Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-12-09
HOW I BECAME A SOBER MAN.
Friendly Notices of the Press.

friendly notices OF the press, the re-
representatives. of most of which were
present on that occasion:
From the State Journal, Madison.
On Sunday evening the Congregational
church at Lancaster was crowded with between
FIVE and six hundred earnest and substantial
people; among whom were several represen-
tatives of the press, who had come from long
distances to sustain their brother printer,
s. c. Harris in his effort to tell How Became
a Sober man" State Lecturer, James Ross,
|. o. G.. T., in heartfelt remarks expressed the
pleasure he had in greeting Mr.. Harris, be-
tween himself and whom there was a link of
sympathy and love, that only those who had
passed through the blasting ordeal of the
liquor habit could appreciate, outspoken
and pronounced advocate of total abstinence
from intoxicating drink. Mr.. Harris then took
the platform, and in thrillingly earnest adj
dress of thirty five minutes, told of his fifteen
years of slavery to the liquor habit, during
which a mother, wife and two children had
despairingly died, uttering final prayers that
their loved erring one might be spared from
the drukards fate He then told Of how the
benefcent Grace that had saved so many,
began working on his heart; how the strength
ening memory of the beloved departed cons
stantly rose to sustain him, and how finally,
when as a tramp printer, in rags, and
trembling with the poison Of strong drink,
a high wave of redeeming feeling broke over
his heart, and full of its power he knelt down,
prayed for the help he got, and was mercifully
saved from the yawning abyss. During his
finely delivered address, many streaming eyes
attested the workings of affected hearts, and
when the exultant tones of his closing words
proclaimed his triumph and called for recruits
tha r,F
plause endorsed the appeal Messrs Ross
and Harris then went thorough the audience,
and in the midst of prayerfu enthusiasm, got
80 names for Good Templar's Lodge, which
was there and then organized
From the Boscobel Dial
The temperance meeting held in Lancaster
last Sunday evening was largely attended by
people from all parts of the county, and it was
probably one of the largest gatherings of the
kind ever held in this part OF the State. The
meeting was well conducted in every respect
The exercises commenced with song, fol-
lowed by prayer. The object of the meeting
was then stated in a forcibe manner by Mr..
John Brindley. He was followed by Hon
James Ross, who made very able and telling
speech of about aquarter of an hours duration.
Then came the most interesting part Of the
exercise, the address of S. c. Harris, of Lancas-
| NOA" " iiOh tHC opSdhCt dlOoc YOu COulu plulu~
| ly hear watch tick and the entire aude
was laboring under an intense suspense of
| anticipation of hearing something grand and
entertaining. And we must say, their expec-
tations were more than fully realized The
speaker swayed his audience from smiles to
tears at his pleasure, while relating the many
anecdotes of his life previous to his reforma.
ton. When he finished, the audience, num-
bering nearly 800 persons, were all deeply
affected. Mr. Harris has walked up the peo-
| pie of Lancaster in the temperance cause.
We hope we may be able to get him to come
| and deliver his address in this city.
From the Prairie du CHEN Union.
On Sunday morning, in company with Mr..
Geo. r. Smith, we journeyed to Lancaster for
| the purpose of hearing friend S. G. Harris, of
| the HERALD, deliver his address entitled Chow
| Became Sober Man" At the proper hour
we repaired to the Congregational church-a
beautiful structure by the way-which we
| found filled to the utmost with an intelligent,
| refined and apprecative audience. The meet
| ing was opened with singing followed with
| prayer to the Most High. Hon James Ross
| then spoke for a few minutes in his usual
| effective and soul>stirring manner. After him
Mr.. Harris came forward, and in a thrilling
and impressive manner told of his being in
| bondage to the Demon, strong drink, and how
after being thus chained for fifteen years, he
at last by Grace was rescued from an ignoble
manhood, and an nutmely death. During the
time be occupied the floor many were the tear
full eyes which attested that they too had
| friends and relatives who, like he had been,
were now in the tolls of the awful curse of
our land It. was # fine Pr eaftt "a abon to de-
| liver the same in this city.
| From the Dubuque Times.
| At an early hour the main hall, the social
room, and the gallery of the Congregational
| church were filed to overlooking with ntelli-
gent spectators anxious to witness the assault
| upon the demon of incompetence. People
| were present from Prairie du chen Boscobel
and other towns in this part of the State, and
among them Were representatives, of the press
| The main feature of the evening was an ad.
dress by Mr.. S. G. Harris, Of the Grant Coun-
ty HERALD office, formerly of the Chicago
| Tribune, and probably known to the printing
| fraternity of Dubuque. The address, entitled
Chow | Became Sober Man." was spoken in
an earnest, impressive manner and consisted
| of an account of the sufferngs of himself aud
| others, caused by his dissipation his final
triumph over the wine cup, and an appeal for
assistance in the temperance cause. Mr.
Ross again spoke eloquently and earnestly,
and made some scattering remarks applicable
the HERALD who had used his Quill against
the cause of temperance considered in the
abstract A Good Templars lodge of about
sixty members was then instituted, and the
meeting djourned-eyeryone voting the effort
an entire success.
From the North Iowa journal. Lansing.
very pressing invitation came to
US few days ago from our old friend, Gan
Around the World" Mr. S. G. Harris, now
of Lancaster, Wiscons n, for US to visit that
place and hear him deliver a temperance lee.
ture entitled, GLOW Became Sober Man"
The lecture was delivered last Sabbath even
ing, and was a very interesting subject Mr.
Harris is capable of getting up lecture that
would abound in much that was personal, as
his experience in the tolls of the hydra-headed
demon intemperance has been both wide and
varied. Family sorrows and financial reverses
very near drove friend Harris into the vortex
of despair, but finally that manhood which was
left within him asserted itself and he became
reformed man, and is now a respected and
honored citizen of Lancaster where he oc-
cupies prominent position on the Grant
County HERALD. God bless you, Silas c.
Harris.
From the Prairie du Chen Courier
From those who attended the Harris Ross
temperance meeting in Grant county, the
zsIn OF November, we learn that our much
esteemed printer friend S. G. Harris, acquit-
ted himself most nobly. His effort was char
actefistic of the man, earnest and sincere.
We have known Mr.. Harris for several wears.
and always found him truthful and an honest
man. His temperance zeal cannot change
him in this respect. We are pleased to know
his meeting was success, and would have
been glad had we been able to attend. At all
events we should be most happy to have Mr.
Harris lecture here
From Grant County Witness
Our neighbor town of Lancaster is moving
ahead in the temperance question On Sun.
day evening last, large meeting of the friends
of temperance and advocates of total abstin>
ence was held at the Congregational church.
The assembly numbered fully FIVE hundred
persons-probably the largest indoor gather,
ing ever held in that place Mr. S C. Harris,
the lecturer of the evening, deliyeed his ad-
Trns I