The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-02-08
J. BLACK.

Iss55 CINCINNATI. ONO. Oct g. 1859. -
James Black, Esq-Dear Sir: Yours
OF the tWentg-ninth of September, dated
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is now before me-
although not personally acquainted, / take
great pleasure in continuing my mite in any
and every possible mode, where the object is
the bettering of the human family. I have
bad similar letters, with similar requests from
every point of the compass-from the extreme
North, South East and West-to all of which
1 have cheerfully responded believing, al
though the labor has been cons iderable. that
It would tell in after years in the longevity
and health of thousands who would otherwise
nl premature graye,l and would contribute.
to the comfort and happiness of thousands of
mothers and children. who are and have been
unfortunately connected with the info rtun ate
slaves OF intemperance. 1 rejoice to know
that my exposures of the y,lIainous LIQUORS
with which the markets east and west are glut.
ted, have had sanitary moral influence in al.
most most every region of our happy Union. Il
have letters in my possession from ministers of
the Gospel from New Orleans. from Nashville
tennessee, from Florida, from New York
from Boston, from Richmond, Virginia, Alex.
andria, Norfolk, Washington City. Baltimore,
Philadelphia, Pa, from Toronto, from Ham.
llton, Canada. and from all our Eastern States
congratulating and encouraging me to contin
hats han -
to think and stand aghast, more than anything
that they could do or say on the subject Of
Temperance. The same effect has been pro
duced in this community. One gentleman
tapped me on the shoulder some little time
past, and remarked at the same time, Doctor,
1 rejoice to see you take the st taud You do on
the subject of poisonous liquors. 70 can lay
my hands on more than thirty of our best cit
izens, gentlemen who were tippling and tin.
ping from a dozen to twenty times day, and
who were bidding fair to fill drunkard's
grave, who have stop ped short, and do not.
and pledge themselves that they never will
drink any more for fear they may get hold of
some of the miserable adulterations that DR.
Cox is holding up to public view. Thank
God ~. 80. -. :, 49, ---,.,.s
Chemists from various colleges have writ
ten TO me, stating that they had analysed va.
rious samples of the various alcoholic liquors
in our markets, and find the same pernicious
developments which had at various times
indicated in articles which / had written from
Time to time; one of which you will find on
page l23 of the Crusader, which accompan.
les this letter. Another evidence that the ex-
posures which have been making have had a
'alutary moral effect. is that there has not been
one-fourth as much liquor sold yearly since,
rs there was previously and another is. that
! number of large liquor establishments have
'losed-their proprietors running many of their
elbow citizens who had become their sureties.
A, number of distilleries have closed in this Q
'icinity. They have, as tits familiarly called '
burst their boilers. One year previous to 9
hese break-ups, one of our largest distillers
quor merchants in the city said to me, DR.. t
Jox, your articles on the adullerations of lio
ors have taken more trade from Cinci natl 8
nd more money at least one hundred thou
AID dollars per month-since they have been .
ut in circulation For Gods sake, stop them g
r! You will break us up. htive been to q
lew York he says, 'to Boston, TO Rochester, q
, Canada West, and have just returned and Il
herever stopped there was nothing talked ID
but the poisoned liqnors of Cincinnati. and '
r. Cox's exposures. For Gods sake say U
gain. stop itr es
Although the liquors are villainousin the OF
Itreme, there are other large cities equally an
culpable For example: A gentleman of Ia
lr city, druggist, that he might have pure iss
,uor as medical article. and. that kind for
lrity, &C., that he could recommend to his
went to New York and purchased
% half-pipes of splendid Segnette Brandy
9 pale. the other dark, When passing one pa
y, be called me in to see his .6sdutifsb pure err
andy just from New York i stopped
,ked at it, smeiled at it. but before tasting yer
ppened to have some blue ltmus paper in q
pocket ! Introduced small piece it vii
me out red as scarlet ! then called for q odi
lished spa,ula. put it into tumbler con
ming perhaps half gill. and waited on it -
cen minutes at the expiration OF which =
Ne the liquor was black as ink, The spatu-
Corsoded. aud when dried thiok- coating ofEyes