Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-08
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/ Colorado when a
to get me a fol
tettin and other pI
II me, SO l struck II
y of Legation to
had been a very
| l was % years
uring the carnage
even tasted any
Of rum strong
about Was
lalf, and in the mea-
b the gayety of tn
es and friends were
rifles in a flower ga
like champagne.
his in Washington
nd yet received nj
day a Senator inf
at the Constantine
Omised to a Maryl
+ had made a forum
e and sympathizing
g the war. 'The Sc
not appoint you, b,
occasions, when y
+, he smelt whisky
as told.
A RUINED HOME.

RUINED HOME.
81 was too proud and ambitious to
accept a government clerkship again, so
| went West and fell back on the law.
But l neglected some of my clients, and
rum got the master for a year or so. /
struggled in the mines OF Nevada, doing
the law work of some of the claimants
there. l fell in love with the daughter of
an English miner and-unhappily for
her-married her. The father idolized
the girl and set us up in life in San Fran
cisco. For four years l lived as happily
as prince, but for the life of me /
couldn't give up drink. A beautiful
child was given us, and one night in a
drunken, maudlin condition, l woke up
to find my wife and child gOne-fed from
me forever. | fed to England, but could
find no trace of wife, child, or father-in-
law in the great city Of London. Great
God, what hell on earth FYe endured
since! l worked for time as common
laborer in Chicago. / tried TO reform,
time and time again, but / saw most of the
protested christians were only arrant
hypocrites. All my friends of former days
turned their backs upon me, and most of
them would not recognize me. Some of
them would pass by on the other side
when they espied me. l couldn't even get
messengers place in any department at
Washington. l resorted to every device
to obtain drink, except to steal. A thou
sand times have l thought of suicide, vet
/ never had the courage to attempt IT.
I've slept in Railways and in the parks
and in cheap lOdging-hOuses for two years
past; have been scOrched in the sun and
all but frozen to death in the seet and
snow stOrms-yet l live. Sometimes I've
put in a ton of coal for quarter, or swept
out the saWdust of liquor saloon for a
bite to eat and drink. l am beyond re-
Il 1r,ff vrarr 49,,
sands Just like me. But for the accused
rheumatism, which has laid me up in the
hospital for the past few months, I'd en-
list as private in the army or marine
corpS-and L once commanded thousand
brave fellows. The noise and confusion
of a battlefield would be music to my ears
now. Would / had left my bones on Get
tysburg's heights!
s'Oh. yes, I've tried often to get some
thing to do in this city of late, but in nine
cases out of ten Eve been rebuffed. l
ask for copying or anything to earn liY-
ing. Only yesterday L was turned out of
a half dozen places where | was looking
for work by the janitors.
A MOTHERS UNHEEDED WARNING.
''You see me as l am. Yet l haven't
lost all self-respect. l haven't any chum,
and never yet went on the tOmato-can
racket, as they call it. l shun the main
of a gentleman. The memory of my wife
haunts me like dream, and the affection
she once bore me keeps me from the low
est haunts of vice. ALL the curse of rum.
The first glass of wine / ever took was
handed me by the daughter of a Justice of
the United States Supreme Court
who was a Presidential candidate.
The lady's husband was a Governor,
and afterward a United States Senator.
That one glass of wine has been my ruin.
A sainted mother warned me when / was
a child never to touch it. She died of
broken heart, for she had felt the curse of
rum. l have brother, thousand miles
from here, who fills the pulpit of lead
ing church, and they tell me he is one of
the most eloquent of men. l have sisters
who are well off, and who are doubtless
now thinking of my accused fate. But
l am too proud to let them know the
truth. Ihave asked bread of some whose
flesh is akin to mine, and they have given
me a stone. The dark river may yet be
my refuge, and if the fishes don't eat my
flesh, possibly from the mOrgue I'll be
taken TO the Potter's field.
"Ah but Pm a coward. Pve talked
too much. deserve no sympathy. l ask
for none. GoOd-by.
The reporter forced the man to accept
little change.
81 thank you, sir, but l would not have
it,n said the tramp. 81 feel there is no
hope for me in this world or the next; but,
as you bid me hope, will try,' and he
turned aside to brush away a tear.
The miserable drunkard went one way,
the reporter another. Did he start di-
rectly for a beer saloon? No. The re-
porter saw the poor fellow enter ten
cent lodging house. He had slept on the