Ellsworth American., 1877-12-20
Durham had seven

licensed grog.shops in 1888; now no
liquor is known to be sold in town,
Minot (then including Auburn.) with
a population of 2S03, had in 1913 thir-
teen grog-shops; now these towns,
with population Of 10000, have not
a single place where liquor is sold as
a beverage. Westbrook in 1888 had
Al licensed grog-shops, which sold
over 1000 gallons liquor now there
is no open bar in town, and but a
small part of this amount drank. An
dover reported 2000 gallons liquor
sold in 1888 now not drop. Read
| field reported at the same time seven
open bars, selling 2300 gallons liquor ;
now none is known to be sold as bev-
erage in town. Augusta, population
39S0) reportedi in 1927 that there were
twentv-four open grog chops In town,
selling 100000 gallons liquor-a large
portion of it to sell again now, with
| double the population, secret sales are
reported to not be a fraction Of these
| figures. Pennington population 234I
in 1927 reported $500 gallons spirits
sold in town; now comparatively
none. Bucksport at the same time re-
ported 1900 gallons spirits sold by five
| open grog shops: now no place in
town where liquor is known to be sold
as beverage Belfast, population
3000.) thirty-fivc grog shops and TO-
O00 gallons liquors sold; now but a
fraction of this. Bangor population
2s69) in 1927 reported forty-tive grog
shops, and 1900 gallons of spirits
sold-one half at retail. Now, Ban
gor has a population of $4,000; yet
no candid citizen believes that there
is near so much liquor sold there as
formerly, Notwithstanding the fact
that the practical suppression of the
liquor traffic in all the country towns,
has concentrated the surreptitious
sales in a few large places.
3. These statistics are conclusive
that there is not one-twcntieth as
much liquor used in the rural towns
now that there was formerly not near
as much even in the few cities and
that the average in the state cannot
exceed one-tenth what it was forty
wears ago. This conclusion is sustain
ed by the general fact stated by Sec
retary Bond that in 1880 nearly every
! male and many females drank liquor :;
that liquors were kept in most of the
houses TO treat callers that the day
books Of most OF the stores showed
more frequent charges Of liquor than
of any other article; that nobody
thought of having company, or ralS-
ing, or bee without a supply Of ardent
spirit and that there was no public
opinion against the moderate use of
liquors. and very little against their
immoleratc use. Now more than half
the males are total abstlnents few are
willing to have it known that they
drink even moderately; Very few keep
Or r'''b.,1 bccs: ani tie Pd67Il o,v8'lSE !@
against even tie moderate use ol lil-
uors is such that business men amt
candidates for public office esteem 1t
important to have it understood that
they are total abstlnents.
4. More specific statistics dispel
all doubt as to the marked decrease Of
intemperance in the state. The town
of Alfred reported in 1888 70 Sec.
Pond 81 men and 5 women accus-
toned to get beastly drunk now we
are informed that the number OF such
is but fraction o: this. kennebunk re-
( ported the same year % drunken men
/ and 10 women; Westbrook l3l noto-
rious drunkards Topsham (p"puia
/ tion lj6D 50 drunken men and ,
women. with cases OF dellrum tire.
/ mems New Gloucester 40 drunkarls
/ Wiscassot 50: North Yarmouth % ;
I Belfast five deaths from dclirlnm tre-
/ mems RcadlieId - drunkards Farm
\ ington so incorporate men and wom-
Y en-; WAYNE 30 Incorporate men and I
| women. These are only average spec
linens Of reports from over 200 towns.
\ Now nearly all these towns report not
a fifth, and many not tenth rs many
\ Incorporate persons as formerly; And
a more marked reduction in the N, .
Der Of those who drink even mOler-
atelv.
>. Nearly all the rural towns re-
port that whenever any incorporate
drinker in those places wants liquor,
he is obliged to 90 to one of the half
dozen cities in the State so that prac-
ticallv most of the cases of drunken
! ness for the whole State are coacen-
tyated in the larger places, where liq-
uor is still sold secretly; or begin
there and are continued after the re-
turn of the victims to their homes.
Reports even from these cities show
that Notwithstanding there are rlany
arrests for drunkenness, yet very
! large proportion are non-residents who
\ have come from the country. AS ali
persons on the streets under the lnflu-
ence of liquor are arrested by the clty
police, the returns of arrests for drunk
enness seem large i'll comparison wit h
arrests for similar cause IN commu-
mites where no person IS arrested Tor
this offence unless he is quarrelsome.
6. Statistics show an equally mark
ed mitigation of the evils of intemper-
amen in this State. Sec. Pond, in his
report for 1898, covering returns from
a large number Of towns, states that
the previous year, when the State had
OILY two.thirds of its present popula-
ton, there were 10000 persons Zone
out of every 40 of the population) ac-
customed to get beastly drunk, and
that 500 of them were women that
there were POO equivalent to 300 with
present population) deaths in single
year, from delirium tremens; that
there were 1900 paupers equivalent
to 2200 now brought into this condi
tion by drinking; that there We're 30C
1 canyicts (euuiyalenL tn 450 for nrpsant