Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-01-31

his mind for the worst.
Beside writing often to his wife and friends
in the Isle of Man, the Doctor has been en-
gagged in the composition of a poem, which
we have no doubt will be widely read. 1t
runs as follows, and, as will be discovered,
is quite a medley:
STRANGE I~HFATUATIoN.
Guilty and innocent, at times reflect
Upon the cause, the increase and effect
OF daily vices, which nave always stood
Opposed TO private worth, the public good.
Vile, ~ruinous, destructive, great and small,
One is, we must admit, the most of all.
AL kindreds suffer in its lightning girth
of every people on the face of earth.
Not long ago where'er this vice was nam'd,
This noble continent was justly fam'd
For freedom from it, Now-mors's the
pity
Itreigns supreme Ger country, town and
city.
Domestic peace it breaks. uprOots the
health
Of social law in State and Commonwealth.
But from its ills, I'll for q moment turn
To the location of my brief s~ojourn.
Not to p~articularize among the rest
That it is worse than others, nor the best
In moral tone, but simply speak the
truth,
The growing cause Of crime in age, in
youth.
Scarce three score years and ten, since In
dian trail
Was followed safe thro' woods and down
the vale
Where now canal and river run to hide,
Commingled waters in Old Fries tide.
Where red men chased the flying deer in
sport
Is now a finished town, a thriving port
Wealth, commerce, enterprise combined tC
make
C~uyahoga's Forest City of the Lake,
Whose public buildings, churches, schools
are classed
Equal in architecture, unsurpassed
BY any place for homes in pretty lots
Palatial mansions grand, with coy cots
In shaded streets, from Kinsman to St
Clair
Ohio City-Wilson to the Square;
The avenue, the suburbs round 70 Bank,
We find abodes well suited to each rank
While style and fashion, etiquette, bon-ton
Are set to Euclid's rules. They can't be
wrong!
Ability and talent, beauty, where
To Cleveland's sons and daughters can
compare?
I A6oOCAaAAgA2V ACdAA - ACLA
Instructive aid in literature TO bend
Its youth to purity of mind and heart
And will, from which they never should
depart.
But all are mortal, not one exempted
From Satan's quick device; each is
tempted.
Conspicuous at corners everywhere
The gilded signs, the blazing lamps, the
snare
To coax, entiee, to cheat you to your face
0fau that's noble in the human race.
But I'm depressing; b~ye-and-bye I'll tell
Ofevils that we see and know SO well
Yet take no warning, for to ev'ry hand
We turn to see the same throughout the
land.
Such then this iavOr'd spot for comfort,
health,
Or riches, if you yet must strive for
wealth.
But how TO make it? l will take you where
Keen speculation turns an equal share
0flabor, genius, art, in business whirl'd
To find that magnet which will draw the
world.
Natures planning, but busy men applied
The plateau tween the East and Western
side;
The depot, which Superior ores has made
A great emporium of the iron trade.
Machinery of ev'ry shape and kind
In evry trade where metals used you'll
find
In constant action by mechanic skill,
Producing wonders of the human will.
All buyers here their utmost wants can win,
Be suited from an anchor to a pin.
In constant toll these workshops never
cease
Dispensing implements for war or peace.
Steam's mighty power mechanism SPLEEN
did
Rare invention, are in science blended.
1t is not strange where so much work is
done,
Are men of every people meath the sun ;
4 varied crowd, such a congregation
Of ev'ry handicraft; from every station
In lifs's stage, samples of every nation
Could scarce be matched in all creation,
As a community in one location.
IT'S certain Virtue does not reign alone
In such a medley. Tempting Vices
Is well supported; hourly, all day long
Brings soIne fresh bait to catch the busy
throng-
Not the men-it is the Money sought for
By strength of limb, sweat of brow they've
worked for.
Lottery unerring-a bank quite sure
To catch the earnings of both rich and
poor.
The mediums plain, tits proven daily,
"Whisky"-Irish, Scotch, Monongahela,
soread the tinsel labels, but to hide
The poison by the x multiplied;
The workman's curse, the d~runksrd's boon
Quite pure, Of course, served out in each
saloon.
Would it were so distilled from good old rye,
Or corn, or wheat, in safety then we'd try
At needed hours, and then discreetly use,
But not as now so foolishly abuse
In dissipation. Oh how many times
Is drunkenness the parent efall crimesI
How altered The old folks used to sup
Their beverages from the bowl, the stir
rup cup
In sociality; or swell the tide
In mirth or friendship round their fire.
side.
Or when good company were called to dine,
Twas custom then TO pass around the
wine.
The usual thing, a glass of ale at lunch,
And after supper, try a drop of punch.
They meant no harm, indeed propriety,
Such was the rule IN good society.
The pioneer TO lend q neighboring axe,
Claimed the earthen jug, then the only
tax.
The sturdy farmer scarce an acre titled
Without, behind the stump it lay, well
filed.
Mechanic, laborer, hunter, in good cheer,
INDUCED in spirits, or in healthier beer.
Free from acquired disease, so passed their
day.
In vigorous health they rose, in rest they
lay,
Not fearing calls from furious demons,
Nor hell on earth-Delirium Tremens-
Avaunt ye spectres! whisky-craving sad
ness!
Blue devils snakes suicidal madness
The old folks ale was made from malt and
hops,
Their rum was essence of the sugar crops.
Merry toasts they gave without a parley,
In foamy fusions strong made from barley.
Without a dread, they would be pleased to
A little whisky for the stomach's sake;
Or, if high-minded, could their taste en-
nance,
By drinking randy-genuine-pure from
France.
But why continue in the catalogue
Of things of by-gone days, and purer
grog!
Suffice it t say, the world is changed, we're
sure;
IT'S difficult to get a thing that's pure.
Notice now the many shakes and shrugs
Men make to swallow manufactured
drugs
In shape Of cordials why, it is enough
To make men swear against the cursed
stuff
That brings disease, sin, crime, with all the
rest
OF evils, fresh from satan's medicine
chest.
Now, don't mistake me. Much as 1 respect
Men of the olden time, 1 don't elect
Their habits as the standard, nor the way