Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-02-17
THE LADIES TEMPERANCE MOVE
MENT

From dispatches to the New York papers we
take the following. A dispatch from Column
bus dated the 18th says;
Since the advent of DR.. Lewis at Aenia'
steady fusilade has been in progress, nuch 10
the ANNOYANCE and chagrin of the whiskey
| dealers. A general prayer meeting was hell
there this afternoon, and for an hour all pnsi-
ness in the town was suspended. Visiting the
saloons has been constantly going on all day,
| in spite of a steady rain. The ladies' nave
been offered carriages, omnibuses, and tar
paulins TO spread overhead Tor outdoor eXer-
| cises whenever they have been denied admis-
sion Xrnia contains 40 places where liquors
are sold. Some have already closed, and in
| nearly all the others the keepers receive the
| ladies kindly. The keeper OF a brothel knelt
| with her visitors in prayer, signed the dealers
| pledge, and promises to make an effort to get
her girls into the prayer meeting tomorrow.
At Ripley, Brown county, where the work
has been in progress for nine days, the fol
lowing results have been revealed: Seven
teen saloons out of 30 in the place have been
closed, the propretors pledging themselves to
abandon the trade. Between 500 and 900 in
dividuals have signed the pledge, and Kip
ley 10 at present enjoying season OF quiet
and sobrety never known there before.
At Athens, where comparatively little prog
ress had been made, the rainy day offered no
protection to liquor dealers. One druggist
who had been heretofore almost defiant in his
manner, did not wait for the ladies to- day but
sent his unconditional surrender to them, and
| another druggist was besleged nearly all gay
without effect. The result OF four days work
here has been three surrenders and eleven
| still holding out. The ladies assert that they
| have courage enough to bring the remainder
to terms Many additions to the names on
the pledge have been secured. Another
| mass meeting is in progress there tonight.
| At Logan the war is over, the ladies are rest
| ing on their well earned laurels, and the male
| Vigilance Committee is watching the town
| for violation of the pledges heretofore given.
At Lancaster, where a meeting was held
| last night, the speech Of Col Connel, although
opposing the movement. promises good fruits
TO the cause Another meeting is to be held
next Tuesday evening. Temporal ee matters
were the only topics of conversation there TO-
day At New Holland, Barry, who shows
more violent obstinaucy than Van Pelt ever
did at New Vienna, has been steadily bonn
barded with song and prayer to- day, regard
less of iniunctons. Arrangements are mak-
ing at Circleville for the commencement OF
the work in hat town, and DIR. Lewis is to
lecture there soon. At Harrisburg and Mt
Sterling, in the same county, the work Is In
progress with good results. At West Jeffer-
son the matter assumed a business-like APP
pearance day. The ladies made their
usual rounds in the morning and were fol-
lowed soon after by committee of some OF
the best citizens, who also called at each
saloon and gave the dealers to understand
that the matter would assume serious aspect
unless they yielded TO the persuasive appeals OF
the ladies'. All but three saloons in the place
are now reported closed. At London series
I'D o,,l -
the driving rain the day opened with a detach-
ment of ladies at the door of each saloon.
These bands were relieved every few hours
and there was less liquor sold in London to-
day than usual, although no new surrenders
are reported. Tonight the Council passed
prohibitery ordinance Furnishing with fine and
imprisonment the sale of ale, beer or porter
within the corporate limits. This will take
effect on Wednesday next and close all drink
ing places that may then be open. The re-
ligious meetings continue there day and
night, and the guarantee fund for the prose-
cution of all violations of the law is being
constantly increased.
At Cambridge City, Ind, the first demon
stratiOn was male to-day. The place, al
though of good size, has but four saloons,
which, it is claimed, are maintained chiefly
by country patronage. Twenty-seven ladies
CUuStitutS0 tuS uduu tuNiC to-h"y anu "eiC
kindly received. One dealer offered to sell
out at cost and quit the business. The ladies
declined to enter the liquor trade, and will
continue their visits and prayers.
Another dispatch from Springfield, Ohio,
dated the 18th says: Franklin is a town of
about 900 inhabitants, situated on the rail-
road known as the Dayton Short line, and
about 40 miles from Cincinnati. When the
womans war on whisky began, four weeks
ago, there were seven whisky shops in Frank
lin. The ladies, who had long mourned over
the dissipation there, determined to try PRAYER
and moral ssason as means of Kidding them
selves of the curse and the movement was at
once begun. The women went to work with
heart and soul enlisted for the struggle, and
the men with due accord stood ready to give
them all the moral and pecuniary support
that might be needed. During the first week
several saloons were closed, and at the end OF
a fortnight only two held out. A few days
later the sixth closed, leaving but one open,
and that one is open still, although four weeks
have elapsed. In the meantime the women
have been unceasing in prayer aud unwaver
ing in faith. In fair weather and in foul, in
snow and in rain, they have gathered by day
and by night and prayed. AT first the keeper
of the place, Monger by name, allowed them
to enter his barroom and hold their devotional
exercises around a warm stove and sheltered
from the weather, but Of late they have found
the doors locked and the ladies' have attended
in equal numbers out Of doors. On the day
when | visited the town found the following
notice conspicuously posted in all public
places
'Friday, Feb. IS, 1874, has been set apart as
a day of fasting and prayer by the people of
Franklin and vicinity for the suppression of
liquor selling and the conversion of liquor
sellers. Business men are requested to close
their places of business during the hours OF
public services, from 10 to l. o'clock A. NJ,
in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Let tenn
perance men and women show themselves on
the Lords side. Signed by the Committee Of
the Morning Prayer Meeting"
This notice seemed to have the desired eff
feet on everybody. The town to-day wore IA
Sabbath air Stores and shops are deserted,
and the churches were thronged with appar-
emily devout worshpers. Going to the saloon
OF Monger, | found the ladies assembling
around the door, after having a short recess
for church services. Monger's place is a cor
ner grocery, but groceries secondary to
| liquors in the establishment. There is no sign
over the door, but every body seemed to know
| v hat is sold within, and even while the ladies'
were gathering in front of the house some
dirty fellows, wiping their mouths with their
m n a hack door no