Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-08-10
The Man or the Gorilla.

ward till it wrecked off Cape Lapez.
All went down save one man and the
owner of the craft, a lady of gifts, cul-
ture and courage. They were washed
upon the beach near the mouth of the
Gaboon river. They had the world
to themselves, and resolved to do
their best against destiny. South on
the banks of the Congo they hoped
for friendly natives. Passing back
from the coast up the Gaboon river
they were soon entangled in intermin-
able forests. Here they encountered
a huge gorilla, who conceived for the
woman a strange attachment which
he manifested by his rude attentions.
He broke down trees and hurled
heavy rocks into the air to exhibit
his strength. He would leave her
and in a few hours return bearing
the downy body OF a tiger, or the
huge folds Of boa constructor as a
token of his esteem and a sign of his
power. When she smiled he was
courteous; when she frowned he
threatened. Thus by displays of
power and by threats of wrath he
gained footing in her attention.
Thus they journied together. Grad
ually the gorilla absorbed all the
.ime and attention of the unfortunate
woman; soon she must yield to his
theories of travel; now and then he
would decide upon some rugged as
cent, and if she would not follow he
took her under his huge arm and
sprang up nimble as a cat. Strangely
enough she soon saw in this monster
once so feared, a veritable king,
armed with boundless power, and
swaying a scepter over a vast do
main. She believed she had but to
command and he would shrink from
her presence. They came to a small
tributary of the Congo. To turn to
the right and follow it was to go back
through barbarism to civilization. 1t
was their one chance. To turn to
the left was to fall deeper into the
forests soon to die of the deadly mi
asmatics. The man saw the crisis
and stated the case. The woman
saw it, and, standing between the
man and the gorilla said: Now
must choose. With you is a wrecked
fortune and dead friends, and--here
is an embodiment of strength and
vast estates"
But she forgot that the embodi
lnent OF strength was only a beast
and the estates only jungles, full o.
tigers and demonstrators, and
marshes full of reptiles and diseases
She deserted the man to follow the
gorilla. We think she was insane.
a gorilla received d friend, but
commerce lost a ship and a crew, and
civilization lost a woman. Did il
pay?
Let US grasp the secrets of this his
tory, for these things happened fol
our instruction upon whom the end;
of the world are come.
| would not, brethren, that yol
should be ignorant of the interpreta
ton. Let him that rea1eth, under
stand. The sea is the nineteenth
century. Liberia is the land of lib
erty and equal rights. St. Helena ii
the prison house of slavery. The
Republic was sailing down that way
under full canvas. The great wa
wrecked US. Now we are wandering
in the forests of Gaboon. We hav,
encountered the gorilla, alcohol. HI
is seeking to win and destroy oul
liberty. He brings trophies, bu
they are sleeping tigers or gorgeC
reptiles. He has great strength, bu
that is only gorilla muscle. Can W,
afford to give our government, ou
liberty, our prosperity, our health
all that makes US great as a people
to crafty a beast Must the man b,
sacrificed that we may follow the gor
lila?
Open your eyes. 1t is one i'm
mense building in the midst Of mul
titude Of small ones. Shanties ant
novels swarm about distillery. Th
distillery absorbs the strength of tn
soil, and shades the region so moth
ing can grow. Cut it down, let il
the light, and give the nourishment
fair chance and the shanties will grow
into homes. Some men make none,
out OF rum, but it costs the peace 0
a thousand families to give one man
ufacturer or wholesaler a fortune
Who would have palaces or oper'
houses built of such materials
Every stone in their walls cries fo
vengeance, and drips with the bloot
of murdered innocence. Alcohol pro
duces nothing but crime and pauper
age, and makes the communit,
poorer.
We have more than l 100000 mel
who do nothing but consume wha
sober men produce. They add moth
ing to the aggregate capital. Wh'
fills our poor houses and aims houses
Sober men? Rev. G. Holt, Chaplain
of the Birmingham Work House, say
that ninety-nine per cent of all tn,
inmates are there through the agency
of alcohol.
The Secretary of the State of New
York, in 1853, reports to the legisla
ture that 261,252 paupers were re
lieved during the year, that is, one
fifteenth of the entire population. L
it wise for State to pauper one-ff
teenth of her citizens?
Go to the mad house and see tn,
work by our gorilla. Take one O
the victims, look into the glarine
eyes, watch the working, itching fin
gers as they stretch and reach fol
your throat. Remember that youl
life depends on your nerve; that nj
calculation can guess the next freak
Gaze upon one of these stately ships
| hu.lf oDI r.-coJ g.