The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-04-19
Something Truly Interesting.


New Orleans Temperance Advocate
About fifty-one years ago, say 1928,
a pennyless, and friendless young man
found his way to Natchez, Mississippi,
in aearch of employment, and fortu-
natefy secured a situation IN a store !;
one night in opening a box of goods
from New York, he found two news
papers, styled the Genius Of Temper
auce.
The title arrested his attention as
something exceedingly novel, and be-
fore he slept that night he must know
something more about this curious
genius, and what sort of temperance 1T
was genius of.
He read. and as he read a new idea
entered his head. No patent office
ever had anything newer to him than
this Temperance idea, which meant not
to drink whisky. He had acquired the
habit of drinking, and this new idea
startled him, and he felt unsafe.
But what could friendless boy do
in such a case, with SO strange an idea
stirring his brain? He knew that a
temperance society, with the customs
then prevailing, would be ridiculed
laughed out of existence. But still he
nursed the idea, and one Sunday after
noon a mile from town, in the midst OF
an open common, where he could see
any one within half mile, he broached
the subject to a young man by the
name of James Burke, afterwards well
known at Houston and Galveston
Texas.
He then and there timidly drew out
his genius of temperance, and unfold
ed his new idea.
"Can we" said he, 'form temper,
ance society in Natche42 Young Burke
responded bravely: yes, we can do it, "
and they determined to try.
No trained scouts Of an army ever
surveyed the field of combat more eau
tiously. With bated breath, and whis-
pered consultations, they mentioned
the project, first to one and then an
other, carefully selecting young men,
until they numbered seven, brave
young heroes, all infamed with this
new idea.
For nearly a year they continued
profoundly secret, until they took into
their association a married man, Thorn
as Mcdonald, young lawyer.
He made them a temperance speech,
the first ever made south and west of
New York.
They had now grown so large that
it was impossible to maintain their
secrecy, and they became known to the
public at large Here was a sore trial,
and an impending peril to this strange
temperance association. What was to
be done!
At this critical juncture, the Rev.
Gee. Potts pastor of the Presbyterian
church, determined to stand by them,
aud see that ridicule did not crush them
out OF existence. Men of influence
had now gotten among the young NOR
al heroes, and they resolved upon a
public temperance meeting in the
Methodist Church.
John T. H. Claiborne, now known ali
oyer the sOnth as the accomplished
writer an speaker, was selected rs the
orator, 1t was a rare occasion for the
new association, and gave it dignity
and standing.
History therefore, places the immor-
tai crown Of honor ON the brow OF our
distinguished orator, J. +. H. Clai-
borne, as having delivered the first
temperance speech, this side of Mason
and Dixon's line. Rev. John w.
Purvis, soon afterwards, established a
society twelve miles back of Natchez.
Then in honor came Port Gibson, and
Clinton, soon followed in other Sec
tons Of the state.
All honor to the State Of Mississippi
and her noble sons, in setting on foot
the new temperance idea, that now
assumes commanding position all over
the United States. Of the original
seven, there remain but one of the i'm
mortal names, Rev. DIR. Abby, of the
Mississippi Annual Conference. who
originated the the first temperance or
ganization IN the South.