The Dawson journal., 1885-01-29
Interview With Reformed Drunk.
ara and Total Abstinence Man.

in that census?" asked the B.-W.
borer.
'"They are" was the sedate re-
ply. "But SO long as there is a
bar-room in Athens I feel gnaw-
ing at my ennards every time I
pass the door. There is no tell
ing when 1 may fall, and hence I
want these death-tramps removed.
After some of my long sprees I
have suffered the agonies of the
damned. Delirium tremens?
Well, I've had them and that bad
ly At first | saw only butterflies
OF usual size"
The reporter here Interrupted
to suggest that if a certain emf
ment minister in Athens conld
have these butterfly visions there
was danger of backsliding.
Without noticing the remark the
reformed victim cotinued: "Then
followed bugs and insects of all
kinds, to be succeeded by animals,
some of them are of strange
breeds. In walking the streets 1
could see as plainly as that nose
on your face a drove of bulldogs,
zebras, wolves, and other varmints
making toward me. I knew in
my own mind that it was an illus
ion, but could not help trying to
evade them. l would cross over
the street, but look where | would
do the swapping, snarling breed
was just before me.
My brain was in whirl, and
my blood seemed to be on fire.
My head was in a rack of pain,
and it was only by pouring one
drink on another that l could
gain momentary relief. 1 have
seen the time that / would have
sold my soul to the devil for a
half-pint of liquor. The viler the
the stuff the greater relief it gave.
But it was only adding fuel to the
FAM that consumed me. When
l reeled to my room that night,
you may Judge of my horror to
find coiled in the middle of my
bed fully a half bushel of vene-
nous snakes, all shooting their
forked tongues at me. When I
went to remove my boots, around
each leg was coiled an adder, while
look where would the reptiles
were seen. All at once there was
a kissing sound in my ears, and in
the next instant every snake in
the room made dart for me, and
/ could feel their cold bodies
squirming up my legs, down my
coat sleeves, winding around my
neck. with glittering eyes and
murderous tongues approaching
my face. 1t was then that the
great strain on my nervous sys-
tenn give way, and with demon
lac yell I fed from one corner of
the room to the other. vainly try
ing to tear the writhing bodies
from my person. My God! the
very thoughts of that night makes
my blood run cold at this moment,
We're you to take sane man, and
hurl him into a den of serpents
his horror and agony could MOI
have been greater than mine
Talk about the tortures of hell!
They cannot be greater than those
of man suffering with mania
portu. For all the wealth in the
world l would not again live over
that scene for one single mo-
ment. For years l lay at deaths
door, my physicians only meli-
cine being stimulant' administer
ed every few minutes. l got up
wreck, but sober man. 1t wa
then that the great struggle be
tween appetite and resolution en-
sued. Forty times day [ woult
start to some bar-room, but check
ed myself in time. l felt like
man dying with thirst in som
vast desert, with oasis just i
reach. For weeks, aye months
. this conflict waged, and reason q
last came out victor. [ had a
: soon put a goblet of strychnine t
. my lips to-day rs glass of liquo1
But as I told you, there is no safe