Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-01-20
TEMPERANCE DEPARTMENT.
EDITED by rERRYsBuRc w. C. T. U
ANEW eoLpEr nuLn


ANEW GOLDEN RULE.
1t is suggested by the recall OF rn inch
dent current In my fathers farming neigh
borhood. when I was very small boy. ~
some of the old men have heard the story,
there may be some among them who have
never made application Of its moral. II
will at least be fresh to the present bunch
OF boys, though would rather that none
who read this sheuld have ground to re.
peat IL for Improvement In their own fam.
ilies.
About the date indicated--sny thirty
years ago--the Sona Of Temperance were in
their prime as enemies of the flowing bowl,
and it was quite the popular thing among
many of the country folks TO assume one
virtue, which they had not been accns-
toned to keep on hand. For, then, the
farmers who didn't think that some bev-
erage much "stronger" than water, or
even tea and coffee, wan essential 10 carry
themselves and their farm hands through
the hard work of the hot senson without
sick ness, lived long way apart the
echoes of their old tin dinner horns sel-
dom met each other at the line fences.
Proverbialiy, "the little brown Jug" fol-
lowed the big Jug of water to the fields OF
hnying aud harvesting. The hotter the
July and August sun was, the bigger FIRE.
places men made OF their ston,achs, in
many cases and then by the middle OF
the afternoon, sighed:
"Thia hot weather IN awful! don't
see why can't stand IT,; think never
suffered with the heat no In my life |
do believe that whisky isn't the pure quill.
So saying, some of the hands would lie
in the sha,le, sleep away the remainder
of ;he day. while the most pressing work
of the year dragged, and on the morrow
they would repeat the programme, and
harvest was over. People did not know
chemistry of the "cvil spirits" then M
they do now; and many wouldn't have
needed If they had known these things.
| Well, in the face of this general rural
devotion to Toddy, the little idol that live,
on sten,achs, Farmer Perry, a pretty good
sort OF man for that day in Michigan
proposed, somewhere, il mt IN his henrt
to give temperance n lift," as he famil
iarly plaset il, by setting good example
in lila neighborhood. So, on the approach
Of the hot weather, he took his hired MAJ
aside one day, put On Il very serious face,
and said:
"Jake, the temperance folks are a goin
il strong, an we ought 10 do somethin
that wny like. Now, what dye say
What'll YOU take to 60 without liquor ,hi
Summer 2"
"waai, / don't know that's new iler
But what'll yon give"
al can't we'll afford to sacrifice 40 nucl
to reform, hut If you'll go 'thout NIL Sum
mer. Pll give you n sheep"
agreed ~ said Jake, and he started
6ock.
This bargain came to the ears Of tn
eldest son, and lie came to his father, any
ing:
place of rum this season?'
yes; ceurse will, a good one, too
glad to see yon grow up correct temper
ance man."
The enthusiasm for sheep spread rapid
on the Perry farm, and year later, Jona
e the junior son, expressed a desire to go il
: te the wool business.
q Father" said he, twill you do as we
by me as you've done by Brother Bill an
"'Spose 1 will, seein' it's you, my sol
II But who'd thought sheep WAS sich
n antydote to whisky! Guess the tempe
nnce folksIl see I'm with 'em fast"
Young Jonas took the sheep, and he e
y up very thoughtful the next morning
n went to his father and said:
I "Father, hadn't you better take shee
n too?"
4. 1t hadn't struck Farmer Perry that wa
before. He stopped harnessing the hors'
Y, and looked Mt Jonas till Jonas went off
!, let the cows out TO pasture. Then the O
- gentleman went on with his harness chor
but he got the breeching over Old Ton
head, and bucklad the crupper around h
- ear. When called in TO breakfast. he wer
70 But he never stopped to take off his Ii
70 and wash, till he had boited in whe
". all the members of the family we're ava
he ing him, and his first words were sh
a from resolution temptation could n
break:
Boys, I've took sheep too; the be
n weiher"
,l, Henceforth the Perry farm was run
os water.
W And the Rule here taught, which is G
p ly less golden than its original, Is this
py Whatsoever things we would that m
,ts should do unto themselves, even 90 must
NJ. do unto ourselves.