Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-06-27
For the Democrat.
WESTERN LETTER.
SIDNEY, NEB., June l6, 1882.

olDNEf, NBB., June 10, 1907.
To the Editor OF the Oxford Democrat:
/ left home, Greeley, Colorado, FIVE
days since to make little round trip of
8l7 miles extending down the South
Platte River into Nebraska-thence east
as far as Kearney, thence west to Lara
mic City, Wyoming, and home again.
Business being done, and the train not
due, | will while away few leisure mo-
ments trying to make you see with my
eyes, and hear with my ears.
Two nights since this town was visited
by the hardest hail-storm known for
years. All the north windows were
broken. Not a house escaped. The
passenger train had 1875 panes broken,
including two heavy door-lights. Gar
dens, never abundant in this locality,
were entirely destroyed. Jumps of solid
blue ice as big as mans fist were picked
up. The lightning glared continuously,
and the rain fell in torrents. The ada
cent hills poured the water down into the
town suddenly filling that portion north
Of the track, and deluging the lower sto.
ries until they ceased to be habitable,
when the inmates were removed on horse
back.
Some two companies of soldiers are
stationed at this post. 1t has been said
that garrison towns are immoral. This
is no exception. Saloons, low houses,
and gambling devices are said to
be numerous. In fact the town has
reputation worse than the facts
would warrant but l think that no man
who lives in cozy, Sunday-keeping,
nom saloon town in New England can re-
alize the effects Of continual temptation.
He may theorize upon the subject but
not get very near the truth. Take
town where prohibition holds sway. Num-
bers of well-meaning men will tell you
that the town is about as bad as any in
the county; that just as much liquor is
drank as formerly, but it is done secretly;
that prohibition is not, and never can be
a success. | wish to say for the encour-
agement of men who would like to see
the world purer, that no man can tell
how much sin is prevented, or how many
men are saved from ignoble lives, BY even
our imperfect efforts. am led to see,
this morning, that the difference between
town, that strive nightly for purity and
temperance and good order, and those
that license, and excuse and permit va
rious vices, is as wide as anything that
can be mentioned. | will not use the
old figures of light and darkness, noun
tain and valley, life and death, because
these contrasts cannot measure the differ
ence between hellish degradation and
lofty virtue. If sons and daughters, and
even fathers and mothers meet men and
women every day, who are known to DO
drunkards, gamblers, prostitutes or worse,
and, knowing their vileness, still see them
accorded the outward tokens of respect,
how can any distinction between virtue
and vice be inculca.ed or enlarged?
Since my last visit here few months
ago, the principal teacher-the Professor,
the people called him, is gone. He would
doubtless have lived reputable life in
many towns. But his thousand dollars
per annum was not enough to nearly pay
his expenditures.-unpaid bills every
where-his school a failure, his nights
having been given to gambling and wine,
until he had no ambition to teach well.
| 1t is absolutely startling to see how
men make light of these temptations and
what manner of men 60 dow before them.
The handsomest, hones,est and best, as
the world accounts men are often the
ones to 90 down to ruin. Then when a
man tries business and becomes sot, 1t
sounds oddly enough to hear his old
friends say, "There goes A. to the devil !;
if I couldn't govern myself better than
that. I'd hang myself" and those very
men couldn't let rum alone if they should
try.
Under the Slocum law saloons in large
towns pay 900, and in the smaller
towns $500 license. Kearney, population
$500 has no saloons. n. Platte with
the same population, has eight. and it is
claimed that money is made notwith-
standing the high license. The first town
is in farming region but the other has
many railroad men. The first are regu-
lar in their habits while the second are
by reason of their avocation very irregu-
lar. Then too they have more ready
money and being single men, and given
to treating, the demand for liquor is large
and fashionable. One lusty young rail.
roader remarked, 81 mean to drink q
long as l can get it. When a mans
been out all night nothing does him &c