Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-03-18
AnOsbrle Gateekp GbrunitIe d0Onsoap larsb 49, 1874
TUE STORY OF SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN.
Twenty-Three Liquor stores closed In
Twelve Days.
LION DC Nov York Tribnne. ]

IL LViu thV -feN lorh 4tlDuue.l
MOUNT VERNON, o., Feb. 27.-This
thrifty town may well claim the cham
pionship for a remarkably successful fight
with the liquor dealers. when L visited IL
less than two weeks AGO, found twenty
eight places where liquor was sold. The
most prominent and influential men in
the place advised the women not to begin
the movement, believing that failure was
certain, and that failure in Mount Vernon
would greatly retard the progress of the
temperance reform in Northern Ohio,
where it was just being introduced. Die
Lewis came, however, and in two days per-
suaded the women to make the trial. The
men agreed to sustain tho women, and did
so with their whole hearts. a thorough
organization was effected in the usual man.
ner. The women then went on the streets,
while the men showed their sincerity by
closing their places of business, and re-
pairing TO the churches for prayer. The
enemy took fright at once. The saloons
considered most formidable first gave way
others followed in rapid succession, and to-
day find that of the twenty-eight liquor
stores here twelve days ago, only five have
not surrendered.
PRAYER-MEETTNGs DURING nt-srxrsS
HOURS.
At the hotel I found the landlord aetu.
ally Dragging that he had been the first
man to surrender, while his wife was put
ting on her bonnet and shawl to attend the
daily prayer-meeting. A commercial tray-
eler was about leaving the hotel, with a
bundle of samples under his arm, when
the landlord exclaimed, "You need not go
out at this time a-day, sir. You won't find
a respectable store in town open now. -
Why" asked the astonished drummer,
who had just finished q 8 o'clock breakfast.
Because it's prayer hour" was the reply.
Every day, between 8 and 10 O'Clock,
everybody goes to prayer meeting" Sur
prised, myself, went on the street and
found that the stores and shops were in-
deed closed at this hour, when merchants,
mechanics and housekeepers, in country
towns, are generally busiest. There must
be earnestneSs in the movement when the
pocket nerve, so hard to kill, is thus dead
eneu.
From the hotel ] went to the Episcopal
Church. Few places of amusement are
ever more crowded. Every seat was filled,
and men and women stood in the aisles
and thronged the vestibule. The Enclosure
within the altar-rail was occupied by cler-
gymen, every denomination appearing to
be.represented. The meeting, to use home
~ Western expression, seemed to "run
ITSELF" Nobody presided; a man arose to
speak his message was the story of what
had been accomplished in another town.
A woman said, LET us pray" and the
congregation followed her with devout air
in an imprisoned appeal to the Throne of
Grace. AS they arose from their knees
some one began to sing, and all Joined in
singing words with which all had long
been familiar, but which to them seemed
now to have new meaning.
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming
of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the
grapes of His wrath are stored
Our God is marching on,
Glory, glory, hallelujah, our God is marching
on"