The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-01-17
LOCKE'S REFORMATION.
That Eminent Ex-Drunkard Tells How 1t
Was Brought About.

That Eminent Ex-Drunkard Tells How 1t
Was Brought About.
Nasty has reformed There is no
longer the shadowiest doubt about it.
He was in Detroit yesterday, and was
met by former fellow-drunkard, who
expressed amazement at the resolution
that abstinence has wrought in the re-
nowned humorist.
81 know it is almost incredible, said
Nasty, "but it is a fact that have not
tasted alcohol in any form for eighteen
months. Pm completely reformed"
"How did 1 happen to stop drinking?
Business! About the time I stopped
my business manager came to me one
day and told me that twenty per cent.
of the subscriptions Of my weekly paper
were to expire in a week and it was
necessary for me to jump into the
breach and prevent q permanent drop
ping out. | appreciated the seriousness
of the situation and swore would go TO
work in earnest. He said he must have
two or three serial stories aad the best
Nasty letters that | could write, be-
sides a lot of other plumber.
81 had been hard drinker for thirty
years and had lost my powers of intel
lectual and physical recupcration.
''Up to abour forty ve"rs of age Ihad
been able to 90 to bed rrligiouslv drunk
every night and attend to business with
reason able in 'ustry every day. When
Of IL, I L 7
swallowing more than forty drinks
estimate the gu. nifty in gross at two
gallons of raw whisky every twenty
four hours.
81 couldn't work Application was
out of the question. | would lie in bed
until eleven o clock in the morning,
and on awakening used to contemplate
my boots half an hour at time with
not enough energy to pull them on.
Habitually drank five or SIX WHISTLES
before breakfast and then at breakfast
would take another nip, with couple
of soft-boiled eggs-no appetite or am
bition. When | tried to write | couldn t
make it go-brain sluggish, body en-
feebled, and final de truction near at
hand.
"Well, sir. | swore to get out the
work that was demanded of me, but
I'd keep it off, nerveless, helpless and
no, not hopeless. The last dav came
around and still had not produced a
line. Then fully realized what mis-
cradle victim | was. One morning
while | lay in bed, staring as usual at
my boots, l suddenly resolved that |
would never drink another drop of al
cohol. | dressed, went down to the office,
told the business manager that | was
ashamed of the manner in which | had
failed to respond to his necessities and
added that he pro a ly would not see
me in the office again for three days
Didn't say a word to him about my
resolution on the whisky question.
"All that day l smoked necessarily,
spending most of the time on the docks
walking bareheaded with my face
against the breeze. The weather was
warm, and was full of fever; but
held out and at eleven o'clock went to
bed. Next morning to my great sur
prise was able to eat a small piece of
porter-house steak hadn't touched it at
breakfast before in twenty years. That
was hopeful incident. At noon l ate
fair lunch. That was better. At
night | slowed away a well mans din
ner. That was best of all; for when a
drunkard can eat you may conclude
that he is not 10 t, In three dvs
cohee began to taste good and solid
food had flavor that was delicious.
My recovery was quick"
"Did not your craving for liquor con-
tinue for some timer"
II think not. 1t was a moral as well
as phys cal overturning IN my case
That is, the better condition to which |
had come so soon was cause of more
pleasure and eXhilarat;on to me than
any quantity of alcohol could make
possible. | simply couldn't afford to
put in peril that nationally happy con-
dition."
"Do you never feel a desire to drink
at this stage of the iightP'
"Poss lily do. AT least and at most,
along about four o'c k in the after
noon, feel Il deep depression for
want of a nip so much as because | am
tl1,d with work The natural imnnlaa