The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-19
A MAN WITH A MISSION.
4 Reformer Who Began Confidently and
Failed DisastrOusly.
Gath, in New York Tribune.

Gath, IN New Y ork Tribune.
You must have seen him-a large, smooth
faced, eredulous-lo looking man, generally stand
ing in front of some gin-mill. and formerly
dressed in fashionable cut, later with vestiges of
the gentleman but somewhat run down. He
needed no introduction. spoke to you from mu-
tual sympathy, and gave you all his confidence
at once. 1t is now nine years since he betrayed
to me the great purpose of his life; to drink up
all the liquor in the city and keep it from doing
any further HARM As he said it | saw the fire
OF great moral intent i'll his eye Said |: oh
you cannot drink all that" II will do it." said
he, ''or perish! Don't underestimate me. l be
long to family of great will. My father has
died and left me a hundred thousand, all incash.
have no wife. This thing is doing harm. The
law cannot put stop to it: | intend to drink it
all up!"
He was then, perhaps. twenty eight; weighed
10 pounds and had a peculiarly affable yet
credulous something in his look. He never was
drunk: a physical constitution alone that kept
him tough and ford. From year TO year | saw
him, always going in or just coming out of bar
room. He knew me and gave his head the shake.
4h' ia, am doing it | have got away =,
said 1, as there is so much of it." Keep
your eye on me- he said. This evil shall be
drunk of the face of the earth!7 Sometimes |
would miss him for year or two, and it panied
me to observe, after these intervals, that some
havoc had been made in his fine physique, and
he would now and then cough a little. Don't
discourage me, he would say; somebody has to
do it and accept the great trust" Then he
would dive into saloon and apply himself sim
eerely to the self-appointed work. More than
once reasoned with him, taking the privilege
of friend, though 1 never knew his name.
divide the labor up" l said, cit is too much
even for you" mo, he answered sit might
hurt another man. but shall get away with it.
From statistics L must have drunk nearly two
thirds of it up now"
At last | saw him come out of place and lean
against the pillar at the gilded door His dress
was shabby, his complexion muddy, little re
manned but the old childIike .credulity and the
reformers proud flash of the blood shotten eyes.
1t will kill me-" he said. Il hardly think can
survive it. But it is almost all gone now. 1t is
a matter of only few gallons left. Haven't l
hung to it like mani If ] should fall trying to
get away with the small quantity remaining,
won't you do jnstice to my motives" His hand
trembled on the shattered nerves as he spoke,
and tears came to his eyes. ''They ought not
to say hard things of me-" he
faltered because / have put all my
father left me into this great work. You
know what my health was; have | spared it,
Love, books, rows of houses, everything | have
let slide to carry out this noble endeavor. Do
you think L will faill7 He borrowed the first
quarter from me he had ever asked, saying:
That is my only weak point. If my money
had lasted l think my health would" Said |:
Tell me now, have you met no person that you
thought was competing with you in this original
enterprise He whispered from his feverish
lungs as he disappeared into the dive: '"They all
started at it from a noble purpose. Do justice
to the motives of every one of them. Charity,
charity to all y he said and djSappeared