New-York tribune., 1877-06-11


fFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUsE.l
ELNIRA, June 9.-The temperance revival began
in this city hate in March. Francis Murphy, the new
apostle of total abstinence had been at work in
Pittsburgh and Allegheny City during the Fall and
Winter. and had met with wonderful success. Thou
sands of men had signed his pledge and kept it, and
he had sent forth of bis enthusiastic converts
into the neghboring towns and villages of Western
Pennsylvania and New-York to proclaim his motto,
with malice toward none and charity for ALL" and
TO persuade men to stop drinking and to stop selling
intoxicating quors Some time in March this new
gospel OF temperance began to be preached III llor-
nellsville, of the most important places west of
this on the Erie Railway, and having rather un-
enyiabe reputation for the great number OF It's
drinking saloons and the liberal patronage they re-
ceved, especially from that class of men who gather
about RAILWAY shops.
Public sentiment in Hornelsye seemed to be
just ripe for widespread temperance reform last
Spring. There had just been remarkable revival
of religion there in many Of the churches, and hun
dreds of hardened characters had been converted.
With the natural zeal Of new converts they were
ready TO enter upon any good work by which they
could demonstrate the earnestness of their desire to
advance the cause of religion. The temperance re-
vyai furnished just such All opportunity, and 70 use
the words Of the reformeTs, the thing started
easier" in Hornellsvle than in many other places.
Bat the Murphy movement there has not been sns
tanned by protesting Christians alone. Some of the
earliest converts were men Of the world, who were
not reached by the religious revival and they have
been the less Jealous or successful IN
their labors III the OF total abstinence. Not
able among this latter class is the Hon Horace
Bemis, one of the mos; prominent lawyers OF this
section of the State once member of the Assembly,
l., l.tf..r
Hornellsville lie is known throughout this region
AS Elder" Bemie and before he signed the pledge
i'll one of the early temperance meetings in The town
where he lives Is reported have been rather hard
drinkor He now devotes his evenings AID any
time he can spare from bis profession 10 the
Murphy movement. and, being very effective
speaker has been IF the mos! successful temper
ance orators in the whole southern tierOf counties.
Watkins il another town in which the temperance
revival began before any meet4ngs were held IN
Elmira. The movement seems 20 have been almost
spontaneous there having been started by residents
of the town. and to have spread with wonderful
rapdty. 4 larger percentage Of the people seem to
have aigned the pledge than in any place in tins
vicinity of equal population. Many of the Watkins
rcfores have also been very successful as speakers
in the surrounding country
The fame Of Francis Murphy's success IN Pitts
burah and vicinity che rcyiya,s AZ Horneiisy!lie,
Watkins and either places, and desire to save
thousands of young men IN this ety who were
either Just forming the habit Of drinking or had
aycady in a measure become ensayed by 1t, induced
some Of the clergymcn Of EImiTa, the most active Of
whom was the Rev Dr. v. r. Knox, to invite Mr.
Mnrpny 80 come here. His engagement to go 70
Philadelphia prevented lin from accepting this IN
yitation. but hc recommended two yousg ihen who
had been reclaimed from drunkenness through his
efforts in Pittsburgh and who had already been at
work i'm Eeadylle and Union City. One of these.
Mr.. Ecces Robinson. nut with great success here,
and has remained daring most oi te tine since the
FIST OF April After holding few smaller meetinas,
at which some signatures 30 the pledge were OBJ
tanned. u large meeting was called at the Opera
House on SUNDAY evening. at which addresses were
made by ext CONGRESSMAN II. Doarlman Smith, Mr.
Robinson Dr. Knox. and other cicYsynen ahd IN
auentaI c:izens. Pubic interest in the movement
was proYed BY crowded and attentive mouse, and
when tie people were invited to cove forward and
sign the pledge, one of thc first to do 50 Was Col.
Luther Caldwell. proprietor Ui the hatAbWn House.
,be priucipal hot / in the city. lie also induced
to go upon the platform and Soy few words ana
from that ronen: has been Of the most devoted
and earnest of hc ref9rnus
The revival IL Elmira esens to have dated from
by hundreds and thousands OF others some ci whom
were the harle,! drmltcrs in the .iY aHd who had
before resisted every appeal of their F'cnds Among
Pho converts tncre weTe also discovered an unusual
number OF effective speakers who have beDn sent as
missionaries into almost every school district oi TINS
and adjoining counties in NcY-YorS and Pcnnsy-
yani,. In this city ticye are already about 1000
names on the temperance roll, and ia some ol tie
country towns the reform Las become 80 popular
that it is difficult to find man or boy who las
not signed ihc pledge.
OF the Elmrl converts, several have aif'a'y "oL
by their Iabors more than a local reputation. COL
Caldwell spokc at a meeting in this city on the next
evening after sigung the pie lgc and on TIE sucrecd
ing uirht started tie revival at Corning, where 10
his own amazcment and chat Of The Temperance
people of Corning, he secured more tIah "OV Sisu-
lures to the pledge al the htst meeting me iehl
peranoe Union at Corning now numbers about 3'OO'
neqnlers. At WaVerly h. had similar experience
The temperance people there were good deal us
couroceJ for every effort to make the movement
popular or to induce any who were IN 'hc
habit OF drinking 10 sign The pledge had
utterly failed. About 900 signed the pledge III tol
Caldwell, first meeting there. Another Eimifa "n-
vert i "Billyr Maxwell. IIc has been dIunkard
for forty wears and loag sank 20 40" that 30 ore
who knew him imagined i; possible that he coGd De
saved. lie enlisted III the Union Army during the
war. but was good for nothing as soldcf ana since
then he has been vaqabond sometimes m jan ana
oftener in the gutter. lie signed the pledge ana IN
mediately went upon the platform. Without very
great mtelle ctual resources, Mr Maxwell, 10y his
SPARKLING wIt and irIepTessible humor, rs wen as hy
his earncstness and patbos, gains Nondrriui ihhu
ence over biz audiences wherever b. speaks
! must reeerye a description Of the methods aHopt
ed by Mr. Murphy. and 50 successfully copeH Dy 10.
followers, ~ well as some account oi Inc lc'u'' VI
q lnIh.r i. ".