The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1874-03-26
THE ANCEsT RY OF THE PRAYING w0.
MEN.

The Rev. John Hussey contributes an interest
ing article to the Independent on the extranrdima-
ry movement against intemperance, now in
| progress in portions of Ohio and Indiana in
which he shows that the pious women who are
conducting this singular campaign are descended
from praying "stock." We make the following
extract:
Southern Ohio was perhaps the last place
where one wOnld have supposed that such a
| movement could begin. The people of the Sec
| ton where this work took form belong, less than
| any other people of our country north of the
| Ohio river, except those of some parts of south
ern Indiana, to the New England type. Between
| the Scioto and Miami rivers lies the "VirCinia
Military Reservation" granted by the general
government to the State of Virginia, in place of
claims which the latter State relinguished TO the
Northwestern Territory. This large Territory
was settled originally by Virginians who had
Revolutionary claims. The land was owned in
large tracts, and has been more less subdivid-
ed. The old Virginia families have always been
very influential, especially in the counties of
Highland, Fayette and Ross. Eearly in this GEN.
tury many came to southern Ohio from other
southern Slater. The Friends or Quakers came
from Virginia and western North Carolina in
such numbers as TO exhaust some of their settle
ments in those States, and purchased of the Old
NIrginians in Ohio smaller bodies of land, form
ing line of settlements from Lawrence county
through Jackson, Ross, Highland, Clinton to
Warren. The great body of the Qnakcrs are
now in the three latter counties These plain
Christians have been important element in
the prayer movement, but were not mnch con-
cerned In its first origin, as few of them are
found either in Hillsborough or Washington, the
Two places where success was first achieved.
somehow there is law of nature which cold
families" are prone to violate.
Family pride is not apt to be an active element
IN the bnsy industries of life. Too much leisure
invites dissipation, and many of the scious of
our excellent old families have gone und-r he
fore the destroying evil of ntemperance Hard
~ prominent family in Hillsborough but has
felt the keen shaft of this adversary. In some.
all the male members have died jntemperat. or
are IN danger of doing If it were not I'M
proper, conld connect with the names of the
most OF the women who are prominent in carrv
ing on this movement in two of the largest Ma |
ces IN which this work has been highly success
ful, some one dear as life cut down in youth or |
manhood; with some of hose names tbe cnun
try at large are not unfamliar of all professions
-physlclaus, lawyers, and not emitting a shin !
ing example ct the clerical profession SON, in |
pubic life, Others renowned in war The r.Ii |
gous element is an important one and has yi Won
sonl 70 the whole movement. The churches of |
all OF the principal denomina tions are, many of |
them, large, and have for two generations weld
religions bodies are Presbyterians, Metbodists
and Qnakers. 10 Hilsborough the Presbyterian
Chnrch numbers over 400 communjcants Tho
Methodists do not, presume. fall far behind
,hem; In one OF the towns reformed the Qua
kers have GOO members. Religion il influential
and hence the essential elements were at hand
IN reference TO the work accomplished By the
new movement, carefully complied returns from
nity-nvc cities, towns aud villages in Ohio, give
valuable statistics of the progress and resulfs of
the crusade 1t appears that in the fiftv.6va
places from which reports have been received
s36 drinking places have ceased the sale of lin,
nor Of this number 245 were saloons and 81
we're drng-stores, where liquor was sold to tip
piers over 1000 persons have sgued the total
abstinence pledge. On the other hand, in the |
anne cries and towns $50 drinking places are