The Republican journal., 1871-02-16
Oh. P,sHAW,

Oh, PsHAW
We are favored with copy Of the repor,
of Mr.. Eaton Shaw, who dispenses spirit
ual comfort at the agency in Portland, which
the State has established with the thoughtful
care for its children that is so shining a char
acteristic Of the republican party As we
have before stated, the figuring up Of the
years business, the :" demnition total" is
thus
Whole amount of sales, 101, 59l .56
Commissions, 6,oS2.49
1t will be seen that this puts very respect
able sum into the pocket Of the Commission
Ell. 1t is doubtful whether, when a preacher
of the gospel, he gave SO good an account Of
the profits of his stewardship. II he did, it
is lamentable that he saw fit to change
from dispenser Of salvation without money
and without price, to dealer in wet damna.
ton, at q round figure, and commission to
himself of seven per cent.
The Commissioner, who gathers the town
agencies under his wings by sort of hen
and chicken arrangement, is troubled about
his offspring. His apprehensions are of two
kinds. First, he says ''some agencies are
found to be perverted by the sale Of spurious
liquors obtained from illegal sources That
is, they don't trade with Shaw who represents
''the law and the profits Second, ''at some
agencies the profit charged TO purchasers is
hot To M 20, La
serious coupling Of evils-bad rum at high
price. 1t is Il relief TO know that neither of
these evils crops out from the head centre at
Portland. There everything is serene. In
deed the agent complains that she is allowed
to charge only seven per cent commission"
From all of which the conclusion comes that
the State Agent thinks he is not getting fair
show, and that $6,7S2 Is not enough for
disseminating great moral ideas through his
demiiohns.
Appended to the report is list of the towns
that purchased the sanctled article of Mr.
Shaw, and the amount in dollars and cents Of
their trade for the year Ii is a curious fact
that Lewiston heads the list, having bought
Ss,3l3 worth, and thus we find the place in
which the Maine law is most rigidly enforced
TO be the largest consumer in i lawful way.
Allowing the average price to be five dollars
per gallon, that city was furnished with 1862
gallons, or an average of more than two gal
Ions and a half for every man who voted for
Perham. OF course no other class is allow
ed to have the dangerous fluid Portland is
next on the list, with little bill of So, 10,
which is abstemious, considering her size
Bangor democratic city, had only S4,347
worth. Belfast modestly bought only little
bill Of S1,G76. But it took s., 232 to quench
the thirst of Wateryille. Camden put sticks
in its lemonade to the amount Of only S561.
Belmont had 's4O6. Lincolnville $3.50. Ap-
pleton cautiously bought only 1855 worth,
perhaps with the idea of seeing if those who
partook survived a reasonable time, before
venturing on larger bill. Bucksport had
81, 100; Waldoboro, 81 ,454; Winterport
1902 Ellsworth $l,O49; Frankfort, 1884.
| One little item will arrest the attention Of
the searcher into curious statistics. Ham
Loo
Mr.. Shaw's fluids The name Of Grant is
suggestive OF good cheer, and it is not re-
markable that this population should be jolly
The place may have been named after a loyal
combination Of our President and u S. Senator.
We can earn nothing Of it from official re-
cords, save that it IS in Oxford County, and
| in 1868 cast IA votes for Grant and for Sey-
mour. With supply Of over IA gallons to
each voter, one would think the faithful
there were holding perpetual celebration
over the christening Of the place.
| special amendment to the State Agency
law permits the agent to sell to towns out
side the State. 1t gives him the right
the spread himself over the whole
country, with an indefinite increase Of
customers and per cent. Curious to see to
what extent other States had rushed in to
secure the pure and unadulterated article of
Shaw, we find that only the little mountain
town of Freedom, in New Hampshire, has
taken the privilege, with 1925 worth. We
shall look for next years report, to see If she
repeats the dose, as IN endorsement Of the
quality of the fluid If she does, it will be
proper to change the glowing lines Of the
poet, and sing
when Freedom from her mountain height
| Unflrled her standard to the air,
she drew on Shaw for rum ut sight,
| And got rs tight as thunder there"