The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1867-11-21
H0RaCE GREELY and TEMFERRh CE.

= Horace Greedy, in his Ledger papers,
has the following chapter on Temper
ance IN All Things -
On the first day of January, 1924,
while living in WesthaYen, VI, | delibeI-
ateiy resolved to drink no more spirituous
liquors. At this time, l had heard of
persons who had made a kindred resolve,
but / had not known one. | probably
had heard that Temperance societies had
someW here been formed, though [ 90 not
now distinctly recolect the circumstance
l believe the first American society that
adopted the principles of Total Absti-
nence-at least from distilled liquors
had been organized in rural township of
Saratoga county, N. Y, in 1917 but the
American Temperance Society was yet
unknown, and did not adopt the princi-
pie of total abstinence from alcoholic
| beverages until 1888.
Whiskey was the universal luxury-I
might say the poor mans only luxury
ia Vermont, IS rum had been in New
Hampshire. The apple tree fourished
luxuriantly, and bore abundantly on the
! virgin soils wherein il was generally
| planted; AID while each settlers "ciear-
ing" was shut in by the grand old woods,
which soitened the harsher winds aud o5-
( structed the dissemination Ot fruit destroy
/ lug insects. Good peaches were grown
! in southern New Hampshire fifty years
ago; whereas they can no longer be pro
/ duced, save rarely and scantIy, in south
cru New Y York. Cider was, next 10 water
/ the most abundant and the cheapest fluid
: 70 be had 10 New Hampshire, while !
( lived the:e-0ten seiiInE for dollar pei
barrel La many q family Of six or eight
( persons, barrel tapped on Saturday bare
! ly lasted full week. Whoever dropped
/ in Of an evening expected 10 be treated
/ to cider a mug, once enlptied, was quick
| ly rehlied; and SO on, until every one wa.
! about as lull as he could hold. The tran
! sition from cider TO warmer and more po
! tent stimulants was easy aud natural; 81
/ that whole families died druukards anC
vagabond paupers from the impetus frs
given by cider swilling in their rura
! homes.
l believe / was five years old when N,
! grandfather w oodburn's house in Lon
donderry was, one winter day, filed Will
relatives, gathered, in good part, from
Deering, WiDdham, and from Vernon
towns originally settled from the old hive
who, after dinner, departed in their sleigh
to visit some other relative, taking ou
old folks with them, and leaving but thre
or four little boys of us to keep house til
their return. a number of half smokec
cigars We're left on the mantel, and som
evil genius suggested to us tow headed
ur2hins that it would be smart and cleve
to indulge IN general smoke Lik
older fools, we went in and [ was sool
tAe sickest mortal On the face of thi
planet. | cannot say as to my comrade
in this folly; but that haitinch of cigar
stump will last NE all my life, though it
years should outnumber Methuselah's
For a decade thereafter, it was often IN
filiai duty to fill aud light my mother
pipe, when she had lain down for he
after dinner nap; and she, having take
it, would hold It and talk till the fire ha
gone out, SO that it must again be lightc
and drawn till the tobacco was well ign
ted so l know that, if had not bee
proof against the narcotic seduction.
should have learned to like the soothin
weed but ] never useG, nor wished (
use it as a seoatiVe or luxury after NJ
one juvenile and thoroughly conclusiv
experiment. From that hour to this, th
chewing, smoking, or snufing of tobacc
has seemed to me, If not the most perm
cious, certainly the vilest, most detestab
) abuse of his corrupted sensual appetit,
whereof depraved man is capable.
In my childhood, there was no merr,
f making, there was no entertainment
relatives or friends, there was scarcely
casual gathering of two or three neighbo
for an evenings social chat, without stron
drink. Cider. always, while it rename
drinkable without severe contortioDs
: Visage, rum at all seasons and on all ooc
/ sions, were required and provided. \
house OF barn wsb raieed without boul