The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-08-19
THOMAS N. DoUTNEY
Gives a Lectures on His Life at the
Big Tent Last Evening.

Mr.. Doutney addressed large audience at
the great tent last evening. The services
commenced with the singing of sour Cause
is Marching On" set to the familiar John
Brown" Very many Joined in the singing,
and almost all when "Sweet Bye and Bye"
was started.
A lady in the audience offered fervent
and very beautiful prayer. Il Need Thee
Every Hour" was sung Mr.. Doutney lead
ing. In a few earnest words Mr.. Doutney
said he was not in any sense trimmings show.
His work rests on the solid basis of the re-
ligion of Christ.
Mrs. Doutney sang a solo entitled Don't
count your chickens before they are
Matched"
Mr.. Doutney then delivered his lecture de-
scriptive of his own career as a drunkard, a
liquor seller and as converted and reformed
man. He was eloquent and pathetic at
times, and again as full of wit as he has been
on other nights of the series of meetings that
have been held here. He called tears to the
eyes and laughter to the lips of his audience
at will. In manner he recalled the late John
b. Cough, and may fairly be called the man
who talks all over. He is a very rapid
speaker, passing from the pathetic to the
comic and back again and it would require
very rapid writer to follow him. The follow
ing is o brief abstract of his lecture:
He made a swift survey of the years when
he was a moderate drinker at times, but at
no time fallen to the depths to which it was
his fate to later descend. A born actor, he
made the scenes pass in vivid pictures before
the listeners. Twelve years of this life fur
nished the bitter recollections that he called
up for the warning of the young. To the
first drink he ascribed all the sin and sorrow
of the following wears.
Born in Canada, educated in Massachu-
sets, he went to New York and became
connected with the Army & Navy Journal,
later with the Mail, and after that with the
away of the Tweed ring He lost place after
place in New York, and then was clerk on a
Mississippi steamer, the "Alice Dean"
the e of s to the and0g
it was drink, drink all the time.
From the life. of clerk on the "Alice
Dean he graduated to a railroad office.
Next he opened saloon at 62S Washington
Merchants Union Cigar Store and
Sample Room" He had the local
pre-eminence of having opened the
first sample room of the New York
style in Boston He gave in rapid succession
pictures of the bar room beat, the business
man who only bought a brandy smash Just
to help the thing along" of the broken down
man anxious for a drink early in the morn
ing, Of the little child sent by its parents to
bny liquor, of the dead-broke French Cana
thronged his saloon. Then in rapid success
sion he gave the limitations" he used to give
in saloons when he was trying to earn his
drinks, and when it was Come Doutney,
give us the imitation of a Jew if you want a
drink" Before giving his imitation of the
Chatham street dealer in old clothing, Mr..
Doutney said that in all the United States
there are not six Jews in Jail. His old-time
No., -.
Jew who fell in the price of coat from SO
to $3.50; of the plantation darkey with his
song, and of the Irishman hunting for
drink, brought down the house.
Turning to the pathetic he described the
suffering woman and her starving child
from the cutlery the solemn warning to the
liquor seller you too have a soul,'
Mr.. Doutney next opened hotel of some
Is or 20 rooms at 81 South street, Boston, and
kept there until he was put out Having for
gotten" to pay his rent.
CFor almost 10 years he has been in the
temperance work. He made the honest con-
fession that he had fallen even after signing
the pledge, but by the help Of God hoped to
words he asked the young men present to
take warning by his example. Reduced to
utter want wild for drink, wandering
saloons, begging for liquor, ,enlisting in the
army tbe day after he delivered his first
temperance lecture in fremont Temple,
Boston From the army he was
released by the efforts of Gen
to Providence, resolved to commit suicide,
begged one last nights lodging at the Cen
trail Hotel, this in 1873, met the man who
was the instrument under God of his saliva
ton, saw for the first time before him the
blo0d-stained banner of the cross Touched
and melted he threw himself at the foot of
the cross. and arose a man. The audience
sat in the most intense silence while the elo-
quent speaker pictured the turning scene of
his life. He closed by asking for the prayers
of all Christians, not only for himself but
that there may be great revival of temper
ance in Portland.
Mrs. Doutney sang two appropriate selec-
tions, and the services closed by the singing
of praise God from whom all blessings
flow"
Miss Eva Morrison presided at the piano