The daily gazette., 1875-06-22
Ses7noa to Tossng nRr,,

~" " 4OffH0 1113.
: Rev. J. N. p. Otis, d. d., of Wesr
= fresbyterian Church, of Wiimingfon
ON Sunday preached from the aunoun.
: ced subject "Whist and Whiskev-.
D Drug Stores and Drunkenness. or The
, fitfalls and Precipices that Endangcr
, the Lives of Men, and large audi
} ence assembled to hear him.
lie announced for his text II Samuel
XII. chapter and vii. verse-.'Thou art
the Man." He said hundreds of youns
men who dream not that they are in
danger, are even now walking amoux
precipices. The angle of defexioS
from the right way is so slight that
Mey travel long way before they
Know they ere In the wrong road; Ia
theif Judgment they arc neither lost or
going to be lost, They intend to see
something OF the world while they are
young; they are going to walk care
.uny among the pitfalls and turn back
before there is any danger. The young
man at the whist party PLAYS first foT
amusement only; then there is a stake
OF few cigars, perhaps, to be used
after the party breaks up. But here he
takes his first step toward gambling,
and what refreshments are at these
parties? cakes and wine. Here the
young man learns to sip his wine, In
company with the fair one he loves,
he leaves the party at eleven O'Clock.
Dnt ne does not reach home till twelve
Where was he at this hour? He was
at Tom Aliens" drug store. 'sTom''
is licensed to sell wines, brandies and
all kinds of liquor. He keeps the best
qualities, he has a soda fountain, too,
ana the young men gather there to
drink soda water, dashed with wine or
brandy, and to smoke the cigars they
won at the whist party, These youna
men would not go to drinking ssleon
or gambling hell, and they never dream
that they are entering pitfalls which
leads tens of thousands to rum and
ruin. And yet it is true; for this is
not fancy sketch of evils possible,
bat statement of actual fact. In
central town in which the speaker once
lived "Tom Aliens" drug store still
stands land the young men gather there
aiter their evening parties, to smoke
their cigars, to drink their soda water
dashed with wine or brandy. seTom
Alien's' drug store Is but sample of
hundreds and thousands scattered over
the country. Such drug stores are but
q step from the rum saloon; they are
the primary schools Of drunkenness.
those who go there will soon learn to
take their brandy without the sods.
The speaker told an affecting incident
OF q young man who learned to lofs
wine and card playing at the table
with the young lady who afterward
became his wife. Once this youne
man was sent to New Orleans to sell
cotton for his father-in-law, and on re-
turning by boat with the morney in his
he was induced to drink
and gamble until he had spent the last
1is ~ ~ ssilamfsta fx, return. n Il, -
wrote home telling of his ruin, and
nothing certain has been heard from
him since. The wife died with grief,
Her last words were: "Wine and cards
brought us together; wine and cards
and ruined us. Name my
little boy after his father, but never
let him touch card or taste of wine,"
Y oung men are amazed that we should
think them in any danger. They think
only fools are in danger from moderate
drinking. They can see the danger OF
others, but not in their own. They
say: 81 can stop when choose" Bur,
said the speaker, when are you going
10 stop? 1t is possible that you could
stop now II you chose, hut if you go on,
after time. the fetters will be so riv.
eted upon you that drinking will be
fatal necessity. There'is NO safety but
in total abstinence. There is danger
N the touch. There Is death in the
aste.