New-York daily tribune., 1859-01-04
lesp11nrk Daily Mibnars
DRINKING CUSTOMS IN "OUR TOWN.
HOW OR LAWYERS DRINK.

HUN VI LAW 1ENS DhlNh
Ii is al old saying that burned children dread the
FIRE, ard il is very just saying. When experience
or observation asserts any particular article 10 be
dangerous to life or health, the tendency among COM
mon people is to put that article under ban. For
instance the time was when "our town had no gas
works 10 illuminate our streets and private dwellings
Our tidy housewives declare that oil the oils are
filthy nusances and, az for candles, they have bad
reputation as at best being greasy, as not being
very pure tallow, very sweet grease of auy sort.
In fact, for time, sperm, tallow, wbsleoi, nog-o
horse oil and all the greasy lighting substances, fell
under the displeasure Of our people. Gradually they
began TO try all the patent camphene lamps, and then
the burning fluid, and the latter became general
favorite. But, one evening foolish servant was I'LL
ing lighted lamp, and away it flashed Ike powder.
The consequence was that the poor cret.ure was
burned ~ death. This startled people little AT
another time, man was in haste to put the fud in
lamp that going out, and he too forgot his danger
He terribly burned, and of his children lost
his life. This set people to thinking that theee
plosive or highly ccnbustible articles were TO be
dreaded, because, if not closely watched, accidents
might occur from their use. 10 another family child
upset glass lamp and broke it, endangerDg the
house and all in it. The mother Of one family was
burned to death, and in another house, several per-
sons were sitting quietly around the table reading,
when the lamp exploded, and two lives were lost
These are only few specimens Of damage from this
cause but one result is quite noticeable refer to
the wholesome dread of the dangerous article pro-
duced by these sad accidents. Many families banished
il altogether, others would not il when children
were exposed and for those families in which the
accidents occurred there was an unconquerabe dread
of the thing which produced them.
But what has this to do with the drinking customs
in our town. and especially with our lawyers Per
haps MY point can better be seen by naming few
facts. Our legal gentlemen, as body, we are proud
Of They learned genial public spirited, upright
and eloquent enough for us. We are prood of our
lawyers. Well, one evening was seated in circs o!
these fine fellows and being modest man, had but 1t
tie do beyond hearing their conversation and bear
ing my part in the frequent laugh excited by their
witty anecdotes repartee One thing struck me
very forcbly that their special profession gave shape
and color to their conversation to considerable e1-
tent Their anecdotes were about courts, lawyers and
clients and matters ike these. II was especially in
teresng to hear them speak Of the brilliant Mr. A,
who, owing to q debauch the night previous was
making sad work with an important lawsuit until he
began to pour down the iced champagne aud the elo'
quent MIR. B the finished speaker, whose greatest
effort on the Public Park Of - was made under tue
inspiration Of gin; and the magnificent Mr.. d., who
was topper before he lef college, but in spite of this
iurmty achieved for himself Of the highest posi-
tions in this nation; and the profound, learned acute
Mr.. E. the great framer Of Our Constitution, whose
love Of painfully notorious; and the sweet
toned persuasive scholarly advocate and orator, Mr.
E. who would steal your heart away in spite of you,
and yet he was such hard driDker And thus these
gentlemen reported anecdotes about many distinguished
lawyers who had fallen victims to strong drink.
In spite Of the entertainment afforded by the vagares
of these great when drinking, it easy TO
written on every countenance "Whst pity such men
should destroy themselves go foolshyl" And 40 it
was a pity.
But the more l thought on what usnspirng
about me, the more wondered at the Sigh. eff cts
produced by the very facts our lawyers were relating
TO one another For Instance Que would suppose that
my friend M f.. who at the bar, sppng bis brandy,
would say 10 himself this is the very article which
destroyed lawyer A." that my friend, NJ. c., who,
at dinner drinks his old Monongsh shela could think
that that was very article which opened the drunkards
grave for lawyer r.; that my friend Mr. H.. whose
eyes snd cheeks show that the ens OF the decaner
aud wne-boite have not ef. him a. sober at the even.
ing party or public dinner when he came, would re-
mind himself that this the very beginning OF
lawyer C.s descent into the sbyss Of drunkenness.
And thus in the lawyers of another generation, who
had pershed by some form Of intoIicstion, could
perc.ve the counterpart Of tho'e now living. These
worthy gentlemen, nov 80 lively seemed 70 m. turn
irg into or at least toward the very brosd way which
coDdu ted some OF their predecessors TO death It's
to be hoped that all Of them will not perish IN this
way. II Is by no likely that they will, but /;
the past is the prophet Of the present, Whist is more
certain than ths, s0ms Of them viii resch that msera
be fate
In their conversation my legal friends showed that
they knew no; few facts pointing to the danger OF
forming these drinking habits ami also that the liquors
now drank are poisoned in a manner aud degree not
AIMED Of by the legal sois Of former days and yet
they ZIP wine, and they sip brandy sni they SIP gin,
and they sip lager and they sip great many things
which make people drunk. Ii burned children fear
the Gre" Why do lot these peop'e show some whole
some fear o. the vice which hiss destroyed 20 many
hui dreds Of their own profession
And while speaking this subject cannot suppress
my sstopisbmeut that our legal gentlemen are not
cured 0. this propsn,.tv whs. they see among the