Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-03-02
TEMPERANCE! +!
The Wave has Struck
Ashtabula.
And Carried Everything
Before it.
Hundreds'Of our Citizens
Signing the Pledge.
Large Meetings At AshIabuIa and :he
Large Meetings At AshIaBuIa and :he
HarbOr.

Of Pittsburgh temperance friends-con-
Verts and workers in the great Murphy
movement. The visit was in response to
an earnest invitation from Supt. Mccoy.
The company numbered seven, as folio" s;
COl Realf, journalist, and connected with
the Pittsburgh Commercial, gentleman
of wide range of thought and language
the result of reading and study-and an
ELOQUENT and impasSioned speaker; Capt
John Layng-a railroad man, With his la
dy-Capt. Barber, Charles Wenzell, and
Mr.. & Mrs. Lineoln-singers Of more than
usual attainment and gifts of voice. Three
of these number tell their own stories of
former almost hopeless degradation, and
Two speak feelingly of the debt of graft
tude they owe to the sympathy, kindness
and fraternal encouragement of Mr.. Muir
ply, not only for their rescue from the
depths Of inebriety, but for leading them
to the fold of the Good Shepherd. Capt.
Laying has had seasoning of eight years
OF sober, christian life, and well, it would
seem from his manner, has he improved
his opportunities. His plain, unpretend-
ing talk-fun of tremuloHs emotion and
tender feeling, marked throughout with
devout christian solieitude for the dissO-
lute-gaye him great power in his appeals
for reform. Capt Barber and Mr.. Wen
zeli, are both eloquent in the recital Of the
story of their rescue, and the sincerity and
gratitude felt for the change Of life that
has overtaken them. Mr.. and Mrs Lin
CONS music is an important adjunct, in
the effect produced, and in melting and
subduiDg the hearts of the pleople.
Saturday Evening.
The three meetings which these gentle
men held began with Saturday evening at
Congregational church. The audience fill
ed the building, and the latent and all
pervading, but unrecognized spirit of the
people became apparant, both from the
ready response to the call for the meeting,
as well as the deep and absorbing interest
shown throughout the audience. There
was nothing remarkable about the pro-
eeedings. The speakers simply recited the
stories of their experiences-their rescue
from their wanderings from virtue, and
the wonderful changes in their tastes and
pursuits, and the contrasts in their lives,
of the present and the past. Col. Realf's
address, of course was of different char
acter. This, was all accompanied by the
power of music. There was this feature.
however, prominent through ala full
and hearty recognition of Divine power,
and reliance upon it for guidance and sup
port. OF coarse the meetings are opened
and closed with reading of the Scriptures,
prayer, and benediction by some one of
the clergymen present, at the close. The
number of pledges taken on that evening
was some forty or fifty.
Sunday Noon.
At the close Of the morning service in
the Presbyterian church, those Of the visi-
tors present, with the Sunday school and
many of the audience, passed over to the
Congregational church, where the atten-
tion of the little ones was engaged, with
appropriate addresses from the gentlemen
of the deputation, and by the two pastors,
and the soul-stirring music Of Mr. and Mrs.
Lincoln. The children passed out in pro-
cession, by way of the table in front Of the
desk, and we're each one provided with
card containing the pledge, which they
carried to their homes, and thus the atten
tion of many households was called to the
engrossing subject.
Sunday Afternoon.
A special train came up from the Har-
Dor on the A., Y. & P road to the Centre
street depot at 2: 80 o'clock Sunday after
noon and took a load of passengers to the
compsny's round house at the Harbor. and
afterwards the train returned and took
down another load. The locomotives had
been removed from the west end of the
round house and seats were arranged sufi-
cient for accommodating 500 persons, which
were well filed. The exercises were open
ed by music, the reading of the Scriptures
and prayer. Mr.. John Laying then made a
brief address in an earnest and convincing
manner. He urged all, old and young,
black or white, to come forward, sign the
pledge and take the side of temperance.
No one responded to his appeals at first
and the TELEGRAPH pencil pusher began to
think that Mr.. Layng's well worded and
earnest arguments were thrown upon the
desert sand. But the suspense was not
long, for soon one person stepped up, and
then another, until nearly every one in the
building was crowding around the desk,
and signing the pledges. During the rush,
Mr.. and Mrs. Lincoln, assisted by several
of Ashtabula's vocslists. dispensed some
very inspiring music, which seemed to
have magic effect upon the audience.
all gathered closely about the desks. The
result was some 200 pledges signed-some
of them by women and children, but many
more by men-men who were addicted to
intempeFanGe for years.
Capt. Barber, gentleman who had led
very incorporate life up to the past ten
weeks, made few remarks, which showed
that his whole soul was in the work. He
said he used to drink from thirty to forty
drinks Of whisky day, and frequently
would take ten drinks before leaving the
bar. He visited Mr.. Murphy's meetings
one evening, through curiosity; this able
reformer took him kindly by the hand and
invited him to sign the pledge; Mr.. Barber
refused, and left the meeting. About ten
days after, he again visited the meetings
and Mr.. Murphy asked him once more to
sign the pledge. He said he did sign it,
and he is now working to save Others
Several short speeches were made by sew
eral of of our citizens, and the exercises
closed by singing, and prayer by Rev. ].
N. McGiffert.
The success of this meeting was as much
Of a surprise to the people from Pittsburgh,
as to our own citizens, and the indications
are that the good work has only begun at
Ashtabula HarboI. Certainly there is work |