Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-06-02
9ai,rsstins GsIs.
copyvnshs sseussd according 70 law.
TIL MYSTERIOUS PiRcTTgEI
OR
THE SATANIC LICENSE.
CHAPTER I.
usAoEs OF gccIzT-xxrrcrE


"sris fearful building upon any nn;
One mischief en.srst, brings 1nsther N:
Tho second pulls NE ssird, &c th;rd cnws
more:
And hey for ell Ne ross - eps Ne door,"
/, was the fashion among the inhsbit-
ants Of the town Of HARDWOOD 10 have and
use whisky Is plenty a milk. II vas
their custom TO use Il three tines day.
excepting in haying, harvesting, Lodgings
and raisings, on which occasions they
took license TO use IL as freely as water.
In few years after the FIRST settlement
of the town, tavern Yves opened, ev-
identity not for the "-ctual occommoda-
ton OF travellers" but for townsmen.--
This very soon became the place ofre-
sort, where the aged and the young spent
their evenings In playing cards, pitch
ing coppers, smoking. chewing, splitting.
drinking, and conversing. according 70
their feelings and respective tastes' II
would be amusing. ifit were not con-
nccted with . subject so feurfully fraught
with ruin to mankind, to notiee how
many devices and pretexts they had
to Eli again the social glass. II was
their custom on one evening that each
person sing q song or treat the company.
On another that each should tell story.
Sometimes il was determined by bend
ing forward aud marking on the floor;
the one making his mark the shortest
distance called on the liquor. These
and many other devices were adopted to
amuse the company. bat more particu-
larry as pretexts to crafty their apPetites
for strong drink. In this way, the In
habitants OF the town Of Harwood spent
.heir evenings, and for the sole object
of filching from them their money, did
Abijah Dofy take license and open q
tavern. :,
In a few years, their population had
become so numerous, and their appe-
tites so strong, that It was difhcuit TO
supply the demand for liquor. The
nearest market where II could be had
was nearly one hundred miles, and the
only mode Of conveyance,l land CARRIAGES.
which in the spring and tall cut on al
hone of supplies. One evening while
the neighbors were at Doty's, as usual,
the destitution OF liquors became a top
ic of very serious conversation.
II the small pox, or cholera, or some
o,her fatal epidemic had been ravaging
their habitations; their deliberations
could not have been more grave ahd sol
ann They saw no way OF obviating
the difficulty but by erecting distillery.
In the way Of this, however, there was
Great obstacle. II required no small
amount of capital to erecta building,
f.rnish the machinery, and put it into OPP
Grafton. Dosy finally made proposition
that II they would circulate subscrip-
ten. and raise for him sufficient sum to
mt M the building, he wosld obligate
himself to start a distillery by such q
time. To this they Teadily agreed. The
subscription was sent out; some signed
work, some grain, others money. As
there was no difficulty in securing the
amount. in tho course OF few months
the building was erected, and the labor
atory Of ruin in full blast. This opened
new fountain Of corruption to the peo-
ple Of HARDWOOD. Nights, rainy days,
and Sabbaths, IL was thronged with boys,
Young men, and the middle aged. III
second vesuvius had opened crater in
the centre Of tho town, and sent out ite
streams of burning lava, the effects could
not have been more fearful. In that
vestibulc Of hell, boys learned to profane
tho name Of God; young men acquired
an appetite for strong drink and the
habit Of gambling; and many osshe mid
dle-agcd became indolent and confirmed
inebriates.
A few years after this dstillery CON-
menced It's mission OF death among the
people of HARDWOOD. an incident occurred
in the provilence Of God, which rescued
some Of the inhabitants from the dread
full evils Of intemperence. William
Dawson calledone morning, very early,
upon his ncighbor George Grant. both
OF whom lived several miles from the
distillefy. His errsnd was to engage
Mr.. Grants boys to go after whisky. as
he waste haye logging that afternoon.
Mr.. Grant readily conse ntcd to do him
the favor, and without delay the boys
were on their way to the distillery, with
6ve-gallon canteen, suspended by a
strap from pole which rested upon their
shoulders. Occasionally, on their re-
turn, IL was necessary 10 rest. While
seated near at an oat field, William
sprang over tho fence, cut fine smooth
straw, returned, and commenced suck
ing from the contents Of their burden.--
After he had taken few swallows, he
said. "Johu, try some; il makes ne feel
stronger already; at the same time band
ing him the straw. John also recruited
his strength by few hearty draughts.--
The straw was preserved, and freely
used at every resting-place, which be-
came more and more frequent as they
approached home.
Very soon after dinner the people be-
gan to assemble to assist Mr.. Dawson in
his logging. His little boy, little lad
some ten or twelve years, old, was en-
ployed in carrying the bottle to the la.
borers. II soon became empty. The
lad was sent 20 the house to replenish il.
Not returning as soon as expected, the
father went in search of him, and, to his
surprise, found him lying by the wayside,
speechless and senseless, and tie empty
bottle short distance from him. He
was carried to the house, and, in con-
sequence Of the business and hurry OF
the afternoon, he received but little at
tention, AT night, an effort was made
TO resuscitate him, but with no good re-
suits. A physician was called. but no
remedy or effort Of his could arouse him
from the supplying effects OF whisky.
AT ten o'clock the following day, Pc
Ter Dawson, a smart. active, and spright-
ly lad. was a corpse, murdered By the
drinking fashion and the license law
The angel who smoto the first born OF
Egypt was commissioned by Jehovah
but the one who smote William Davis
on's first born was sRt forth by the
legislature Of the State Of New York
All the tears that flowed, ell the wall
ing that rent the air, and all the anguish
and sorrow OF that heart that occurred
on that memorable night in Egypt, will
bear no comparison with The tears, the
II l.