Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-10-06
Then And Now.

Some years since, in our journeyings. we
passed one of those mammoth dis;illeries that 2
disgrace the valley of the NJ. 1t was in
full blast. An immense volume of black
smoke issuing from its tall chimney, the noise
Of the machinery. the squealiag CT thousands
of filthy kegs, the air polluted wstR 81 lntol-
cradle steleb, all proclaimed THAI an aiemolc
of evil was there. As We drew nearer we
.v farmers Unloading their wagons of grain;
and the coopers were preparing casks for the
:. aqua nortis"-WatsS ofdedth. a score
of immense ironbound vats were smoking
distributed to the thousand of swine in the
~neighborang pens. Every thing indicated
wendertal activity. A friend who accompa-
MED Us remarked, that man is making an
immense fortune ; his profits are said to be
four thousand dollars a month bis credit
is unlimited, the farmers for miles around
sell him their corn and leave the money in
his hands for safe keeping. He is a very
clever man, and gives literally to ali public
enterprises. He subscribed FIVE hundred
dollars towards building a Presbyterian
church a short time ago." On inquiry we
learned that five or six men who had preced-
ed him in the business, had failed within as
many years, and we ventured to predict that
he would " follow in the footsteps of his
illustrious predecessors" Our friend was
incredulous, as he had an immense fortune
when he began the business, and was rapid
~ accunu)ating wealth. AS there are ex-
ceptions to all general rules, we admitted the
possibility of his living and dying rich
/" Sentence against an evil work" is not al
ways speedily executed, and on this account
I" the hearts of men are set in them to do
evil"
A year later, and we had occasion to pass
that way again, and oh, how changed the
scene The distillery, with all the shops,
cribs and acres of hegpens, were empty
The machinery was still no fires blazed, OF
black smoke assembled the whole premise;
seemed to be tenantless ; no living thing wa
to be seen-even the grounds around seem
ed to produce nothing but the deadly stra
!. monium, or worthless dog fennel.
3, The iron hoops were falling from the i'm
5 mense slop-vats, and the slaves were stand
ing at every angle; the hog pens were tum
I bling into ruin in short, the whole seen
Z was one of desolation, defying all ourpow
= ers of description. Some simoom Of God
wrath had swept by, and this place wa
: Converted into q fit abode for lizards, an
t self of the first opportunity to inquire wha
e had wrought such a revolution. The owne
+ had been "untortunate"-whiskey was low
y corn was high, cholera had d~epopulated hi
o pens, some of his commission merchants ha
= failed TO make returns, etc. The poor fel
lows property was all under execution
u hundreds of suits had been instituted han
o raised and worried almost to death the poo
IS devil had abandoned all, and "gone to part
Y unknown" s
The man of whom we inquired espresso
great sympanthy for the farmers who ha
: sold him their corn on credit, and lost all
:e and for the coopers who had trusted him fC
- their barrels. Doubtless our informar
u thought US little better than a heather whe
We expressed our most entire satisfactiO
k that the whole establishment was IN ruin
d the owner a vagabond, and the creditors, (tt
e farmers included,) minus their dues. "Tf
" wages of sin is death" and those who wol
T ;niquity will sooner or later receive the
pay. We bless God shat he has not forge
ten to be gracious, and that he manifests
men in this life his regard for his creature
by thwarting the Vaccinations Of the wicl
~ ed. We never hear of the bankruptcy OF
- distiller without u feeling akin to e~xultatio
ye Who is not gratitied VIXEN a thief or robb
j. falls into the hands of the officers of the la
and is shut up in PRISON. And wi not +
" joice when a manufacturer of distilled da
to nation" is rendered powerless