The Portland daily press., 1871-01-04
DAILY PRESS.
ND.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1871.

PORTLAND

Prohibition.
have been inquired of many times if by
"Slab City," I did not mean this village, that
or the other? the querists being quite sure
their thought about it was right. The fact is
that at the time of our mission to Slab City
there were many places in Maine that would
answer very nearly TO my description of that
place. --+-a'. ~ ---s'i 49,
As / was driving out of this village on a
bright June morning, at the time of my sec.
ond visit, heard my name called loudly, and
ON looking back saw man running toward
me from comfortable house by the road side.
Il beg pardon for hailing you so abruptly y
said he, 'but 1 want 10 tell you something
which know will please you. About quar-
ter OF mile ahead, on your left, is house.
out-houses and farm that want you to take
special notice of-you'll know it by the large
barn, nicely clapboarded and painted. 1t be
longs to Mr.. Blank-old Blank we used to
call him, one of the most drunken men in our
place, at the time you held the meeting here
in the old meeting house. Why, I've been in
at his house-not this one, many times, when
I've heard noise, because feared he'd hurt
his wife or some of the children. When be
was in liquor the very evil one was in him
rum didn't make him sogey or dumpish, as /;
does most folks, but made him rayinc mao
and he'd fly at anybody in them tantrums, e.
pecially his wife. The old house stood una
little from the ground on posts, and theyd
put great lot of hemlock boushs all around
IN winter to keep the wind and cold from et-
ting under the floor. Well, I've known hlm
to drive his wife and children out docs of a
cold winter night, when he came houe from
the srog shop, in one of his fiurrfs. and
they'd creep under the house, and covr them
serves over with them hemlock bousb to keep
themselves from freezing. Why dia't they
go into the neishbors? Why becalse they
was afraid TO. That would max, him ten
times madder, because 'twould lool like COM
planning of him, you see.
one night he drove 'em out in tbt way, and
ttey didn't creep under the house cause there
wasn't any boughs, aud so they waited till he
vas asleep and then crawled esy into the
house and stood up behind the chimney all
night, tween the furrln and th bricks: lust
room enough for 'em to squeeze inland the
warm bricks you see kept ZEN ffom freezing.
Well, that's the sort OF man he was, when
you was here to the meetins and that's the
lie his vile and children had with him..
Ihey'd live on potatoes and nothing else, ex-
cep once in awhile little salt fish to 20 with
1t, and the Lord only knows how they did
manage to live at all, they were so desperate
poor-and tue r1uru only krows wnere ne a..
his money to buy his rum. But there you
nave the whole story of him and his family
ap to the night of that meeting l hope I
aint firing of you by this long story. Well
from that night he never touched crop; he
wouldn't so nigh the shop, but dug right into
work like steam engine; he's amazing pow
erful man. He worked early and late, steady
as mill; and n0,o you just look at his house
as you go by, and realize if you can, that it's
the same man, the same family, the same old
place, but not the same old shanty, by a very
long way. Besides working at slaves, shook
and shingle, he works his little farm better
than anybody else; his boys, some of 'em are
large enough now to help him good deal,
tween schools and after school, and there is
not a better citizen and eighbor in the place
than he is, nor family that is more respect
able and comfortable. It'd do you good to see
'em all going to meeting Sundays, all togeth-
er, and to think that only three years ago he
was such devil and his family so wretched,
miserable and poor.
Well, 1 almost forgot to tell you about the
house snd barn and out-buildings. They are
all his own and paid for too. You see he'd
change weeks with the carpenters, masons,
painters and sich, aud so by working all the
time, steady-no idle hours-he just did that
Now, l hope l haven't tired you with this
long story. Good byr
And when l came 10 the house, l hauled
up in the road and gazed at it, with all it:
surroundings; a nice house of one story
white, with green blinds; a nicely painted
fence in front, upon the road; nice barn
not very large, but painted, sheds also painted
and all the fences in good order. saw non,
of the famly,-they were probably all bus.
with their various industries, providing TO
their own support and adding something be-
sides to the common stock of wealth.
Good citizens, who wish this State to o.
back to the old Rum Times, please give us
reason who we should do so, that is consist
ent with the general welfare. Nd.