Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1866-09-08

The man who set the town on fire was in
toxicated at the time, and by his careless
ness has brought large number to penny
less condition. .-Mariposa. Gazette.
The same old story. The man was in
toxicated at the time" Under ordinary cir
cumssances he was probably as careful and
pains-taking as any one but he was intox-
icated-he was under the influence of the
demon. alcohol. Mark the result: Fami-
lies rendered homeless, hundreds of thousands
Of dollars worth of property destroyed.
thriving, prosperous village laid in ashes and
blackened walls and smoking ruins mark the
places where once stood fine stores and neat
cottages. Peruse the sickening details of
brutal murders with which the columns of
our daily papers are crowded, and tie cause
which led to the commission of the crimes Is
almost invariably contained in the sentence,
1.-The man was intoxicated at the time
Read the accounts of arson, robbery, rape,
burglary and theft which meet the eye when
ever paper is taken up, and in vast majori-
ty of the cases it will be found that liquor
prompted the deeds. Question the condemn
ed felon. as with falte1ng steps he ascends
the gallows, ask the inmates of our peniten-
tiaries, jails and poor-houses. to what cause
they owe their downfall, and the universal
answer is-alcohol. Could the dead speak,
could the moulderng remains of the myriads
who have perished through the blighting in
huence of this fell destroyer, be terminated
with life, what direful tale of woe and suf-
fering, of broken hearts and blasted hopes,
would they relate. Alcohol is the foulest
fend ever sent forth from hell to torment
mankind. 1t respects neither age, sex or
condition. Its victims are as numberless as
the sands on the sea shore. 1t maddens the
brain, blots out all the finer sensibi!ities of
humanity, and transforms men into beasts
and demons incarnate. 1t turns the hand of
husband against wife, father against son and
brother against brother. 1t lights the incen-
diary's torch, and the smoke of burning cities
and towns mark its devastating progress.
1t plnnges the knife of the assassin into the
heart of his victim, and midnight brawls,
vice, crime, degradation, squalid poverty and
wretche dness are its legitimate offspring.
The weeping of widows. the wailing of help
less orphans, the mawkish gibbering of insan-
ity and the groans of its dying victims, is
sweet music to this merciless fend. 1t is no
respecter of persons. The high and low, rich
and poor, educated and ignorant. virtuous
and depraved, all, all are alike subject to its
baleful influence When once il has obtain
ed foothold. it retains its grasp with an iron
hand, and with almost resstless power lures
its victim on to destruction. Young man.
have you acquired taste for strong drink |
If so, pause before it is too late. A deadlier |
serpent that the cobra is coiled in the wine
cup you are lifting to your lips. You are
standing on the brink of precipice! one
step forward and you will be plunged into
the dark abyss of everlasting perdition. If
you value life, health. happiness and good
name. shun the fend as you would death.
Touch not taste not, handle not" Remem-
Der the teachings of your childhood. Recol-
lect that the prayers of fond father, doting
mother and loving sisters. are daily offered
that you may be kept from temptation and
sin. Be man, and not slave. Wealth,
honor and happiness will be your reward if
you resist the wiles of the tempter. while
poverty, degradation and misery will be your
portion if you listen to his siren tongue
Which course will you pursue: