The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-03-13

TEMPERANCE LrcTuRE.-Rev. George II.
V'bbert. of Rockport. Mass, who supplied the
pulpit of the Second Universalist Church in
this city Sunday, delivered Temperance lee
ture ia the evening at City Hall. The attend
ance was very good considering the weather.
Mr.. Y. is an energetic speaker and on this
question is radical to the backbone. be goes
| for "making the streets safe,' shutting up all
| the places where liquor is sold, from the high
| est to the lowest. By so doing there will be no
temptation in the way of those who fiud it inn
possible to abstain from drinking. He would
have inebriate asylums in every county, and
every man, woman or child accustomed to
drink should be sent there, and kept there I'M
til weaned from the accursed habit and the ex-
pense should be paid by the cities or towns
from whence they come. By thus entalllng
an annual expense of, say, $4,000 upon such
a place as Portland the people would demand
the closing of every place where liquor could
be obtained.
He spoke of the license law and stated four
objections to it. LIST, The license paid is blood
money. I'd, 1t is making an infamous business
respectable. Sd. 1t is contrary to all princi-
pies of Christianity. 4th, 1t is nothing less
than free rum. He then examined the present
prohibition law, and thought it was not strln-
gent enough, as the dealer could afford to pay
hne every week. Imprisonment for the first
offence should be the law. He quoted from
Wendell Phillips to sustain points that he
made, and closed with an eloquent appeal to
his hearers to wipe out the sale of Intoxicating
liquors and thus add so largely to the welfare
aud happiness of the whole community.
DR.. Lamb presided at the meeting. The se--
vices were interspsrsed with some excellent
singing, and st the close Mr. E. w. Locke sung
one of his beautiful and touching temperance
melodies.
FIRE.-The alarm of fire from box "a yes
terday afternoon was caused by fire being dis
covered in the three story brick block on Fed
eral street owned by Hon. A. W. 81. Clapp and
occupied by r. E. Cooper & Co., plumbers, No.
100, M. II. Reddy, shoes and clothing, No. Ill,
and F. A. Smith, tailor, No. LIS, on the ground
floor; Prince & WiswelI, tailors, on the second
floor. and Post Bosworth No G. A. r. on the
third floor. The fire was first discovered by
some members of the G.. A. r. who were in
their hall and who noticed smoke coming
through the floor. They rushed down stairs,
broke into the rooms of Prince & Wiswell and
discovered fire issuing from closet in one of
their rooms. They Immediately gave the
alarm and at the same time attempted to ex-
tinguish the flames, but they had got head
way in the wall. The steamers were prompt
ly on the spot and soon had the fire out. before
any great damage was done to the building
and that was done mostly by water The
building was valued at $4,000, on which there
was an insurance in the Narragausett Co., of
Providence, R. l., which will amply cover all
loss. The G. A. r. removed all their things
safely, but their elegant frescoing was damaged
end their loss will reach about $500; insured
for $1,000 in different offices at the agencies OF
w. d Little & Co. and j. w. Munger. Prince
& Wiswell had their stock taken out in DAM
aged condition from smoke and water. They
state their loss at $500 with an insurance OF
$1,000. F. A. Smiths loss, we understand,
will be slight. We were unable to get any
statement as to the losses of r. e. Cooper &
Co. and M H. Reddy, but we presume they
have Lot yet an idea themselves. It was
lucky that the fire was discovered SO soon, for
with the high wind prevailing and the locality
of the block there might have been serious
coDhagration. 1t is the third or fourth time
this block has been Injured by FIRE.