The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-11-14
Temperance.
w O. t. u
The Work in a New Jersey Town.

gives most Interesting dCCounJ vi tllt
wonderful temperance work accomp-
lished in the town of Millville, N. j.,
from which these extracts are made:
Beginning with very small children,
the temperance school gathers the
Young every Saturday afternoon, in the
"Bovs' Room" Here, under devoted
and competent teachers, over hum
dred children are instructed in temper
ance principles and songs. Once q
month these children give a public en-
tcrtainment in the Institute hall, to
which crowds of adults come and listen
to the truth from the mouths of little
children.
Every week day evening the "BOys'
Room" is opened to the boys of the
town. This is beautiful room, car
peted, hung with pictures, warm and
brightly lighted. Bookshclves on the
walls are full of good boys books, full
of pictures. with card pictures, stereO-
scopes, msgnitying glasses, and organ,
blackboards. states and states for
drawing. Here from eighty to a hun
dred boys gather, who would other
wise be in the streets, and spend the
evening with positive benefit. leach
crs gather those who desire to learn to
read around them, and teach many to
read, while the books are a constant
stimulus to learn. The town is not
unmindful of its obligations to the fac
tory children. Every winter evening
schools are opened in different parts of
the city, aid nal hundred boys and
girls are taught during four mouths.
This is a regular part of the public
school system, the city council and
board of education both uniting in the
work. rhev have just made further
appropriation to teach the young me-
chanics of the town mechanical draw
ing.
The Y. W. G. T. L. is tlourishing
organization, which has socials and
public meetings, under their own con.
troll The strong influence which they
exert on the young men of the town is
powerful aid in securing the safety
of the coming generation.
The Reform club is popular or
ganiAation, meeting in a public hall,
! for popular exercises, every other
Monday night. This is a club to which
both the young men and women be-
long, and in their committee work a
great deal OF good reforming york is
done among the weak.
The executive committee of the po-
litical temperance party Of Millville
has, perhaps, done more than any
other one organization to obtain and
preserve practical prohibition III the
town. For ten years they have work
ed without ever losing their agrees
i've activity. First they planned the
campaigns where the license party was
divided and beaten. Then, having Oh.
tanned the election of an anti-license
town council, they set themselves tc
enforce the law. Money and time have
not been spared during these years
Offenders have been detected, tried
and convicted by them, and scores OF
them fined and imprisoned. Every
court in the state has sat upon theil
complaints. AT their request the
legislature has ven them better laws
) Every election has secured their active
efforts. The majority for prohibition
under their earnest work has increased
every year, until the license question
= has dropped ont of politics. 1t is NJ
longer an issue, because no candidate
who would dare to advocate return
to license would get enough support t
escape ridicule. No licensed hotel o.
/ saloon exists in Millvile, and no un
licensed vendor sells liquor over an!
counter. The evil is narrowed dow
to the pocket liquor seller, and ha
lost all pretense to responsibility.
! The Workingman's Institute was or
= ganiZed to offer counter attraction Il
2 saloons and immoral places of resort
: 1t occupies building costing 500 900
l and has large grounds. 1t offers work
e ing men over eighteen years of age
, good place to spend their evenings
t and is based on the principle of enter
S tainment leading up to instruction
e The membership is large, and very 10y
: in cost. 1t is very popular organiza
}. ton with the young mechanics an
e artisans of the town, and bids fair t
e develope technical school in its sue
e cessiul class work. Its rooms and Ia
are always at the disposal of tn
@ temperance organizations of the tow
G without charge, and the relations be
G tween its directors and the W. G. Il.
|, are most intimate.
r Lastly we would name the W. c. I
II I. OF MlllVllle. NO Town OF equal slZ
@ can show a more earnest body of work
i. ers. Every minister of the city yield
l. to their sweet persuasion, aud COZ
II slant and systematic cannonade is mali
e tanned on the enemy. The best lectul
>. ers of the land are brought to the cit
l. and their meetings every Sunday ate
l. noon in the institute hall are the mo
Y popular event of the week. The
s. maintain regular weekly prayC
Ie meeting and are the moving spirits
/, the boys room and temperance schoo
q They are untiring and ever vigilan
{. Personal work with men who drink i
3. in their hands, more powerful tina
1t the compulsory policy of the executiN
v committee.
is 1t may be added that all these d.
IF partments of activity in moral woI
as are not the result of any patronage /
n few interested philanthropisis, Fro
% the start, ten years ago, when Millyil
/, was drinking town, with four licen
4, ed hotels and twenty saloons, the wol
a. ..