The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-09-30
1t II the End

Shun the bowl, it will only bring de-
struction and death. Why do you drinks
The answer is always the same: II don't
know, I just drink" Think OF some
loved ono far away to whom you write
and always tell her that you ore not
drinking q drop. Think of the old,
gray-haired mother, to whom you gave
the solemn pledge, II will not drink an
other drop" Think Of the many prom
;ses you have made to friends, relatives
and to your God. Yet you broke them
and fell by the wayside.. The man that
insists on you drinking when you do not
want it is not your friend but your ene-
my. Did you ever look into the future'
You did not. Well, then, picture to
yourself a young man who has all the
facilities of making fortune and good
name for himself. He becomes addicted
to the habit of taking toddy now and
then, with his friends. He meets them
more frequently and it becomes habit.
He is not satisfied with the sweet COM
forts of home life. He exchanges them
for the more agreeable companionship of
his friends Gas he thinkS in the bar
room. Witness tho result. He soon be-
comes known among his companions as
a hail fellow we'll met. He spends his
money more recklessly. He thinks that
friendship never dies. He finds out his
mistake when too late. His money van
;shes like chaff before the winds. He
reaches the end of the rope. The friends
in whom he placed so much confidence
leave him one by one. He soon finds
himself alone, and without money, and,
as consequence, without friends.
Where are they9 They are saying to one
another: "Charley is good fellow, but
he should not drink the way he does"
Who brought him to it7 His so-called
friends. He becomes reckless and quar-
relsome. People pass him by and tell
each other what he used to be. He I'M
agines that every man IS his enemy and
acts accordingly; goes from bad to worse
and finally the race is over, he dies the
drunkard's death; is placed under six
feet of earth; he is gone, unthought of
and uncared for; not flower marks the
spot where his body lies. Think of it
well. It will come sooner or later. 1t
is the inevitable result. 1t is the end
Evansville Argus.
The Drink.Was!e.
The New York Engineering Nt'es prints
the following significant exhibit of sta
tistics, as given in q recent address by
Otis Pettee, Esq, concerning the ex:
penditure for intoxicating beverages in
this country:
"In looking over the latest statistical
returns of the United States a few days
since found the item of value of manu-
factured liquors, including the liquors
imported from foreign lands, to amount
in the aggregate to 1914, 629,5so. My
curiosity led me to reduce this amount
to avoirdupois weight in silver currency.
Upon inquiry at the sub-trcasury |
learned that one thousand silver dollars
weighed fifty-eight pounds and twelve
and half ounces. Using this weight as
basis, it will require about three hum
dred and forty thousand silver dollars to
weigh ten tons of two thousand pounds
each, which is an ordinary freight-car
load. To transport the nine hundred
and odd millions of silver dollars would
require two thousand seven hundred aud
sevcnty-fve cars with ten tons each, and,
allowing thirty cars for train, will re-
quire nincty-two locomotive engines to
draw them. The ordinary length OF
car is thirty feet, and the entire trains
with their engines will reach sixteen and
onc.eighth miles to transport the liquor
money made for a single year in this
country. If the same amount Of money
was expended for the necessities Of lie
it would provide barrel OF flower, atom
of coal, thirty pounds of beef and two
bushels of potatoes for each and every
man, woman and child in the country;
and, if we add the tobacco bill, l rather
think it would furnish clothing also.
Take The subject home with you and
think it over"