The Worthington advance., 1878-11-28
LETTER FROM JAMES &.
rs, .~,~'- CLARK. - = :; :ss'-,' '-
jVORTHINGTON As SEEN BY THE 70.
E7-SINGER-THN MOST DESIRABLE
TOWN IN :7HC STATE 10 LIVE
IN-TLlPERANCE AND TO.

E7-slNGER-THE MOST DESIRABLE
TOWN IN :214E STATE 10 LIVE
IN TEMPERANCE AND TO-
= DACCO.~
In the PiOneer-Press of the 22l, VI
find i letter from James G. Clark, Civ
ing his Impressions of Worthingtor
and other points. We subjoin those
portions which relate to Worthipgtol
and Adrian, and the conclusion upon
the ''noxious weed:"
After my concert at st. Paul on the
7th, | babe good-by to my kind enter
tainers, MIR. n. GutZian and family, Oi
of Dayton's Bluff, and on the Sth start
ed for Wortlington, arriving ut mid
night.
Wortllington is an eastern town, 10.
Gated on Il western prairie by the side
Of il lake, some two miles in diameter,
drained by two outlets one leading III.
to the Missouri and the other into the
Mississippi river. The lake seems to
be an engagement ring" uniting the
.two rivers III spirit long before the
the Missouri changes her name ut st.
Louis. The village Of WOrthington is
ALI "Ohio idee," its chief founder being
Prof. llun,istOn, of the Cleveland In.
stitute, and the place seems to repre-.
sent both phases OF its founders faith
- the blue orthodoxy Of his younger
years, aud the results Of his more re.
cent investigations of modern Spirit.
ualism. The professor is credited with
the proverb, "lf you don't want to be.
lieve in Spirituallsln, don't investigate
it," The doctrine has 'bruught Il
sword" to the society OF Wortllington,
and made bitter enemies of MANY who
might otherwise be friends. But, then,
agitation is the ''beginning Of wisdom, y
and Il social storm is preferable to Il
theological sleep whose chef result is
a dream of self-right, oasness in which
the sleeper murmers, Il thank Thee,
Oh Lord, that am not rs other men
are"
Strange to say. Prof. IIumiston has
not become at all uemOralized and vic.
ious in consequence OF the "additions''
made to his spiritual estate, Which is
very bad, us it renders him unit fol
exhibition us II |'fearful example. u
The professor is said to have planted
some forty thousand dollars i'll the
Worthington enterprise. The seed
promised well, but was nipptd III the
bud by the mysterious and prolific
grasshupper, winch goeth about like /,
roaring lion, seeking what it may de-
Your, which Llowetll where it listetll,
and men witness the appetite thersof,
Lut cannot tell whence it comes nor
whittier it goes.
All things considered, I regard Wor-
thington us the most desirable place OF
residence Of its size that have found
in Minnesota. Its people are intelli-
ligent, and seem determined the place
shall sustain its record us temperance
town. 1t has Il population of seven or
eight hundred, three good hotels, two
good local papers, and 4 large assOrt-
nent Of churches to suit customers.
l sang in the Congregational church
Oh the 9th to u large audience, and was
invited, through Il petition signed by
the leading men and women of the
place, to repeat my concert, which |
did OH the 18th, III Il church literally
packed with people.
From Worthington I visited Adrian,
the heart Of Bishop Ireland's colony.
will prove IL credit to its noble and ear
HCSC lOllllCl. VII WI III Vic LcIi-
perauce reform will keep his memory
green long after he has passed on to
that land where saloons and tippling
church members are unknown. Selah.
Next to tie saloon nuisance, in from
tier towns, is the Omnipresent tobacco
curse. Nearly every body smokes or
chews, and the air stii,ks with the poi
sonous odor. Men Of apparent mteili-
gence will ride in the solitary pasSen-
ger car that now runs OIL the Sioux
Falls branch, and sit and squirt their
lives away ut the rate Of Il quart ILL
hour, covering the floor with filth and
stencil, and making it unit for Il wO'
man, or il clean imam to step on. We
have spoiled the Indian with whisky,
but the Indian in turn has revengeo
the crime in the most fearful n;ll.nel
by giving the white man tobacco, and
filling the land with tobacco drunk.
ards, who bequeath to their children
inefficient nervous organizations, and
;lppetites for both stimullntS aid mar.
cutics. 1t would seem as though every
Indian who has been destroyed hy civ.
ilizeu whisky and treacl!ery had left the
''llappy hunting ground'' to tempt
white men to smoke and chew them.
selves to destruction. Let lis hope that
the coming man wont supply himself
with the vile weed.
In my next l shall refer to some ol
the Iowa towns. JAMES G. CLARK.