Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1875-06-05
EARLY CLOSING CORRESPONDENCE.


fDC OllltT aspect Oh tllS evil, 10 WHICH
allusiOn was made last week, and which,
perhap is one of its worst effects, is the
temptation and excuse it affords men to
STAY away from their homes and families
through the hong evening hours. These
open stores afford pretended respectable
lounging place for men that would be
ashamed to tell their families that they were
going up town to spend an hour or two at
the tavern or liquor saloon. But they can
with very COED grace say, am going to
Messrs Hitclins & Skaters, or Mr.. Wine
lands store. These are respectable places,
and none should be ashamed to be seen there,
and no reasonable woman would object to
her husband taking a turn there Perhaps
some 90 up town with no other intention,
but when they get there they meet with
some boon companions who think these
stores, beautiful and pleasant as they arc,
rather too dull and unntercsting for them.
They want something more stimulating and
exciting These are not slow to extend n
friendly invitation to take walk out,
Uniqtcpti04aNy perhaps, they direct their
that line our streets and though they do not
get drunk there the first time or per-
haps the second still there they get the
first or deciding dram, that, like the fangs
of the serpent, strikes its deadly poison into
their blood, that ends in dcbauchcry, delir-
itlm and death
Merchants Of Frostburg your skirts arc
not clear of the blood of these men, and its
terrible consequences to their innocent, help
less families You afford unto these men
shelter under cover of which they are
spirited away to spend the money which
they should spend at your stores for the
comfort and well being of their families, in
places, AMI for things which will prove, the
ruin of themselves and families. And the
agonics of distressed mothers, and the rags
of their tattercd children, like so many trum-
pet tongues, will raise up a Clamor around
you like the wail;ngs of pcrditiOn. You
have been 'partakers of other mems sins"
Again, these men will go home to their
wailng wives and innocent Jabes, and, with
their polluted breath, tell them, in answer
to their anxious inquiry, that they have
just come from some respectable store. |
do not believe that any of these stores
keep these poisonous and tempting drugs
either to sell or to give away, excepting
those which are licensed by the law so to
do, but the late hours of all of them affords
an excuse and lends an appearance of re-
spcctability to this ruinous habit And
when that dcspairing woman smells the
tainted breath of her deudcd husband,
and hears HIM say, and say truly, that he
came home direct from your store, (for the
store keeps later hours than the saloons cX-
ccpt on extra occasions,) what will she
think of the store? and what of the store
keepers? And believe that our merchants
would not have so many doubtful and I'M
collcctablc bills on their books were il not
for this
Perhaps you have never thought of these
things in this light before. believe YOU
have not; otherwise, | am satisfied that
many of you would have stopped this mex
cusable custom long ago. Perhaps, even
now, you are not willing to own to your
selves that this isa legitimate consequence
of your system. But let me entreat YOU,
look again; look well and sec if these things
are not literally as stated, and then ask
yourselves where some of the responsibility
lies. And if you think you are perfectly
clear, keep on. But if you think that some
of it attaches to you, shake it off while
there is room for repentance
a man from down the creek told me the
other day that the merchants Gowa that
way hardly light up these long days What
change in the whole aspect of the COM
mum;ty would be produced were this the
case i'll Frostburg! And why in the name
of reason should our town be an exception
to the world in this respect? Is there not
some one among our merchants to set the
example in this matter, and close up in
reasonable time? Is there one among our
respectable and respected merchants so
lost to all the claims of their best helps and
the interests of society, that will refuse to
join in? We earnestly urge these consid-
cratons upon you, we urge them upon all
in the name of humanity, morality, religion
and God. "Let us have peace" CIvIs.