Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1859-01-11

Then he drank - then be lost his place,
and that's his history. / wonder If he's
ever troubled in his dreams? That Is
hummer number one T" he exclaimed
lighting fresh segar.
:. Bummer No. g. repeated.
Yes, certainly. mean the lowest de-
gree of bummerism. For hummerism
has It's grades more distinctly defined than
any other caste ID the great community Of
vice. When q mans material resources
are all exhausted = when morals, self
respect, health, and the power of self
control are sapped and subyerted by one
great sin of drunkenness, when a man
sinks 10 live on The tolerance of a bar
keeper, the conniyance Of the police, and
the precarious honesty of the passer-by-
he becomes a hummer number one"
8 And what is number two z" | asked,
unable 10 repress smile al my friend
classification of the degrees Of vice.
Oh, hummer number two" said he,
. Is man who has reduced himself 10
comparative destitutioD by this vice, who
still possesses the power of self-controi,
but lacks the resolution and love Of virtue
to exercise II. There is hummer number
TWO, that big, wise looking fellow. sleep
ing against the wall wonder. You see
his nose is hot red, nor his cheeks bloat-
ed, because he has not been so long a
worshipper at this shrine but his eyes
are blood shot, and boy twelve years
old has more strength than he Speak to
him, and ask him why he drinks = his
dignity viii he offended, and he viii lee
ture you on the extent Of his knowledge,
and what great man he has teen. He
now manages always to pay fer what he
drinks. hence he Is hummer number two.
'' That well-dressed fellow i cannot
call them men. you know much less gen.
tlernen, = leaning back in the corner
there, with his head on his shoulder, is
specimen of hummer number three. He
can afford to get drunk. on the best Of
liquors. to change his clothing with the
change of the fashion and season, and
lodge respectfully, in short, to live, and he
does nothing but Is hummer fer tin
mere love of the thing. He is b'.mmer
number three"
How do these poor fellows live z" !
inquired.
. They don't live" said Flint; +" they
only exist. Their lamps of life is fed by
alcohol altogether - a natural spirit lamp,
that requires very little OF the fat things
Of this world to keep i burning. They
sleep Just there, just as you see them, uIi
one or two o'clock then they are put
ont on the sidewalk 10 sleep where they
please. In the morning as soon they
enter -"
Whit! and they come again after
u. .r1o.1J 7 lid
Yes" said Flint, tossing his head,
" they would return 10 Pandemonium, for
a little rum. When they enter IN the
morning, each one receives a tw0-cent
glass Of Ium. Then they sweep and
wash olt the bar-yoom, and do whatever
work the bar-keeper commands. Then
each gets a cracker and piece of cheese;
then they light the fire and sit at it, and
then they get each one drink every hour
or so all day, just enough to keep them
half drunk. Next day the same routine
is repeated Thus live the humIners
number one of New ork, and there are
legions Of item.
There are bummers number four and
five. toe" Flint resumed. after a pause
" Yes, even as high as number seven,
some of them. But they are very select
bummers very. They generally loiter
around the hotels ard manage to drink
without paying for it. For this purpose
they merge The profession of sharper
with that OF hummer. and are usually
prepared 10 take hand at any kindred
craft. as occasions present themselves
:. Yes. SIR said he, solemnly, there are
some bummers who even 60 so far as TO
cultivate prejudice against drinking out
of doors at all, and procuring the very
best liquors, get drunk quietly IN their
own rich comfortable chambers and sleep
over it. Those are the wise ones OF the
land, who let not their left hand know
what their right hand doeth. But you
know these are very select bummers, n
very high number. They will die Lum-
mers, too. but the world WON'T know =
High life and responsibility are proofs
against the imputation. Now you see
why / never drink or never will. Let Us
leave here and 90 home
Flint ceased, | admirinGIy lighted a
fresh seger. and we came home accord
ingIy, sober-[N. Y. Leader.
IRIsH HEss.-Biddy was a na-
tive Of ,ne Emerald Isle, ana a servant of
( one Of my neighbors, Roman Catholic