Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-03-12
The Praying Temperance Crusade.

1
| following from the Oxford (Ohio) CORE
| spondence of the st. Louis Democrat:
The temperance work is marvellous in
| the sight of men. What influences have
been at work or what agencies have been
employed in other villages / know not.
But as for Oxford, | believe that there is
no accounting for it on any other princi-
pie than as an answer to the prayers of
Christian women. No speakers from
| abroad have visited US, and our clergy
men are our only speakers, and their forte
is not IN arousing public enthusiasm. On
the other hand, one of the most prominent
OF them is provokingly slow, so slow that
we have sometimes feared he would hold
in check the entire work. The last week
was observed by Christians as a week of
prayer and organization. Mass meetings
were held on Wednesday and Saturday
evenings, at the latter of which the great
number present and the expression of
public sentiment showed an astonishing
advance in moral tone ana Christian cour
age.
On Monday the sun shone brightly and
the streets were covered with snow and
ice. After an hour of prayer band of
fifty noble women, inspired with COM
mon faith, a common purpose, moved
quietly and with dignity, and in modest
apparel and demeanor, and called at the
rum-hole known as "Hell's Kitchen"
where, one week before, its proprietor
had beaten a lad well known in the vii
lage. The ladies were politely received
by the proprietor, and as soon as they had
all entered he closed the door, to exclude
number of curious and idle boys and Young
men that were assembling to witness this
novel spectacle. Among the men and
women beholding the approach and en-
trance of their mothers, their wives, their
sisters, and their daughters to the saloon.
there was quiet, calm, prayerful bear
ing; not word of derision of the women.
nor harsh word against the saloon-keep-
ers. And in all this movement I have
mingled freely with all classes, and must
bear witness to the power of devoted
woman in securing order among the dis
orderly, and commanding the respectful
hearing ofmen whom the public consider
destitute of manliness and refinement.
The ladies asked the proprietor and his
wife and his customers present to take the
pledge, which was declined. The ladies
pleaded with them, and besought them as
only Christian women can, and asked if
they might pray and sing and read some
Scripture there, which request was cheer
fully granted. After these exercises the
ladies thanked the proprietor and retired,
he inviting them to call again.
The toughest soaker of the village, an
old dram-seller, once the proprietor of the
too besotted and poof to run one. was
found there, and says: 81 thought I
would braze it out; but | began to feel
mighty shaky when them nice-looking
ladies sang the first time | sidled up to
the wall so they would not see me shake.
Purity soon white haired old woman be-
gan to poke up a prayer for Old Bark (the
pet name of the saloon-keeper), and his
wife and us fellers, and you bet I had to
git up and DUST
The reception here encouraged the
ladies. The ice was broken and they were
fully committed to the work You may
say the 'war has actually begun" They
visited in turn the next three saloons on the
north side of the public square. One of
these the proprietor had closed and taken
refuge in the bosom of his family to avoid
this meeting. At the third saloon the
proprietor and his wife were melted to
tears when the ladies besought them for
the sake of their children, of whom they
have three, to abandon their business
The man said he knew his business was
not an honorable one, and his wife had
entreated him to quit it. But what was he
to do? The ladies told him they would
see that neither he nor his family should
want and would help him into other bust
ness. And this is but the sentiment of our
people.
The ladies passed next to the finest sa-
loon in the village. They knocked at the
door, but it was locked against them.
They knelt on the steps, and in the melt
ing snow good mother in Israel, seven
ty-five years old, prayed for the rum-seller
and his family in such simplicity and ten
derness that many a rugged man was
moved to tears.
The ladies then sang and moved on to
the next saloon, where they were kindly
received, and the owner of the bar and
building confessed he was ashamed of his
business, and would abandon it as soon
as he could get INTO any other occu-
patton. The goou women encouraged
him and pledged their influence and their
support if he would enter some honorable
business.
1t is not the intention of our citizens to
buy out these dram-sellers and let them
flee from healthy moral pressure, with
their stock converted into money, to rein
vest in new field. Some cities drive out
their Migrants and thieves to rid
themselves of the pest. Such char
acters are lepers, and ought not
to be driven from city to city
to infect the country at large
We wish every one of our saloon-keepers
to remain here and to pledge themselves
to abandon the sale of liquors, and to let
us help them become good and useful
citizens. For this we pray and work.
At the next place the ladies were po-
litely received, and invited to the fire,
which was generously replenished by the
smiling proprietor. The ladies presented,
as usual, the dealers pledge to abandon
the business, which, as usual, was rejected.
The Scriptures were read, prayers offered,
hymns sung, and the proprietor thanked
for his politeness, and the procession
moved on to the next place, where liquor
and groceries have been sold by a thrifty,
industrious German for twenty -four years.
He was intensely wrought up before the
ladies reached his door. He was rude
and boisterous, and did not wish any of
their prayers He had done all his
weeks praying at his church the day be-
fore, and he would not allow them in his
house.
The ladies moved back from his steps,
and on the sidewalk resolved to pray for
him; as it is pretty clearly established
principle that those who need most the
prayers of Gods people seldom ask for
them. This was on Monday and repeated
on Tuesday. On Wednesday he capitu-
lated, and took the pledge never to sell