Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-01-16
TEMPERANCE REVIVAL.
How the Ladies Disposed OF the Liquor
Trnhic In Washington, Ohio--The
saloons Surrender, and the Liquors
n'e Enptied into the Streets-The
''GOOd Time COming'' Already Come.

Washington, the county seat Of Fayette
county, Ohio, is busy, thriving Town of some
5000 inhabitants, situated on the Cincinnati &
Muskingum Railroad, about seventy miles
northeast Of Cincinnati.
For several years an effort has been made
to dispense entirely with the sale of intoxicat-
ing liquors In the town, but with Indifferent
success. The good temperance folk were
grieved at the increase of intemperance but
had about resolved to make no further efforts
to stay it progress.
Last Christmas Eve DIR. Dio Lewis, of Bos-
ton, lectured before the Literary Society of the
place on the subject of "Our Girls" at the
close of which he offered to deliver a free lee
ture on temperance at one of the churches on
the following day, and in that address he
would give his hearers a plan by which the
tcoHen of the town, themselves alone could
abolish the liquor traffic from their midst, and
forever keep it out.
At the appointed hour on Christmas morn
ing the citizens assembled at the church, eager
to hear and see what was to be done. The
meeting opened with singing and PRAYER. An
appeal to present to the liquor-sellers was
drawn up, read and adopted, and the meeting
adjourned to meet the following morning at
the same place; and then and there the women
were to start out upon their errand of
mercy. The hour having arrived, the women
from the families of the leading citizens of
the place-met and formed in procession, fifty
or sixty of them-and the march commenced
Drug-stores and saloons were visited each
day, and singing and prayers were held in
them, until the drug-stoTes all signed the
pledge, and the saloons were broken up.
When saloon-keeper surrendered, the fact
was made known by the ringing of all the
bells in town; people would gather at the
scene of action to the number of several hun
dred, to witness the destruction of King AL
cohol. Women whose husbands, sons, or
brothers had suffered most were selected as
the ones to demolish the whisky barrels,
which deed was done with axes; and they
never worked harder in a more noble cause
One man, who had suffered much from the
evil effects of intemperance, while assisting
in getting the barrels of whisky in the street,
mounted the top Of one and remarked that he
had often been under the stuff contained
in the barrel, but now he was on top of it,
and he intended to keep on top. His wife
broke in the head of the barrel, and let the
whisky food the gutter.
During the entire time that the women were
praying and singing in the saloons, the Christ
ian men of the place held a protracted prayer
meeting at the church; and that the women
might better judge of the earnestness and
sincerity they felt in their behalf, they caused
the bell Of the church TO be tolled at the
close Of each prayer.
The work done there created qnito a sensa-
tion throughout that part of the State, and
the ministers and several of the leading
women in the work received letters from
neighboring towns, urging them to come and
start the ball rolling in those towns; and they
have consented to go, and set the time for
tbo Y,oa,inors