St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-04-14
Temperance.
English Temperance Coffee
Houses.

Extract from an address delivered by
Rev. Mr.. Williams, of Nottingham, at
the meeting held on Thanksgiving Day,
1881, at Rev. Z. Z. Hale's church, BOs-
ton, for the purpose of organizing a
similar movement
"The working man is as ready to do
right as any of us, if only there appear
no coercion His chief attraction, after
his hard days work, is some place
where he can meet his friends-men of
his own calibre-with whom he can
discuss the topics of the day. 1t was
mainly in view of this condition of So
ciety that men of sound common sense
in England began to believe that Il
great battle might be successfully
waged on an open field between rival
establishments, both gOrgeously fitted
up-the one offering stimulants that
mar or destroy the effects of the nour-
ishment and the pleasure of the amuse-
ment the other offering as good, or
better nourishment and more plentiful
and uplifting amusement, with the adj
dition of stimulus that will enhance
pleasure and keep the head clear and
the body sound.
"A few years ago light seemed to
dawn upon us i'll the shape of Holly
Tree Coffee Houses. believed then,
and believe now III the scheme, pro
viding the friends of Temperance Re
form had put as heavy guns i'll the field
us their opponents. They were voted,
by every one interested in Temperance
Reform, to be the beginning of new
era. ! have often asked myself why,
in the name of common sense, did not
the promoters of that scheme advance
their line of attack SO well chosen
zone man i'll Liverpool, Mr.. George
Parker, undertook to solve this ques-
ton single handed, not only with his
wealth, but with his time and great
business talent. He found out that II
is not Il love of drink, but of cOngenial
society and pleasant surroundings
which first drives the workingmen to
the liquor saloons, and also that they
are, as rule, passionately fond of
music. which they could only enjoy in
the music-hall taverns hence he was
among the very first to establish what
he called Coffee Music Hall TavernS,
the first effect of which was 20 strike
terror into the hearts of the neighbOr
ing publicans, so great rs to induce
some of them to part with their bust
ness at low figure. Further than
this. Mr.. Parker's first venture, though
meant to be purely philanthropic,
turned out so good an investment as
to induce him to embark considerable
capital in coffee public houses in gen
eral throughout Liverpool. 1t was
mainly to combat the vile system of
wine and Spirit Vaults or Gin Pala
ces,' that the Coffee Public House So
cieties were established in London first,
and thence in nearly all the large towns
in Great Britain. | believe the first
society was inaugurated in 1873 or
1874, since which period upwards of
100 Coffee Public House companies
have been incorporated i'll the United
Kingdom, besides one in the Isle of
Man and another in the Island of
jersey. One of these-the national
Coffee Public House society," have
watched with great pleasure. 1t, first
of all, established house among the
poor sailors at Shadwell. Finding that
much success attended its effort the
society struck high and opened Il very
fine Coffee Public House under the
Royal Exchange. Last year it opened
another in the neighborhOod of Lam
beth Baths, and still another i'll the
Borough, both of which places are the
resort of the poorer classes of London,
and since that the society has extended
its operations to Sutherland, Seven
oaks, and other places i'll the vicinity
of London. The last effort has aimed
at class common to all countries. 1t
is appropriately called the CaXtOn COT
fee Public House, and is situated where
| it will especially benefit the members
| of the press, who are so often compelled
to turn night into day. The upper
stories are set apart for the press club,
which already numbers over $50 mem
beers. There are, in addition to those
established by companies, over fifty
independent coffee houses started, Ell
ther as philanthropic or purely tinan-
cial enterprises, amongst which are the
now famous Walmer Castle and the
magnificent cafe, called Edinburg Cas-
! tie, in the Commercial Row-the one
ut the east, the other at the west end
of London. Indeed. i'll all the manu-
featuring towns in England the cafe
system has steadily gained in public
favor. In Nottingham no less than six
cafes were established from 1874 tn
1879, besides cafe tents, or movable
cafes, to be used in the market places
or railroad stations. The success OF
these enterprises led the Morley Club
to erect a large threestory building Oh
one of the principal streets of the town.
| The lower portion is set apart for a
cafe with commOdiouS rooms well sup
piled with the current literature of the
day. The second floor is occupied by
the Y. NJ. c. A. Good Templar lodges
and 10y clubs, and fine hall, devoted
to lectures and discussions chiefly con-
nected with the Temperance Reform.
The upper story is appropriated to
lodging rooms, let to none but such a.
are of known temperance habits. From
the various reports | have received
from time to time of one and another
of the Coffee House Companies, gath
er that many of their ventures have
been eminently successful, and | have
not the slightest doubt of their success
i'll moral point of view, and do not
hesitate in saying that no movement
i'll temperance reform ever accomplish
ed so much permanent good i'll so short
il time as the coffee houses established
from 1874 to 1879
&C.