city Of B
in the State Of NJ, is situated small
wooden building, and from the handsome sigr
painted on white ground in lars black let
.ers, passer by would suppose it to be car
penter's shop, which indeed it is.
On pleasant day in the month Of June there
might have been seen in the interior of thi:
shop at work at different benches several men
one of whom we have to deal with more par
ticularly than the others, and whom for wan
of better name WE will call Horace West
From his appearance tne would suppose hin
to be about the age of twenty y.fve years, he i:
of the medium height, has fine, handsome
Intelligent and manly cuuntenance, and is dress
ed in a suit Of genteel working cl"thes, it
which not patch or tear is to he found; he
seems to be intent upon his work. and for a
while we will leave him SO, and call the atten
lion of the reader to another building, destined
to figure some little in this narrative. On the
opposite side Of the street in which the shop
alluded tn above is situated. and but short
distance of, stands small drinking establi>
ment, more vulgarly and appropriately called il
grog shop. The landlord of this place is one
of that class of men usually called economists,
hut who are in reality, mean, >tingy and close
fisted, and as is generally the case with such
men, cares not how much the families aud
friends of his customers suffer, so that he bul
gets fnr an equivalent to the p"ison poured
DOWN their throatS, their hard canned money
if indeed it is hard-earned, which is not always
the case, but it does not matter with him how
il is earned SO that he gets it from them. This
house is generally resorted to by the lowest
class of people, as well as confirmed drunkard>,
and there is continually in his employ Ger
tain number of men whose business it is t"
get persons to visit there with them and m.n
who have never entered a place Of the kind.
and who really detest the landlord of this place
whose name is Munson, are sometimes enlired
to 60 there with the ostensibe object Of get
ting perhaps a dinner, aud with the promise
that the landlord shall have nn intercourse with
them, while there; when they are once got
ten there the work Of seducing them from the
path of temperance is completed in scientific
manner by the landlord and his emissaries, and
the downfall and ruin of thnse ton.erring men
men accomplished in the end In short tlii-
place hears the significant title of the Devils
Den" and is just such place, exclusive of the
fire and ormstone, as his Satanic Majesty may
be supposed to inhahit.
Having now drawn the attention Of the
reader to this hell on earth, we will return to
our friend, whom we left indnstrously at work
in the carpenters shop near by. We find him
as we left him-and while he is engaged at
work, one of the men to whom we have before
alluded approaches him an enquiries the time
Of day. After looking at his watch he politely
answers
1T is now five minutes past twelve"
"Time for me to go and get my iulep.
then," is said in answer, thing which he was
in the habit of doing every day. "Come,
walk over to Munson's and take one with me,
dinner time will not be long coming now, and
it will whet your appetite 50 that you will en-
am obliged to y". -; sS"', 'sI'Ie"-..'' e's'
.b,t Won are aware that never indulge in any
thing Of the sort ,h.
pleasure of drinking with y"u' ana bes'ues "'e
glass will not hurt you; why, take my NOR"
Jug, noon and evening glass, regularly every
day. aud sometimes an intermediate Que mere.
Iy to obige friend; you see that does not al
feet me, so come along.
No. firmly answered his companion ''o'"g" =,
It NAV do me no harm to take one glass; IL VIII
to take more.
Meaning by that, suppose, returned rom
as he was called by West that you ca"
take glass now and then without becoming =,
,druukard. thought you had more command
over yourself man. or, may be that pretty wlie
of yours has made you swear out agn'nst all
occasional glass. , e.hou ,,,o
still decline going with you-a'd ano'he'
reason is that Munson is a malf whom 40 no
like: | have no acquaintance with him ana can !.
not saw why do not like him, nut the'e =
something in his countenanre t'at oe'e'S III
from seeking his acquaintance.
well if tha. was all the objection you nat
to going with me should not lind IL Ver.
serious one, and could soon remove IT, i"r tNer
is another place not far from here, where -"
can 90 to; SO come along if you are gong
for / am losing time in standing here arSu'"
the case with you replied Tom.
mo, cannot 60, said West :.
sWell if you are determined not N'go VIII
me, must 70 alone suppose returned I'll
nomnanion and friend Of West.
Saving which he turned away from theyoun
man and LETT the shop with hasty steps for Il
public house near by.
Az soon as he left the shop the yonng ma
began to ponder over the invitation he had = I
ceiyed to take glass with his friend. d
LII tbat one glass taken Occaslons