The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-03-26
Communicated.
A TALK.

lOUmmuuIc1VSUl
A TEMPERANCE TALK.
The Gro wded and interesting meet
. ings held every Sunday evening ii
the Reform Club rooms testify to tn
=, fact that the temperance movemen
has taken q permanent hold in on
city. Last summer that great coli
water apostle, Miss Frances E. VIII
lard, visited Butte, and her eloquen
addresses in the pavilion were list
ened to by many hundreds of ou1
citizens. There is no doubt but {
large proportion Of her audiences
were attracted by mere curiosity. Al
she is q woman of national fame; but
her earnest and forcible presentation
of the case, supported with thrilling
incidents and an array of facts com.
ing under her own observation, sc
won upon their attention that to ap'
ply the words of the poet,
Those who came to scoff remand to pray.
Her long talks were listened to
with absorbed attention, and there
is no doubt that many man who
had been using strong drinks with
out a thought of the dangerous prac-
tlce and from mere force of habit,
was induced to view the matter in
another light, and to revolve in his
mind whether the fatal wreck sus>
tanned by others was not profitable
for bis own a%dmonition.
Miss Willard is a great organizer,
and after having aroused public in
terest in her mission, her next pro-
ceeding is to form a local branch of
the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union. Such a branch was formed in
this city with a number of Christian
ladies as members. But being unob-
trusive and chary of public display,
for several months they made but
slight progress in their work; and be-
yond keeping up their organization
and meeting together once in a while,
We are not aware that anything use
full wasdone. Tue liquor interest is
so powerful in this city, and any at
tempt at temperance reform was re-
garded as SO harmless a hobby, that
these ladies stood appalled, at the
work set before them, and seemed to
believe that the best way to achieve a
victory is to know how to wait for it.
But the revolt against whisky
domination was making giant strides
in the States, and the moral upheaval
it produced was again felt in this re-
mote region. Another reform evange-
list came to this city, in the person
of Ben Hogan, a former pugilist,
inebriate and gambler-a hard case
generally. A more ~illiterate man
never addressed a public audience.
The seven lepers mentioned in
he spoke Of as ''the seven
leopards;;" he wa a worthy rival of
Mrs. MaIaprop in his mlsapplication
Of terms, and his fragrant abuse of
the rules of grammar was enough to
warm with red resentment the wan
cheek of the deceased Lindley
Murray. But he was thoroughly in
earnest, his personal magnetism won
sympathy of the crowds who
locked to hear him, and his rude
won a way, in many in
'tances, where more polished periods
would have failed of effect. His
arguments had weight, because he
Knew how it was himself. A scien.
ist or a clergyman may describe the
effects of alcohol on the
human organism. a. penlarge upon
ruin it brings upon the morals,
he health and the pockets of its
'Otaries. But all such talk is turned
rom by the ruder class as a twice.
old tale. Such speakers are not at
he with the mass of men they seek
D impress, and their logic is idly
expended upon hearers who are
READY convinced. :
Rut this tough boy from Chicago p,
'as the man fer the OCCASION. He
'as the hero of many a midnight .
.arousal, he was handy with his :
inches of fves, and had sunk to ,
ne lowest depths Of vice and dissi- : !
alton. But bis robust manhood )
to his rescue before the case )
as entirely hopeless. Between his +
bouts. and his bar-room I
ghts, the small, still voice of con-
,ience would ask the question of his
ldgment whether such q life was
'orth living? Napoleon rated
three o'clock in the morning cour-
ye' as the true test of a soldier.
he warrior who can keep possession
t his faculties when rudely aroused b
ON his nights sleep by a noisy as
lult from the foe, ana take his place Il
the defences undeterred by un c
danger, is to be trusted under all il
rms of peril. But "three o'clock
the morning courage" is a:so to
, priced in civil life. At that still
our, in II wakeful moments. the 81
ind gives up its dead. Accusing
'nscience then brings in review b
'ery mean act a man has commit t.
d, every foolish thing he has done, b
cry useful opportunity he b
IS wasted. We can inn c.
that the inebriate who ii
wakes to consciousness in the still g
atches of the waning night, and d
rs over the mode of life he is lead v
g; character gone, self-respect for
lied, home desolated and health de- Of
is haunted with CHASTITY
and that his delirium should |
ways conjure up objects of terror, is b.
accordance with the ompensating 8,
OF violated nature. al
This is the experience of every ex- al
Sslve drinker, and when Ben Ho- m
q in his rude but graphic way, de- "
,ted the scenes that lead to such q y.
'rful reckoning, and stood before p(
hearers a living example Of a man