The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-04-06

After another song from the children Capt
William Dyer of Cape Elizabeth was called
out. He said that he started a Washingtonian
Movement at Ferry Village with only one men,
Der, and that was himself. That was on the
night OF the 31st of December. He said to
himself, William, you have done this long
enough and he went and got an old Wash
lngtonian pledge and signed it, and then he
looked around for somebody to join him, and
he obtained neighbor So years old; and that's
the way the thing begun. There are now $50
members-none of them women or children
and los of them are heads of families But we
are almost out of stock, he said; there are only
three or four left in the village who use liquor.
| AT this point an Indian lad, whose name was
afterwards ascertained to be William Hobson,
rose in front of the platform and began speak
ing. He was invited up on the stand and spoke
| in an earnest and impassioned manner and
with rapid utterance He said: have been
five years in Portland. My mother was brought
up to drink intoxicating liquor, and was
brought up to love it too. But can bless God
that stand here clear of it now come up
here to let you know that am going to sign
the pledge this evening, and God helping me,
will keep it and never break it. Excuse me for
trespassing on your time. am poor boy, but
1 have God for my hope and trust, and pray
that He will keep me. invite you all to come
up and sign this pledge with me, that you may
live here and hereafter, and may God help you
all and keep ME in the right way" He then
descended from the platform and signed the
pledge in the midst of an uproar of enthusiasm.
1t was here announced that SO names were on
tho book.
DR.. Brickett said if any man in the habit of
drinking would come and sign the pledge and
go home and tell his wife of it, and she was an
CRY about it, he would give him thousand dol
lars.
Francis Murphy wanted an organization per-
fected tonight. He spoke of the spread of the
Reform Movement and its influence in WASH
ington. 1t drew money from Speaker Blaine
and Senator Morrill, to help the cause He
spoke of the necessity Of training children to
total abstinence. Said he. if you want good
fruit you must raise it. God will hold you re-
sponsible for the education of your children
Don't discourage your precept by bad exam
pie. Now if we have closed the rumshops in
Portland, let us, in Gods name, close the bars
in our cellars at home. Let us dare to do right
and leave the result with an intelligent public
Abiding to the visitors from abroad he gave
them a beautiful welcome.
Mr.. Osgood took the stand again and spoke
of the help the Gardiner Reformers had receiv-
ed by the labors of Mr.. Murphy and Capt. Cy-
rus Sturdivant. He also gave an account of the
assistance they had received from the Ladies
Reform Aid Association, an auxiliary associa-
ton, and the regular Sunday services and Sun
day Scol which had been established in the Re-
form club room.
Loud and repeated calls we've made for Col.
A w. Bradbury, who was on the platform, but
he declined to speak tE @FftF8H
I. H. Hubbard, Esq, was next called up and
gave ringing speech, full of enthusiasm and
pertinent suggestions He had come from old
York, he said, to catch the inspiration of this
meeting and carry it home that they might |
have just such movement there.
The announcement was made that 12S names
were on the book; and it being now more than
half-past ten o'clock the audience slowly melt
ed away; many however remaining to affix
their names to the plege. The throng about the
platform continued heated however, for al
most half an hour, and when the last name
was put on the number had increased to near
ly 400. Among the signers was John Blake, in |
whose shop the quarrel occurred that lead to |
the death OF Leonard f. SWEET in September |
last