Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1861-12-18
Il s.
ITO SHOOT FoLLY.n
WARREN, O., Dec. 18th, 1861.


On all railroads in the country, the rcd
Light is a sign of danger. Wherever it is
displayed, the wary engineer refuses to ap-
proach, or, if he ventures near, it is with
a great deal of caution, apparently feeling
his way at every step of the iron horse; his
ear strained, a~nxiously catching every un-
usual sound of the machinery his eye in
tcntly fixed on the road before him, to dis
cover any obstruction that accident or de-
sign may have placed in the way his hand
firmly grasping the lever, ready at any mo-
ment to reverse his machinery, and ~retrace
his way if need be. How great his re-
sponsibiliey, how necessary his caution,
for he has lives and valuable freight at
stake.
But, it is not alone on the iron railway,
that red lights betoken danger.
Nature frequently displays the same
signal to warn hcr children of the presence
OF evil. Vide the blOated face and blood
shot eye of the drunkard.
Young man, these are signals that God,
the Great Superintendent of Life's rail
road, has hung out to warn you; the en-
gineer of hat richly frcighted train entrust-
cd to your care; of dangers on the track
directly before You. Think for a moment
of the value of your freight. A fathers
and a mothers fondest hopes. o! how
precious. \ brothers and sisters OK
pectations. Friends and ncighbOrs' con-
fdence, besides your W baggage, such as
selErespect, honor, fame, usefulness, patri-
otism, SC, &c. Now, with these, among
many other breakable articles in your
charge, it behoyes you to cautiously regard
every signal
When you see the first red light, in shape
of bleared eyes and flushed face, hanging
around the many man-traps, known as sa-
looms, groceries, groggeries, doggeries, sc,
with which Lies road is infested, shut off
steam for a moment, read your bill Of lad
ing-"A mothers hopes-thats sufic-
lent; see that no switch is adjusted to turn
your train into the inviting snare set for
you, and when you are sure all is right,
let on a full throttle of steam, keep your
eye directly on the track before you, and
in a moment you will have passed the
greatest danger on the road.
Indeed, as you have a through freight
Of such great Importance, your frcight-bill
should be posted up in some conspicuous
place. so that you can see it at all times.
What an influence for good it would TX
ert-"A fathers and a mothers hopes
who would peril such precious freight? p
That
There is a divinity that shapes our eOds,"
there can be no doubt.
If rcd lights could be hung along the
streets where drinking dens are thickest,
and a large one shed its lurid light at the
entrance to each one cf them, how apprO-
pirate would they be?
Where are men so irretrievably, hope
lessly ruined as there? Where are SO
many budding hopes and happy anticipa-
tons blasted, as there?
Where are so many homes made desc
late and wretched, as there? By what
other curse are SO many gray hairs brought
down to the grave, as by this?
What other source so fruitful in crime,
in pauperism, in Indebtedness; indeed in
every thing that man ought to abhOr?
Yes, hang out the red light, let it glare
by night, and let a red flag faunt by day,
at the door Of every rum-hole in the land.
Surely, If a signal of danger is neces-
sary anywhere. it is there.
Go be resumed)