Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-01-24

PROGRESS OF TEMPERANCE IN LUN-
ENHURG.-I we'll remember the first
time Rev. jeremiah Glines came to
my fathers accompanied by Rev. John
Willard and Levi Fay, to take dinner
it was in the summer of 1926, ana was
before his family came and he fire.
quently went about among his parish
toner's to dine. As was customary on
such occasions a mug of Flip" was to
be made, when 10 and behold, the liq-
uor was all gone and none nearer than
G. r. Brooks store, which was nearly
one-half mile off. Now what was to
to be done? new minister had called
to dine with us and the dinner almost
ready. Now father reasoned in this
wise: II know ! am poor, but how
ashamed | should feel to have Min
lister call to dine with me and not rum
enough in the house to make mug
of flip" The dinner was delayed a
few moments, boy was sent for the
liquor and all passed off well. | we'll
remember the next season Rev.
Joseph Willard,o of Lancaster, came to
Lunenburg to preach one Sabbath on
exchange with Rev. jeremiah G lines
at intermission he came to the widow
John Wizards to dine. The good
old lady finding she was out of liquor
came into our room Gas we lived in Il
part of the Willard house) to borrow
some, and said that "brother Joseph
would feel sighted if he didn't have
some before eating his dinner" Very
soon after this, Rev. j. Glines formed
the first temperance society ever form
eel in Lunenburgh, and what conster-
nation it made in the church and out
of it, some claimed it deprived peo-
pie Of their liberty, others said it was
we'll enough for the lrunkard to sign
the pledge, but a moderate drinker
had no need Of joining such socie-
ty. Although think it was very
liberal in it's restrictions as it allowed
them to have rum when they washed
sheer, and it was said that some
washed sheep quite often, some of
our most influential men that have
been very active in the temperance
movements since, were bitterly OBJ
posed to the temperance movement at
that time; thus the temperance cause
progressed slow but sure, until Sc
cret organization was formed, called
the Sons Of Temperance which flourish
el fol- while doing sDme good, but
did not accomplish what its friends
Expected it would, and temperance
was at a very low ebb for long time.
After while a society was organized
called the Good Tenplars which was
very popular and perhaps did some
good, but reminded me of an anecdote
told of the late Edmund Chamberlain,
of Coleb:ook, who at the time of an
eclipse of the sun had several men in
his meadow hoeing. Each having a
piece Of smoked glass, commenced
looking at the eclipse. Mr.. Chamber
lain, after a while, thinking it would
be more profitable to hoe corn than
look at the eclipse longer said, "Men,
you have looked about long enough,
/ think the eclipse will all flush out
very SOON" Now this was the case
with the secret organizations spoken
of above; they all "fushed out" and
mot until the Prohibition law came 10
force were we rid Of the curse OF in
temperance, and even this season "a
canadian Ring" was formed for ped
ding whiskey through the town, but
one slice Of the law was sufficient to
break up tue nest, although the
most guilty were not prosecuted.
Since one or two have been seen q
little the worse for liquor, but you