Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1855-02-16
Misrrllunroug.
DEACON GILES DrsT1LLERY."

OGACVN 0AACo UlSI1LLEHY.
Most Of our readers will remember III,
excitement caused by the publication, il
1895, Of an article under this head, writ
ten by Rev Mr. Cheever. The following
article from the Boston Telegraph" re
wives our recollections Of it, and if oul
readers peruse it with the same interes,
we have, they will require no apology
from US for giving it entire.
| From the Boston Telegraph
Second Epoch in Temperance, 1895.
! IDEA. GILES DisTILLERY."
The worldwide fame caused by the
publication Of the fiction supposed to be
founded on truth, under the above head
will well entitle it to prominen, place
in the temperance cause. No publIca.
tion in modern times has ever produced
such excitement; and perhaps no local
incident has ever been attended with such
lasting, extensive and salu,ary effect
1t was of such nature. so blended in its
connexions with the morals and welfare
of the community, thai it could not die
away like other local incidents. Who
has not heard or read something about
Deacon Giles Distillery, and yet how
few people comparatively, can impart, or
recolect any full or correct account OF
the transaction.
The facts and circumstances were
these. Rev Geo B Cheever, then a young
Orthodox clergyman Of Salemn published
in the Landmark, religious newspaper
in the same town, communication which
he called "A Dream, relating ,o''Deacon
limo. Giles Distilery," which embrae-
ed some circumstances strikingly appl :
cable to Cap, John Stone, Unitarian
deacon OF Salem, who had been for many
years. and his father before him, a distll-
ler Of New England rum. Dea Stone
and his relatives we're wealthy. He was
also Treasurer of the County Bible So
ciety. aud kept Bibles as well as barrels
Of rum for sale in the same distiIlery.-
There were other circumstances which
awakcd suspicious in the minds OF friends
of Mr. Stone. that he was the person in
dicated by Deacon Giles There had
been religious controversy carried on
for some time before between Mr. Cheev.
er and one OF the Unitarian clergymen
in Salem, which was supposed by some
20 have influenced the dream.
The dream itself whate,er truths and
facts may have been here and there ill.,
terspersed. was high wrought fiction o
several columns in length. The diss,lery
the old building. was pretty truly de.
scribed. as being hideous with blackness
saturated with the fumes of the iniernal
manufacture, so that the poisonous liquid
would ooze out in large standing drops
from all the timber., the sight of which
would strike the oeholder with horror.-
The use of the distilled liquor was repre-.
sented as having made sad inroads upon
tire family Of the Deacon. one OF his sons
having in a state Of in,oxica,ion been
drowned in one of the watts. This was
one of the s,ronges, facts, dwell, upon
at the trial, as being literally applicable
to Deacon John Stone. IN the dream ii
was represented that strolling company
OF devils. in the shape Of men, presented
themselves to the deacon, who gladly
received them as the very company he
wanted, TO keep the fires going night and
day, Sundays and all, and proposed te
pay them partly in money the remainder
in the manufactured liquor, as much as
they could drink. They consented, but
the deacon's proposals went so much be-
yond their views Of dev'ltry, that they
concluded among themselvs not to take
money in pay; but in lieu thereof they
ingeniously contrived 10 play several
tricks upon the deacon, which would be
sure to do him more injury than all their
labor was worth. Accordingly they so
prepared the internal spirit, that when
it was sold and deposited in the store Of
the purchaser, each barrel would break
ou: upon its head with living letters ol
lurid light. in words substantially like
,hese-"Dea,h Dis,illery;" thus irighten.
tug ever, body from the store, till the bar
rels ot rum were returned to the Distille'
~, where they had TO be emplied-.a
dead loss 10 the deacon.
This Dream was published about the
middle OF Of the week-say Wednesday
Immediately the numerous friends and
relatives o. Dea. Stone were in a rage
and the principles Of Mr.. Cheever. mora
and religious. being unacceptable to
large maj ajori,y of the inhabitants of Salem
at the time, the newspapers all united IL
raising a clamor, representing the Dream
as being one of the vilest things eve'
published, and the author hardly fit fol
civilized society. Although they did mo-
openly and protessedly invite mob. the,
did the same thing in manner not TO be
misunderstood somewhat In this style
I'VE should greatly regre, TO have the
peace and good order Of our quiet towr
disturbed by mob. bu. ii man vii
persist in such daring manner TO out
rage truth aud justice to the injury o
our most yir,uous citizens and the feel
ines Of all-who could blame them i
they "a mob) should ia their honest in
digna,ion, assail the offender aud admin
is.er Justice in a summary manner!-