The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-02-03
WHOLE NO, SO.

they bore to those far famed cities, now
buried beneath the waters Of the Dead
Sea, for there was no similarity in those
low roofs and smoke and dirt begrimed
walls to the pillared domes and costly
palaces of the cities of the Phin--but
in the crimes perpetrated within, they
would bear comparison. Life's swee,
courtesies never entered those forbidden
doors. Whoever became an inmate
there, left sensibihty and civilization
behind him. There, thirst for gain and
thirst for liquid ruin, swallowed up every
high and holy feeling, and left men
wretched wrecks of humanity, awful
caricatures of the image of their Ma
ker. There horrid oaths and Indian
ye!s disgraced the day, and made night
hideous. There the gambler fleeced his
victim, and turned him penniless upon
the world. There murder, impefled
not go much by hate, as urged on by the
demon of strong drink, sent his victims
''unannointed, unannealed, into the pres
ence OF their Judge.
Were not those dens of iniquity fitly
named? Surely, Sodom witnessed no
darker crimes. Gomorrah knew no
deeper degradation. ~.
With the departure of the Indians,
the numerous trading posts disappear
ed, and gave place to the grogshops of
enlightened society.
At the time of our advent into this
place. liquor could be obtained at but
one establishment, and that was kept by
a woman. 1t may be thought by some.
that it was very unwomanlY, but we
must say that of all the liquor sellers
who have ever disgraoed our village, we
consider her the most excusable and
respectable. A man with his strong
frame and sinewey arm. may hew his
way to competence and dig for mines Of
weather. if physical strength is deni-
ed him, he may turn to some of the
many ways open to masculine energy
and perseverance. But woman, by her
position in the world, is prevented from
engaging in lucrative business, and when
left with family of dependent children
to provide for, is often sorely puzzled for
means to supply their wants.
We cannot but blame any one who
would support family by the ruin Of
others, for we think starvation or beg
gary, far preferable, but we Judge the
woman of whom we spoke by ourselves
when we say, we have no doubt she
would much rather have quarried rock,
split rails, or done any thing honorable
for living.
The feminine establishment was sue
ceeded by others kept by persons who
called themselves men, and as population
increased, the facilities for obtaining the
"cretur" multiplied.
One of the Pioneers in this business,
whose zeal and efficiency was worthy OF
better cause, has found our town too
small for the exercise of his abilities.
and removed to the county seat. 9th
ers, too numerous to mention, tried their
skill in collecting dollars, and dimes. by
the nefarious traffic, but though no fe-
male mob played smash with their bar
rels and bottles, we believe without an
exception, every one who has been en-
gagged in the liquor traffic in this place in
times past, has smashed up'' 6nanci-
ally. Poor encouragement, we think,
for the present generation of grog-
sellers. &c.. ... ...
EARLY in the history of the place, the
friends of Temperance met to organize
society, and a lawyer who had just
come among us, end professed himself
to be warm friend Of Temperance. was
called to the chair, and presided with
becoming dignity. But it seems he had
been playing the game of call things to
all men," and when the meeting was
over, he went directly to grocery, and
took something refreshing after the
fatigues Of the evening. We remember
him with peculiar regard. There were
other traitors in the camp, and when a
man was arrested for selling liquor with
out license, a professed friend of TEN
perance assisted him to escape from JUS
tice, and even went so far as to secrete
him in his house over night.
Lecturers of more or less ability come
among US, and were listened to with
interest endured with patience, or re,
PEELED with scorn, according to their
several merits. The great Little John
appeared, and we expected something
extra, but. his egotism was insuferable,
his common sense wanting, and his
moral faculties alarmingly small. Why
such a man ever engaged in the work
of moral reform, is a mystery bu,
probably he could serve his Satanic
Majesty better SO, than to appear in his
true colors.
There was another champion of the
cause, formerly resident of this place,
who professed one qualification for q
great reformer. He was remarkable
man. A man of long words and exten.
sive observation, and who noted what
he saw and some things which he
didn't see. He declared that in travel.
ing round the world, he had often seen
people enjoying the common miseriea
of life. We should have been glad to
have had him told US how they did it,
for we had heard of enjoying many un.
accountable things, even poor health,
but could not imagine how we might
enjoy misery. He labored with all the
zeal which self-esteem and vanity could
prompt, but his audiences became
''small by degrees and beautifully less. -
Even an illumination got up by some of
the young folks in honor Of one of his
lectures. failed to excite an interest in
his favor. 1t was even hinted, that the
extra candles were intended to throw
light upon subject which his declama-
tions and attempted arguments made
darker. He finally relinquished his