The Evening critic., 1882-05-30
BiBuLous NEw-YoRKERs.
The Peril which Attends the Pow
session OF STRONG Head for
rsOnnr

hIluOEs
Men arc not promo to heed lessons, are fhey
II We were there wouldn't be so many fellows
trying TO drink themselves into eternity. /
found In the death notices day before yester-
was dear TO me. Ono of them used 10 live In
Boston, then in Washington, OF late In New
York. He died in n lunatic asylum.
why2
Rum
by rum mean strong drink. We use rum
as a kind Of generic term for all liquors. This
friend was forty-four when he dlod. He was
an inventor, pusher, driving, energetic
man OF business, and he had two Inventions,
each of which would have nude him q very
rich man. l went to his hotel one day about
six months ago TO look at one of his schemes.
1wont tell you what, because you'd recognize,
the man. l was In his room with two 9th ers
perhaps two hours. In that time he ordered
two "small bottles," i've brandy and soias,
one ginger ale, and Vermont cocktail In
from which he now and then took drink.
We all had an occasional pull, but the
and asked If he wasn't afraid 1t would give
him headache, for this was early In the day,
from IL to /. He laughed and said he never
had headache in his life. Down at Coney
Island when others drank beer he had cham
pagne. lie was never drunk, hardly ever
fuddled, but all OF sudden, about two months
ago, something gave way, crack, bang, and hts
neveraching head was gone. He was crazy rs
a loon. With dlnlculty he was taken to an
asylum, whore he degenerated into helpless,
hopeless idiot, sank quickly, and was buried
yesterday.
Exceptional cases
Well, yes, In that he had superb constitu-
tlon, bright, quick wit, and head that
never ached. Also, in that he diod u lunauc.
But 1t is not exceptional in the habit OF con-
tinuous drink. Very few people stop to
It's "Halloo, whatll you take?" all the time.
For the fun OF the thing, stood In the Astor
House rotunda at noon to-day and counted
the number of times was asked to drink In
less than half an hour. Twenty-Five mon
asked me to drink. Among my would-be
hosts were several newspaper men, two
State Senators, firstrate actor, an alder
man, the two proprietors and the manager
Of the house, an insurance agent. my
brother, and couple OF the boys from
Fortunately, have a head that aches-fre-
quently. Experience has taught me that a
violation Of natures laws insures n speedy
punishment. Achel Well, from the back
of my neck to tho crown Of my skull aud all
along my. bumps of benevolence
ache with perfect aching. l can stand q
moderate quantum of dissipation, but long
ago came to the conclusion that was or.
dained TO virtue and temperance. No, 1
didn't accept, but 1t struck my thoughtful
bump very hard. 1 looked at the multitude
.of young and middle-aged men thronglng ip
| 10 lunch. Nearly every one had drink,
many had two, and number had several.
There was no confusion, no rudeness, no
| drunkenness, nothing to strike the eye of a
casual looker-on, but I tell you the way the
fiery stun was gurgled down was n caution
to the copper buttomed stomachs which had
to tackle and digest it. Please don't regard
me as morallst. It's none of my funeral.
| Every fellow has right to do what he
| pleases with his own stomach. 1 don't drink
| because 1t makes my head ache. My friend
could drink because his head never ached.
| He died in a lunatic asylum and I'm telling
| about 1t. That's where 1 come in-see?
| Now, you know these drinkers are not the
| fellows who beat their wives or starve their
| children. They are the respectable chaps,
the workers OF their day and generation. All
| - Ne1U York Correspondence I'hikddeLphid Times