The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-06-13
The GrOg ShOps-NO. XVIII.

Last week as l was passing through Cum
berland street, was called to by shop-keep-
er standing in his door upon the opposite side
OF the way, and went to him. Excuse me
Tor hailing you in the street, but thought
you'd be glad to know of little matter in
our neighborhood.. Living near to me are
two men, father and son-both of them sad
arunkards, never sober when they can find
hquor. They lived in a miserable way; both
OF them marie men with families: and the
families were also poor and miserable: for a
great part OF the scanty wages always went
Tor rum wages scanty, because the work
was not well attended to and often intermit-
ted. They have been perfectly sober and
steady since the first week Of the PERU
Drouth. Yesterday" he continued, ''thev
were passing by my shop, on their way to
work, and called them in and had a plain
talk with them about the past and the pres
ent, for know them well. They were very
happy in the great change in their condition;
and said they thanked God for it, and prayed
that the grog-shops may be always kept
down; for they said it was impossible for
them to keep clear of the drink when the
temptation is in their way, at every
step. You may think it strange and
foolish that we say we can't, and
SO it seems to us; but we only state a
TACT that we are ashamed Of A thousand
times, we've solemnly resolved we'd never
drink any more, for we knew this drink was
shame and curse,-and thousand times
we've broken our resolution. But now, the
temptation is out of our way and we're get
ting on nicely at home; home is a little heav-
ennow to all of us, but before it was a hell
And so they went on their way with light
step to their work.
And this was the story the shop keeper
wished to tell me, and 1 was so glad to hear
Oh! ye rum-sellers are you glad or sorry that
these poor men have been rescued from the
dreadful ruin into which you had plunged
them? Are you glad or sorry, that their
home is now little heaven instead of the
hell that you had made it?
To-day in walking down Congress street, 1
encountered real-estate broker who has the
management of many stores and houses.
Among the latter is group of tenement
houses, with which he has had great deal of
trouble ;-he couldn't get any rent, or but
very little. When he went there, he was
panied and disgusted with the sights and
sounds that he encountered. On entering,
sometimes. he has felt an obstacle against the
door, and pushing it back with force, he has
found the senseless body on the floor, of a
drunken man or woman. The tenants were
stolid and stupid with drink. But now, he
says, all that is changed; there is no more
drunkenness; he meets nothing offensive
there to any sense, and the rent is always
promptly paid; why? because the grog shops
are suppressed, and wages go to provision
dealers and landlords, instead of the rum
sellers till. "Bad for trade?' Ahl YOU
think so; yes-bad for the rum, but good,
very good for every other trade :-proyisions'
shoes, clothes, books, fuel, rent-those trades
and every other legitimate business will be
the better for the suppression of the grog
shops. .-l-
A friend told me he had had the family of
drunkard in one of his houses for many
years; very little rent was paid, and that by
the wife, never a cent by the drunken hus-
band, who was a brick layer. His wife was
member OF the same church with my friend,
hard working woman, trying her best to
keep her family together. My friend never
asked for rent, it was a matter of Christian
charity. My friend said, the first months
rent that fell due after the grog shops were
shut up, the drunken husband, now sober,
came to pay, and the whole of it, with a
considerable sum toward the arrears! '.Bad
for trade, is tp'' Yes, for the rum trade but
good, very good for every other trade.