Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-10-27
Deacon Giles Distillery.

Most of our readers have heard of
Deacon Giles DistiIlery, and OF DR..
Cheever's having suffered the penalty of
the law. for brief season, owing to the
libel suit which grew out Of his connec-
tion with it. A correspondent of the
State Temperance League, Syracuse, N.
w. gives the following account Of it.,
which may refresh the memory OF many
who have forgotten exactly what "Deaccn
Giles Distillery" was:
In Salem, Mass in 1885, were four
distilIeries, where, day and night, Sab.
bath as well as week days, these distiler.
les poured forth not less than 100000
gallons Of ardent spirits annually, The
murty @ establishments attracted the at
tion of the Rev. Geo. i. Cheever. who
was at that time young minister in that
place. OF 5000 persons admitted to the
workhouse, within few mirutes walk Of
his study, it was asccrtainel that 1900
were brought there, directly or indirectly
by intemperence. Over these evils, and
the untold corruption Of pub ic sentiment
the Rev. DR.. Cheever could not sleep in
Salem without dreaming ga dream which
was not all a dream" and the same was
published in the Salem Landmark in
February, 1885, aud a tremendous ex.
citemcnt was tn, result. The substance
of the dream was this:
Deacon Giles. being the owner of a
large distillery, had quarrel with his
workmen on Saturday in the forenoon,
and they all went oft in anger. He was
in deep trouble for want of hands to do
the work of the devil on the next Lords
day. In the dusk of the evening a gang
OF singular looking fellows catered the
door Of the dis,ilery and offered to work
for the deacon. Their dress was wild
and uncouth, their eyes gared, and their
language had an awful tone. He made
them his accustomed offer, of as much
rum every day when their work was done
as they could drink. Some Of them
broke out and told him, they had enough
hot things where they came from. without
drinking damnation in the distillery.-
They demanded sum which he said he
would not give. Finally he said he
would give them one-half what they ask.
ed if they would take two.thirds Of their
pay in Bibles. When he said Bibles
they all looked towards the door and took
a step backwards, and the deacon thought
they trcmbled, but whether with anger,
delirium tremens. or something else he
could not tell. They winked and made
signs to each other, and finally engaged
to work for The deacon on his own terms,
it he would let then work by night in
stead of day. To this he agreed and
they went to work.
The deacon had fresh cargo of mo-
lasses to be worked up, an a great many
casks then in from his country customers,
to be filled with liquor. Tho deacon
locked up the doors that night, leaving
his disiillcry to his new workmen. As
soon as the deacon was gone, his new
workmen commenced their legitimate
business. The distillery glowed with fire
as il the chambers of hell had been
transporte to earth with all its inmates.
and the figures of demons leaping and
yelling in the midst of the workmen gave
an appearance to the whole thing like tho
entrance to the bottomless pit. The work
of distilIing seemed like play to them.
and they carried it on with supernatural
rapidity. Tho distillery was hot enough
to boil molasses in any part of it. The
boiling liquid with fiery stream was
spouted forth from one receptacle to an
other. and the distilled liquor Was drafted
into empty casks and hossheads ready for
the deacon's customers. These workmen
seemed to be engaged amid the lurid
flames and boiling liquids with such ia.
miliar and malignant satisfaction, that
one would conclude the business of dis
tilhng was as natural as hell, and must
have originated there, They would lift
hogshead Of liquor as easily as you
would lift a teacup. These workmen
concluded they would cure the deacon Of
hereafter Offering rum and Bibles to his
workmen so tsey formed plan of writ.
ing certain invisible inscriptions on all his
rum casks, which would remain invisible
until the rum got into the hands Of his
customers, aud as soon they were broach.