The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-09-11

the PIedge--A National Association
Formed-Great Enthusiasm----An Epi-
sodc.
The third day of the grand temperance camp
meeting has developed an as tonishing interest,
and the remaining sessions cannot fail to bring
forth great results. Earnest workers for the
cause are Fastening to the beautiful grove be-
side the sea from all portions of the country.
The New England reform clubs are largely
represented, and many Of those heroic women
who set the West in a fame last spring are on
the ground to help the movement by prayer,
exhortation and song.
Early in the morning the trains came in
heavily loaded, and by afternoon the large as
semblage had sweiled to great crowd. OF
course many of these were drawn to the scene
0y feelings of curiosity, but the major portion
were evidently in earnest for the good cause.
The efforts of the reformed men are meeting
with astonishing success. At the morning
prayer meeting five hundred signatures we're
obtained to the pledge, and an intense interest
was excited The movement SO conspicuously
set on foot bids fair to surpass anything yet
seen in New England.
The ten o'clock meeting in the grove WIS an
experience meeting" and was marked by
deep feeling, and an enthusiastic earnestness
only equalled by the crusade history of the
West. The meeting was presided oyer by j.
X. Osgood, father of the reform movement in
this state. The opening prayer was made by
the Rev. A. A. Williams, chaplain of the Hav-
erhill Reform Club. The chairman then ex-
planned the plan of the meeting, which con-
templated the relation of individual experience
in the fight against the appetite for alcoholic
liquors, and short pithy speeches of encourage
meut for those who are struggling to free them
selves from the terrible curse
The first speaker called upon was David Pot
ter, President of the Gardiner Reform Club.
In simple, earnest words, he told the pathetic
story of his struggle, of his frequent failures,
and final triumph. The account was a NOV
ing one, and greatly affected the listening
crowd. Mr.. Potter struck the keynote of the
remarks and accounts of experiences that fol-
lowed, when he said in beginning, "Three
years ago was a drunkard Keeling in the Gar
diner cutters; to-day, by the help of God, am
a reformed man, and trust 1 have overcome
the cursed appetite forever
Mr. Potter was followed by Mr.. Leland, of
the Maiden, Mass. Reform Club. He drew
vivid picture of his terrible struggle with ap.
petite and of the suffering caused to his family
by his indulgence. Many of the audience were
affected to tears.
Other speakers who followed were G. A.
Hover, President of the Southborn', Mass,
Club, Hiram Bond of Haverhill, Rev. DR..
Williams, chaplain of the Haverhll Club, w.
H. Dorman, President of the Boston Reform
Club No. 1, Francis Murphy, Fl. NJ Bryant of
Lewiston.
The Rev. DR.. Cudworth of Boston was called
upon and made a brief, energetic speech, lber-
ally embelshed with anecdotes, in which he
severely condemned the practice of using wine
at the communion table. The speech was
warmly received and heartily applauded.
j. B. SWEET, President of the Haverhill Re-
form Club, was the next speaker. In short,
vivacious address he succeeded in thoroughly,
waking up the audience. He briefly dwelt up
on the great progress made in the temperance
cause during the last half century, saying that
he remembered the time when scarcely birth
took place but that the child was drowned in
whiskey, and when scarcely funeral could be
decently carried on because the attendants
were stupid with drink.
'Camp Meeting John Allen closed the exer-
cises with few characteristic remarks.
A remarkable scene took place on the beach
yesterday morning. The crusaders of Chicago
and Brooklyn gathered on the sands and with
the sea beating it's solemn refrain close by their
feet, broke into the inspirating battle. songs of
the temperance movement in the West. A
large crowd gathered about them, and joined in
the chorus as they paced the beach. Presently
several men and women from the Shaker So.
ciety at Alfred, clad in the quaint and sober
garb Of their sect, came out from house neal
! by and clasped hands with the women of the
West. Then Shakers and crusaders united in
singing "We will gather at the river
AN EPISODE
At the close of the morning service notice
| was handed to the chairman, and by him un
suspectingly read, calling for mass temper
ance meeting at two o'clock in the park jus
| beyond, To most people the announcement
was very blind, but a few understood that the
meeting was the political temperance conven-
ton to nominate, in Cumberland county, third
candidate for sheriff, first announced in that
reliable prohibition organ, the Eastern Argus
Curiosity drew many people into the woods at
| two o'clock, but never convention was to be
found. Several men, whose faces are not en-
| tirely unknown to the public, were seen skulk
ing behind trees, apparently very much disap
pointed and ashamed at something. The
crowd followed these men up, as they leaped
from the shade of one tree to the shade O.
another, but the embryonic presidents, vic'
presidents and secretaries were too agile to b.
caught. One remarked that he be ID if h,
would ever attend a Cumberland County Con
vention in York again, and another said it wa;
the d-dest convention he ever did see. Thei
they fell to a little. figuring, and finding Gu
that vote against Pennell was equivalent to
vote for SWEET, concluded that it couldn't b.
much of temperance movement anyhow
So they organized meeting by the choice o
David Torrey Of Deering as chairman, and w
+. Morrill, of Portland as secretary. William
L. Pennell was unanimously nominated a
sheriff After voting that the proceedings b
published in the PRESS thefneeting adjourned
AFTERNOON.
At one o'clock a meeting of The executiv
committee was held. at which the project O
organizing National Temperance Camp Meet
ing was preached. The project was favorabl
received and enthusiastically adopted. The as
ISOLATION will have its headquarters at Old o.
chard, but will hold meetings in various part
of the country. An executive committee wa
resolved upon. The following members hav
already been appointed: Rev. W. H. Boole
} New York; III. s. Wadsworth, Rhode Island
Charles A. Henry, S. G. Knights, Massachu
sets; j. IL. Kent, Joel Morrill,, New HamI
shire; Judge Barbour, Connecticut; Hon. Ne
son Dingley, j. K Osgood, e. G. Harrington