Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-04-07

LETTER FROM REV. n. q. wool

LETTER FROM REV. E. q. WOOD.
JrFfEnsosvtIln, fsp., March 30. ie54.
DEAN GooDwIs:-Here / am, seated |
in my old split.bottomed chair. in my
little study. in the parsonage. where |
spend part Of my time In examining
books, papers, ETC.. and where / occa-
sionally write letter to some Of my
friends.
This Jacksonville is yet destined to
be something Of town. Some years
ago twas thought to have been finish
ed, but recently it is manifest that this
was a mistake, for it looks now like
they had just begun to make it. You
win recollect that / alluded in my last
letter to the public improvements that
were being made on our streets and
wharves. But now | see as the Spring
opens, that other improvements arc
springing up in all parts of the town.
The Jacksonville House in the lower
part Of the city is undergoing repairs;
| suppose with view Of making it a
public house, by the time that the
Depot Of the Fort Wayne road is COM
pleted in that vicinity, and the bridge
finished across the river. And beside
all these, large mill is in progress OF
erection at the head Of the falls.
There is considerable talk here on
the subject of Temperance. In addi-
ton to the usual orders that exist, and
the general efforts that are made to
carry out the plan proposed and agreed
upon at the State Temperance Conyen.
ton, the Ladies have opened a war
upon the traffic. They have drawn
up petition, subscribed by some siz
hundred Ladies, addressed to the sell.
ers of intoxicating drinks. requesting
them to quit the business. and also to
the landlords, requesting them not tC
rent their houses for that purpose. They
have then by committee Of Ladies
waited upon every liquor-seller and
landlord in the town, and read thel
petition to them. The final result il
yet to be seen. Some of the seller
they say, looked like they were alarmed
others became angry; some promised
to quit, but others would not. TIL
landlords generally pledged themselve
not 70 rent their houses for such pur
purposes any more. With the excep
ton of two or three Americans, an,
one negro, they found all the dealers +
be Foreigners.
The excellent Chaplain Of the Stat
Prison, Rev. Lee Roy Woods, wa
with us at our church on last Sabbat
: evening. and at the close of the servi
| ces, gave us an account of the resul
of his Investigations among the con
: victs,. as to the number of those VIII
, had been sober, drunken, or drinkin
men; and which was, upon their ow
showing, that out of two hundred an
sixty-six, only about forty had beer
men who did not drink. or who wer
not drunkards, so that it may be fairl
concluded that four ffths of them cam
there directly, or indirectly, throug
the influence of strong drink. Is nc
this another argument for a prOhibitc
ry law?
Our merchants are now in receipt
their new stock Of goods, and are open
ing large business. Some of tn
houses who do ajobbing business, hav
5 to take the time when their neighbol
and customers are asleep, to open the
goods, as all the day and usual bus
ness hours are employed in selling
packing, and forwarding.
1t appears from some of your tai
in the American, that Brookville
about to put on city airs, as you spea
of getting power press. Take car
you don't press the life out of The thing
As ever, yours, E. G. WOOD.
: Press the life on. of Brookvillel VIII,
old friend, town with two straight Ia
railroads passing through it, and wit
the best water power in the State, can
be hurt by power press-it can't g
along without one.