The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1859-06-15

THE WAY TO RUIN.
ny REy. :. n. rAnKn.


since i came from Brookville" said gen.
tleman, apparently about forty years Of
age, TO an old man with whom he was
conyersing, just as l entered the cars.
Doubtless many changes have taken
place since that, in the adopted home Of
my childhood"
"Yes," said the old gentleman. shut
the place has not changed as much as
some Of the inhabitants. Many of the
Oldest. fathers and mothers have gone to
their final rest, and their wild and romp-
ing boys and girls now occupy their places,
and have become staid and reliable inhab-
itants; but this is not the case with all,
for some preferred to travel the way to
ruin, and have long since reached their
destination" This last observation at
tracted my attention, and as the CONVEX
sation did not partako of the nature of
secrecy, concluded that ! would listen,
and see if / could learn something def
!, mite about the road TO ruin.
The younger Of the two gentlemen sat
some moments in apparent reyery, and
then observed, "There were many noble
specimens Of manliness and honor, among
the young people of Brookville, fifteen
years ago, indeed. / do not know that
ever sawa community of young people,
whose prospects for the future were better
than theirs. They were generous and vir-
tuous, and as a general thing had formed
high resolves for the future. There was
James Gorton, who was one of the no
blest of the band. We were almost con-
slant companions; we played and studied
together days, and slept together nights,
without the least misunderstanding, for
he did not seem TO know how 10 say no,
or to be selfish. And after l came from
Brookville, 1 heard that he had married
Mary Green, the loveliest girl in the town,
and bought the Allen farm, just above
the village, with the means left him by
his father, and had settled there to enjoy
life. Can you tell me how they get along!"
"Oh, yes, was well acquainted with
them. They got along fast and reached
complete ruin years ago, and are nearly
forgotten"
ais it possible? l have always sup
posed his punctlious regard for truth, and
his indomitable energy, would be a sure
guard against danger from that quarter"
"And so they would, if the danger
had come from direction where they
could have made an available de-
tense. But as ill-fortune would have il,
the temptation and danger came at a point
where he was the least prepared TO resist.
You have referred to the fact that he was
unable to say NO-and that very inabil-
ity finally proved his ruin"
81 will tell you. About one year af-
ter James Gorton's marriage, the old tav-
ern in Brookville changed hands. The
new landlord was shrewd, good-natured
man, who bent all his energies 10 the
prosecution of his business. He renova-
ted and improved his house, and made it
very desirable stopping place for young
men of leisure. And when they were in
duced TO spend an idle hour in his nicely
furnished bar-room, there was no want of
means 10 take them step further; for he
never wanted an excuse TO ask his young
guests TO drink at his expense, and they
could never say no, he was SO social and
good-natured. And the result was, that
in less than six months, several of the
most respectable young men in town
formed such an appetite for intoxicating
liquors that they did not wait to be treat
ed or urged to drink. James Gorton was
among the number, and report frequently
said that he drank too much, though no
one considered him in danger. During
those seasons Of Incorporate drinking, he
associated with dissolute spendthrift,
who persuaded him to become his surety
for large amount, and finally failed,
dragging Gorton down with him to COM
plete bankruptcy. This almost drove
him TO madness, and he sought to find
insensibility in The intoxicating bowl.
His wife plead with him to desist, but it
was Of no use; he only abused her for the
interest which she took in his welfare, and
neglected her and everything else for rum.
And she soon died in consequence of sor-
row and neglect.
"Within two years from the improve
ment of the tavern in Brookville, James
Gorton was laid in drunkard's grave by
the hand of charity, having become so
degraded by drunkenness that no one
mourned his loss. And since that time,
numbers more have followed in his wake.
He travelled the very Udy TO ruin; and it
led right through the bar-room of the
Brookville tavern-the spirits in the bar
drew the train, and the landlord was the
engineer. And if everything was called
by its right name, every bar where intox-
icating drinks are sold would bear this
inscription in large letters-THE WAY
TO RIIINn