Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-06-12
DS; WIS.,, THURSDAY, JUNE II, 1873.

every sort TO take their minds on, as
some young men in this meetin' house
can. But the tavern is allus comfor,
table, an Tiers generally somebody to
sing a song and tell joke, an they
commence goin' ther' more for a pleas.
ant time than for a drink, at fust
Thcr lots of likely boys goin' there
that [ wish d stay away, an I've often
felt like tellin' 'em so, but what's the
use? Where are they to 90 to %
"They ort to flee from even the ap-
pearance of evil,' said Deacon Tow
ser.
"But where be they to flee to, Dea-
CON- persisted Joe Digg; "would
you like 'em to come visitin' to your
house p
They can come to the church meet.
iuys;' replied the Deacon ''there S
two in the week, besides Sundays, and
some of ems precious seasons all of
'em s an improvement On the wicked
tavern.
! " 'Ligion don't taste no better n
whisky till you get used to it," said
the drunkald, horrifying all the ortho-
dox people at Backley, "an' 'taint
made half SO invitin'. 'Taint long ago
heerd We tellin' another deacon that
the church-members ort to be 'shamed
of 'emselves, COS sca'cely any Of 'em
come to the week-evenin' meetin's s,
so We can't blame the boys at the tav-
ern'
Does the gentleman mean to convey
the idea that all drunkards become So
from justifying causes % asked the
lecturer
"No, sir replied Joe Digg, but l
do mean to say that after you leave out
them that takes liquor to help 'em do
a full days work, an them that com
mence drinkin' COS they're at the tav-
ern, an amt got no where's else to 90,
you've made a mighty big hole in the
crowd of drinkin' men, bigger'n ,em-
perance meetin's ever begin to make
yit."
"But how are they to be left out -
asked the lecturer.
"By temperance folks doin' somethin'
beside talkin'," replied the drunkard
eur twenty year I've been lectured
and scolded, an some good mems
come to me with tears in their eyes, and
put their arms 'roun' my neck, an beg
ged me to stop drinkin'. An I've
wanted to, an tried to, but when all
the encouragement man gifts Is in
drinkin' now ev'ry bone an muscle in
him Is begin fur drink ez soon es he
leaves of. an his minds dull, an he
aint fit fur much, an needs takin' care
Of as p'tic lar ez a mighty sick man,
talk S jst a. good ez wasted. Their S
been times when eff I'd been ahead on
flour an meat an SIGH, [ could "a stop
ped d:inkil. but when a mans hun
gry, an ragged, an weak, aud half
crazy, KNOWN how bis family fixed
an he can't do nuthin' fur 'em, an
then don't get nothin' but words to re-
form on, he il 90 back to the tavern
ey'ry time, an hc'l, drink till he com
Portable an till he forJits. want the
people here, one an all, to understand
thai though I'm past helpin' now, ther 5
been fifty times IN the last twenty year
when | might hev ben stopped short,
ef any boIy'd ben sensible enough and
good-hearted enough to give HE a
lift. -
Joe Digg sat down, and there was a
long pause. The Chairman whispered
to the leader Of the Glee Club! and the
club sang song, but somehow it ia led
to awaken the usual enthusiasm. After
the singinghad ended, the Chairman
himself took the floor and moved the
appointment Of a permanent committee
to look after the Incorporate, and to
collect funds VIXEN the use of money
seemed necessary, and the village doc
tor created sensation by moving that
Mr.. Joe Digg should be member Of
the committee. Deacon Tewser, who
was the richest man in the village, ard
who dreaded subscription papers, start
ca dA lHSAAOoho OIPoo'eioi, o- ~
new member Of the committee (thOugh
manifestiy out Of order) outmaneuvered
the Deacon by accepting, both amend:
ments, and reinarking that In a hard
fight. folks wcult take all the help they
could get.
Somehow, as soon as the new com
mittee determining to open place OF
entertainment in op position to th1 tav
ern, and fur lish it pleas tntly, and NJ axe
it an attractive gatherin place for
Young men-aska1 fer contribution to
enahfe them to do it, the temperance
excitement at Bac kley abated marvel
ously. But Squire Rfect, aud the doc
tor. ard several other enterprislng men
took the entire burden on their own
shoulders-or pockets-and Joe Digg
was as useful as a reforlped thief to q
police department. Fer tie doctor,
whose professional elucat;en had left
him a large portion of his natural com
mon sense an working order, took a
practic Il interest in the old drunkard 5
case, ard others of tRe committee look
ed to the necessities Of his family, and
it came to pass that Joe was one of the
earliest ef the reformers. Men still 90
to the tavern at Backley, but even