The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-07-12

tally devoted to opposing the tenn
perance increment, Is more In half
its art cles IRE written in tholnterets
If the anti4tcmperance cause. Look
ing beyond its reading matter into it's
advertising columns we find that It's
advertising support comes maiEly.
from distillers, saloon-keepers, brew
ers, and the like. It's speciality seems
to be opposition to the temperance
reform. The temperance people ought
to take courage from this. It is q
cause for congratulation that their
efforts have awakened sufficient alarm
among the partisans Of the cause they
are fighting to induce their opponents
to establish an organ here at the ma
tons capital. Heretofore they have
not looked upon the temperance move.
ment as sufficiently formidable to JUS
tify them in making any special effort.
Now that such special effort. is being
made we can not account for it on any
ether>ground than that they find it
necessary to make this movement in
order to counteract the influence of
the temperance people. This is very
good evidence that the temperance
cause is gaining ground.
Two years ago Mr.. Sam. M. Bryan
was "a youth to fortune and fame
unknown" He was then an humble
clerk in the Office Of the Sixth Auditor,
and his duty was to examine the ac-
counts of the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company. The son of an honest and
Industrious house-carpenter I'M an Ohio
village, he had scraped together some
education and through some influence
obtained government clerkship. At
that time he had gained no distinction.
He had been once elected to the posi-
ton Of Secretary Of the Ohio Republic
can Association, but when the next
election came off he was passed by.
He gained more notoriety by his oppo-
sition to the universal suffrage"
than he had ever before
enjoyed. The Universal Franchise
Association" was at that time hold
ing its meetings in Union League
Hall and had extended invitations to
the public to attend and take part in
the discussions. This invitation was
extended to friend and foe alike. A
party Of young men Of the baser
sort" began to congregate at these
for the sake of ridiculing the
and the ladies who were
conducting it. Mr.. Sam. NJ. Bryan
was among them, and by some means
succeeded in becoming recognized as
their ring leader. The fellows would
howl and sing and shout for the pur-
pose Of annoying the ladies and Bryan
would make the speeches while they
him. Some of the reporters
Of the local papers attended these
meetings and not knowing his name
noticed him as "the young man with
q Fenian neck-tie," because of am ex-
ceedingly flashy and quite extensive
green tie that he wore about that time.
He thus gained considerable local
notoriety, and to this day he is spoken
Of as 1.-THE Fenian neck-tie man,
But the most eventful part of the his
tory Of this young man I have not yet |
written. 49, - f''sF '37
A few months ago he conceived a |
project which entities him to the |
credit of being one of the most ingen-
lous of our young Americans. Indeed, |
no one but a Yankee could have pos |
sibly thought of such a thing. He
resigned his clerkship, went to San |
Francisco, shipped as purser on board
one OF the steamers bound for Japan.
w hen the steamer returned Mr.. Bryan |
vas not on board. He for some rea-
son, chose to remain among the Jap
anese. Some time afterward he did
'eturn, but how9 Not as purser, or
sailor, or in any mental capacity. Soon
liter reaching this city he began to
distribute his cards among those with
whom he was acquainted, and 10! and
behold! Mr.. Sam. NJ. Bryan, was
RI |