The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-06-17
LETTER FROM WILL rsuEspaLE,
Interesting observations on the Beer CUES
ton

business connected with the Rockford road |
He writes frequent and interesting letters
to his parents, and we have persuaded Dr. |
Truesdale, his father, to allow the publica-
ton of the following extract from letter
Just received:
L have read with much interest ac-
counts of the progress of the tenn
perance excitement and workings
and effect las stated in the papers)
of the Tidal Wave" as | believe it
Is called, which, starting in Ohio, appears
to have swept over the country in all di-
rections, with more or less strength 1t
has not by any means been left unnoticed
IN Germany, both in the papers and among
the people themselves, -and,i in sympathy,
or at least apparently so, with their coun-
rrymen in America, they either condemn
it outright or laugh and joke over it.
Since reading and hearing so much of
the temperance excitement in our cOun
try, | have been lead to notice some of the
differences between the two
The Germans are the most temperate
people, in every respect, that | have ever
met. This | think holds true in America
as well as here, as | think statistics will
show that there is less drunkenness among
them and their descendants than among
any of the nationalities represented there
The reasons are numerous, among which
may be named
LIST. The climate, which, over the great
er part of Germany, has not the extremes
of heat and cold found in America, Swed
en- and Russia, nor the damp, moist and
penetrating air of Great Britain, in all of
which countries alcoholic liquors are used
in great quantities. That this is or must
be one reason, may be proved in Germany
itself where the people in the northern
provinces use much more than those in the
central and southern. Whether or not
severe climate neceSsitates the use of al
cohOlic drinks | am not able to say from
my own experience | say not. However,
| know many who say and believe that it
does. At any rate it very often forms the
excuse on which many men base their hab-
it of drinking How often have | seen
men who think nothing in the world will
make them feel so we'll on a cold unpleas-
ant day as a drink of liquor. That an occa-
sional drink taken with the excuse that the
weather makes it necessary, forms the hab-
IL Vi ullbhluS Will HIdtIg AHCu L maven
the least doubt.
ID. The people here are taught, from
youth up, to avoid the use OF alcoholic
drinks of all kinds; and so we'll is this i'm
pressed upon their minds, that it is rarely
forgotten; and if in any case 1t is, the pen
atty is severe, as whoever is known to use
brandy or whisky. regularly, is immediate
ly ''tabooed' from good society No mat
ter if he never uses it enough TO get drunk,
the very fact that he uses it at all is
o..u4-.4 - cos,,.uA... nI.A IA tue eyes o.
his equals, as much as a man who gets
regularly drunk would be with us in Amer
lea. That this education has much to do
with the temperance Of Germans is very
certain
| Sd Men are not overworked here as
| they are with us. In all branches Of trade,
/ in all professions and in daily labor, the
/ hours Of labor are shorter and the amount
/ OF work done very much less, and, from
/ my observation, when the day 5 work is
over people drive the thought and care of
! it from their minds more than we do, and
occupy themselves with amusements and
matters that rest them somewhat.
! There is 10 doubt but that our
4 American rushing, moving, overworkingo or
overthinking sort Of life produces much
Of the intcmperance among our people.
/ Many men cannot endure the terrible men
tai aud physical strain necessary to keep
up with those about them without a slim
ulant to move them to it, and, while at first
but little of this is used to produce the de-
sired effect an habtual use requires more
and more, till at last the man becomes a
ruined druukard. Temperance in work
and in connection, temperance in eating),
among Americans would probably be fol
lowed by much less drinking
4th. And, probably, the principal reason
why there Is 50 little drunkenness in Ger
many,or 50 little alcoholic drink used here,
is the fact that they have good aud whole
some beer and pure wine, at prices within
the reach of ali,-both h irmlesS aud cheer.
ling without Intoxicating, for | assure you
have yet To see the person III this country
drunk from drinking wine or beer. The
general impression among Americans, that
tIermans drink either wine or beer IN great
quantities, Is a mistake The number who
drink more than l. healthy is % greater
than the number who eat too much il
America, and is followed by Mt a. bad con
sequences.
The beer houses here are licensed the
same a. with us,-with this exception
which IL also the case in England, that in
beer house, | think, they are not allowed
, to sell anything but malt or vinous liquors
without paying an additional license fee
| don't know the nature OF the laws i'll res
pect to their management | only know
that they are entirely free from disturb
ances, and are conducted so we'll that ever
ladies' go into them very often withOu
thinking it the least bit out of the way, anl
without any fear Of harm whatever Dur
2 Ing the day these places are mostly empty
but the evenings fiud them generally wei
filled, and usually with about the same PEG
pie. They sit around the tables in group
b discussing the news Of the day, spendin.
| one or two hours in this way. and clever
o clock generally finds the rooms prett,
empty OF everything but tobacco smoke
Every man pays for his own beer, -woult
: think himself insulted if anyone offered t
pay for him. This is another very goot
feature here, and il Americans would d
away with the bad habit Of treating les
Of them would drink too much, and prob
t ably many more would get but little il an,
? liquor to drink if they were not treated
mere every one urllkS just what ne feel
ike DRINKING, withort feeling u"ler obliga
tons to keep up with crowd of friend
who are treating all around. 1t is a rar
thing to see these Germans drink NOR
than two glasses Of beer in an evening.
+ saw an article in the Chicago Time
i lately, in regard to this treating habit a
q home which thought very good indeed
and quite agree, with il in saying tina
this American habit of treating is produC
e tive of more intemperance than any othe
+ one among our people.
! think il a great mistake which I'll