Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-07-10
Gambling and Intemperance the
Result.

/
Result.
About thirty years ago, a few honest, per-
severing men established line of steamers to
run on the Western waters. The enterprise
was one of vast importance, and Providence
seemed to favor the selection of men capa-
BILE Of the task. Two of the leading men
were thorough-going business men, and man
aged well their department, and soon enlist
ed others equally qualified in the manage
ment of the boats. The former partners not
being blest with families from which they
could occasionally fill a vacant office, were
liberal id extending their favors to such
young men as they deemed worthy, while |
the latter introduced their sons and other
relatives. Prosperity crowned their success,
and even small stockholders were made rich.
No pains were spared to please every social |
department of the travelling community by !
the officers OF this line, from the captain to
the cabin-boy from the time the boat left |
her moorings at one port, until she discharg-
ed her passengers and freight at her port of
destination, each filled the Office assigned.
And now for the moral of their indulgence
in gambling and intemperance.
Captain s., one of the most promi-
nent of the firm, was an old keel boat man,
and by all who knew him, was known as
second to no man as pilot or commander TO
him was assigned the command of the first
/ class boat of the line. To Captain A.
No. of the first class. The commission
business of the line was carefully conducted
by two others of the firm equally qualified
in their departments. Card playing was
common TO all, and no man could be consid--
cred good-fellow among riUcr-men, at this
date, who refrained from the indulgence of
gambling and intemperance.
As the managers of these boats were men
of iron constitution, and used to the hard
ships of the keel and boat life, they nat
urally gave out to men of their own class of
moral education the most lucrative offices,
such as pilots, mates, etc. As the business
increased, new boats were placed on the line,
and captains of social qualifications selected.
Among the first of these was Captain E,
who was much beloved by all who knew him,
and indulged in all the varieties of his en-
ployers, but as he had been differently edu-
Gated, the dissipated habits of his Western
companions soon made him a victim to a
premature death. His place was filled by
another, and his name was soonsforgotten.-
A second, third, and numberless were they
who followed in his tracks, and were cut off
by death, or had to abandon their offices for
want of temperate and moral qualifications
to fill them. Nor was the curse confined to
the line of steamers alone. The counting
rooms OF their merchants were infected, and
one youth after the other dropped like the
scar leaves of auumn All this time the
school of gambling and 8ntemperance was
kindly fostered upon the steamers. And
what was still more revolving, the gray-head-
ed father, the commander of one might fire.
quently be seen seated at the same gam
bling table with his beardless son, contend
ing for the mighty dollar, each disgusting
their audience (even the gamesters them
selves) with their vile imprecations and vic
ious manifestations toward the other.
One of these, beautiful child, was placed
in charge of the bar on his fathers steamer
at an infantile age and size, and taught t
swear, drink liquor, and gamble. In size
Intellectually or physically, the son was NO
equal to his father, who, we repeat, was b,
nature a good-hearted, upright man, and only
for the want of a better, and moral ed
ucation, prevented from being capable O
filling some of the highest anG well.deServet
Offices
The boy (now a man in his own estima
tion) sought and won the hand of beauti
ful and highly respected young lady in tn
city of his nativity, and became the partne
of her life in the joys and sorrows Of earth
The indulgent father, Immediately after hi
marriage, brought out fine steamer an
placed him as captain, to run in connectio
with the other boats of the line. One tri
proved his incapacity, and Immediately
change of business was proposed by the ia
ther, and accepted by the son. This was n
other than the keeping of a gambling an
drinking saloon, in connection with the M
torious Captain John Howard, who, som
years SINCE was assassinated by gambler a
st. Louis, and whose wife "a deeply-iniure
woman) few years previous to his demise
while under the influence of delirium, Gu
the throat OF his paramour, Iii the city {
Cincinnati. Howard and his young frien
soon disagreed, and dissolved partnership, til
youth still persisting in his course of diss
, patton and villainy. He was now fathe
: curse to his family, and moral pestilenC
to society. His father now saw his error
the education of his son, and with despa
ceased furnishing the means for him TO gra
ify his prohifate nature. The unfortu
nate wife of the trained villain was oblige
, to return to her fathers house for proteetic
, against the ill-usage of her youthful husban
At this stage of the drama, another az
cession to the young tiand made herself nt
torious it was his mother. The morals
- her life, up to this period, had not bes
the most pure, as had been clearly prov,
! in the misfortune Of her only daughter
3 short time after the marriage of her so
The complaints of the reckless son to Il
| mother, of his misfortunes, of the close fist
E treatment of his father, melted in her boso
a still deeper interest, and she took star
= in the sons behalf, the father still doil
( what ne thought it his duty to do and holdil
: out great property inducements for the i
i formation of his boy.
e The second son was now the old man
r hope, and the two fallen children, t
j.. preference of the mother. The daught
' became the wife of respectable young ma
d and this still added to the advantage of I
g pro6igate son, through the designing moth.
It which, it was now placed beyond all cav
o had not the moral interest in her HUSBAND
S welfare that her position as wife a
it mother should have had. This fact bel
e evident occasioned Captain S-much trc
bic of mindi and the dark hours of his ex
J. tence appeared to be rapidly closing arou
g him; age had already placed him within I
! twilight of eternity, and he was rendered {
se of the most miserable of men. But his be