The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-08-29
JERSEYS TEMPERANCE WAVE.
PIainfieId's Rig Demonstration In Fa-
y0r of IL Great Reform.

field. n. j., Aug. 10, had a bit of red ribbon
tied in the buttonhole of his coat. All men
and women seen in the streets were in Sun
day attire. There were few houses from
which flags were not flying. Every one of
the thirteen liquor saloons that quench the
thirst of the thirsty there had patch OF
bunting over its door-and it wasn't an
occasion calculated to arouse the enthusiasm
of saloon keepers, either.
A temperance wave recently swept over
the place and rivuleted out into the region
thereabout. The enthusiastic converts
Joined with those who didn't need to be con-
verted in reform club, purchased an old
church building and remodelled it intoa club
house. and it was the dedication of this
structure that was the occasion for yester-
day. iubilation. New Jerseytowns far and
near sent delegations to help celebrate, and
altogether it was. perhaps. the biggest day
in Plainfield's history.
TEMPERANCE AND EVANGELISM.
If an express train ON the New Jersey
Central road is taken from New York,
Plainfield is reached i'll less than an hour
1t is a pretty place, and goodly portion OF
its population is made up of New York bust
ness men. who locate their families there,
and themselves come to the city i'll the NOM
inc and return in the evening. Until Feb
ruary last the people of Plainfield did not
go much ON temperance. \ branch Of
4 ", nil
struggled along, and in II quiet way did
some good, and small Father Mathew
Society was attached to st. Mary Roman
Catholic Church. The Womcn'S Christian
Temperance Union invited the temperance
evangeists. Maybee and English to visit
their town on Washington's Birthday, and
the invitation was accepted. The movement
took" at once. The First Baptist church
was crowded nightly, and overflow meet
ings were held in another church. The
liquor dealers looked on in dismay as they
saw their stanchest old customers steadily
forsaking them to join the ranks of the
temperance men and display the red ribbon.
The pastors of all the churches joined in
the movement which spread very rapidly
| In the two weeks that the evangelists re-
manned there 2, 900 of the IL. 900 inhabitants
of the town signed their names to the tenn
perance pledge.
REACHING OUT TO OTHER POINTS.
The flame did not die out when those who
had famed it into life departed. The Plain
field Reform Club was formed and the men
of the place flockcd to it. They were ofall
classes of society, and while many of its
members had never been drinking men a
large majority had been either moderate or
immoderate tipplers. To-day there are 800
names on the club roll. 1t was an cnthu-
siastic, ambitious organization, and early
in its existence began to reach out beyond
the limits of Plaintield. Men We're sent
here and there through the adjacent New
Jersey towns and the foundations of SINH
lar reform clubs were laid. The movement
jumped at once into popularity in these
other places as it had done at Plainfield.
and to-day it is said there are about forty
such organizations scattered through the
State. Somerville, Bound Brook. New
Brunswick Railway. Elizabeth, Westfield,
Crawford. Fanwood, Dover and dozens of
other places all have clubs more or less adj
yanced
Soon after the organization of the Plain
field club the project of a reform club hall
was suggested and received with enthusiasm.
Contributions came in rapidly. the Women's
Christian Temperance Union doing good
work i'll the movement. The old Baptist
Church, that was built when the town was
started, was purchased and its alteration
into club house began. Nearly 10000
was spent ON it. and it is now a fine place,
having large meeting hall, with stage,
on the first floor, while the basement is in
course of transformation into a series of
rooms, where billiards and other games
will be the attraction, and library, reading
and smoking rooms provided.
TWO TICKETS AND A BIG PICTURE.
AS each visitor from other towns stepped
from the train at the Plainfield depot yes
terday they were handed two little bits of
pasteboard by courteous Judge Wadsworth
and an atfable colleague, One ticket was
white and the other was red The white
ticket admitted the holder to the exercises
at the new club house, and the red one
entitled the possessor to partake of cola
ton that had been laid ont by the ladies' of
the Womens Christian Temperance Union
i'll the basement of the First Baptist Church.
Those who sat upon the stage at the club
house seemed to be half smothercd in
flowers. A striking picture, painted upon
the wall, covered all the surface at the back
Of the stage Four snorting steeds We're
sweeping forward with golden chariot in
which Temperance was holding aloft ban
ner inscribed Dare to do right" The
chariot wheels were crushing the dragon
Drink, and the Angel Of Destruction helda
lance poised to thrust into the open Jaws of
the dragon, while second angel on the
other side held aloft a laurel wreath for the
victor. White-haired Mayor William b.
MaXon, who is president of the State Re