Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-07-11
II. WHITsIORE,
Publisher and Proprietnr.
PURITANICAL EATING.
The FeRstE OF our FOrefatherA -
CLAIMS and Hot Rum Their Favor
ile IndnIRenceA.

CIamH and Hot Rum Their Favor
tte IndnIgences.
"This venerable society" said
James Parton at a recent meeting
Of the New York Historical So
ciety, "has seen fit for many years
to hold feasts, especially in june,
when the festive strawberry glad
dens the heart of man." He had
asked, Why this collation. every
month? What connection between
sandwiches and history? But a
venerable member had rebuked
him, saying gravely, "Let no man
speak disrespectfullyof sandwiches
here, for sandwiches built the
house" Applause. One Of the
first acts of the Puritans in 1920
was to abolish that most time-hon-
ored and beloved feast, Christmas.
Some of them had made the OBJ
servance of the day a matter of
conscience, and the governor had
spared them "till they should be
better informed;" but he had for
hidden public games on that day.
But in truth the Puritans never
succeeded in abolishing Christmas,
although they no longer observed
it openly, according to the old
chronicles. They had simply
changed the date on which it had
been observed for 5000 years, and
observed it after the old fashion
on the last Thursday of November.
The Puritans had little to make
merry with. For years they had
nothing to drink but water; and
often the only Wand was a lobster,
with nothing to make a salad of.
Then it was that the clam made its
appearance in history. But often
when the pilgrims had made ready
feast Of ground nuts and clans,
the Indians would come and eat it.
To put a stop to these breeches of
etiquette, the Pilgrims hanged a
man, not an Indian-that would
not have been strange or original
bat they hanged one of their
own number for stealing from an
Indian. In this tragic way the
clam appeared in history. In this
proud and naughty town the ven
der Of the clam, and even the horse
who draws his load, are often men
toned in terms Of disparagement;
but it is far otherwise in New Eng
land, where they have "grand an
nual Episcopal clam bakes."
When America began to export
furs and tobacco and Goldfish, the
people Of the country lived extrava-
gantly. Bringing molasses from
the West Indies, they soon learned
to make rum of it, and rum became
a circulating medium, but rum and
tobacco soon vitiated the feasts
of our forefathers. Even at the
the meetings of the clergy the room
was often dark with the smoke of
tobacco and the steam of hot rum.
If any one supposed that in colo
NAL times the people were more
austerely virtuous than they are
now, let him examine the records
of the society, and he would soon
find the magnitude Of his error.
John Adams, who began the tenn
perance movement in this country,
records that the price of rum was
in those times a shilling gallon,
though sometimes it was raised to
a pistareen which was nine
pence" interposed Mr.. Parton),
aud in small towns there would be
a dozen rum taverns, which were
alarmingly injurious to the people.
Other records show similar facts.
From reading FranklinS memoirs,
the lecturer, in common with others,
had thought that sage a temper-
ance man. But the sagacious
Franklin, who knew we'll what to
tell, omitted to state that after he
became prosperous gentleman he
was no longera a teetotaler. 1e
The absurd and barbarous habit
Of drinking healths was observed
in all its rigor, but even this was
to be preferred to the Slangy habit
of modern times. Later. tea and