Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-07-26
To the Butler Temperance

EDITORS CITIZEN IL spent week
in Butler during Court, and heard a
great many strangers who were there
attending Court, complaining of drink
ing water being so warm aud muddy.
1t was just after the big food and
during the hot weather in June.
In the evening there was great
throDg on the streets moving up to-
wards the Court House I fell in with
the train and on the way to the Court
House saw the throng going into a
drinking saloon, like "Sheep to the
Slaughter" Strangers in town who
did not know where to go to get cool,
refreshing drink of water, resorted to
the bar-room for drink of beer, or
something stronger. Passing the
Court House, few doors below the
corner, saw the Ladies' Temperance
Hall, and few doors further on,
another saloon. l turned and retracing
my steps came back to the Temperance
rooms. No one seemed to be patroniz-
ing it. In fact, there were no gentle
men there, and three or four ladies sit
ting in, or near the door, gave it the
appearance of private parlor, and L
saw that 1t would take more tortitude
for a stranger to go in, than most men
possess But not being easily frighten-
ed by ladies as good looking as they,
and being very thirsty, | ventured up
to the steps and said, "Have you any,
thing to drink here, ladies 2" No sir,
was the reply. / then said, Have you
no water or buttermilk?" The ladies
seemed very much surprised that a
man should want water to drink in
Butler and one of them, jumping up,
said, "Oh yes sir, come in" did so.
and found their room very attractive
one and a very comfortable place to
spend part of the evening, much more
so than in beer saloon. l told the
ladies l had called, partly to get a
drink and partly to learn the object of
their hall, or room. was informed
that they had raised funds for library,
by festival held week previous, and
the object was to offer to strangers and
to young men place to spend their
leisure evenings where the influences
would be less demoralizing than the
bar-room or billiard hall This is GER
tainly very commendable and praise
worthy in the temperance ladies of
Butler, but l felt that something was
lacking. That something ought to be
done, and some effort made to divert,
at least part of the mighty throng-
that was patronizing the saloons, on
either side of the Temperance rooms,
from these dram shops, to their pleas
healthy and moral atmosphere prevail
ed.
Ladies, it is not for me to say what
you ought to do, but only to say, felt
the need of something to bring those
who need salvation from the poisonous
cup within your influence, and induce
them to patronize your very pleasant
reading room.
During Court week, or at times
when there are great many strangers
in your town, you might do a grea
deal in this direction by leaving cards
at the hotels and boarding houses, anC
advertising in different ways, making
known the object of your room and in
viting the young and the. transient t.
spend their evenings there rather thai
in the billiard and beer saloons, and b,
keeping good cool water for drinking
on your tables hope, ladies yor
will not think me debating, for it i
from the appreciation of the good wor
you are engaged in, and the sense
have of the necessity of such work i
your town that write.
| say the necessity of such wor
in Butler for | am sorry to say tha
there seems to be more drinking ther
than in most places of it's size. | migf
add, that the patrons of the bar seel
to be of very different class from tho:
who patronized bars a few years ag,
They are of less respectable clas
This speaks well for your work.
says il terms, stronger than word