The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-04-07
INEBRIATES' HOMES.
INTERVIEW WITH THE sUPERlNTENO-
EMIT OF A DRUNKAROS' HOSPITAL
The "WashingtOnian Home of Chicago
Lecturing with a View to Reforma-
tIon-The "Feriodical"-Men
of Emotional Nature.
Chicago HeraId.l


the most successful of them all. 1t is the
only one in which reform is attempted by
the combined influences OF bodily care,
physiological teaching, and religion. This
Home not only cleanses the patients body
of alcoholism and its effects, as far as it may
be possible, but it teaches him, in a striking
manner, the certainty of horrible death if
the use Of intoxicants be persisted
In. The old "soaker" or the vet
eran "periodicalp may know too
well how his head, stomach and general
system feel after a debauch, but Superin-
tendent Wilkins goes his experience one
better and shows him how his liver, kidneys
and stomach appear. swelled head IS a
source of annoyance, but the picked
stomachs and livers of drunkards which DR..
Wilkins displays to hundreds Of drunkaris
every year are things of terror. In the
beautiful chapel the walls Of which are
ornamental with appropriate notices, and
the ceiling with handsome frescoes, Super
intendent Wilkins gives a lecture every
Thursday evening.
"What kind of men coma here, a rules"
a reporter asked Superintendent Wilkins
"The best kind but for their drink. Some
of the brightest men in the world gather
around our tables every day at dinner, We
get very few of the low class. Six out OF
seven men who come here ara periodical
drunkards, and as a rule the periodical
drunkard is a brig ht man. He is a man ~
strong emotions. He loves WELL learns quick.
works fast, becomes an expert, likes socia-
bility, does everything with his whole heart.
After years of observation and study have
been able to diagnose the case Of the periOl /
ical satisfactorily to myself For years it
was a mystery to me why so many of our
inmates were periodicals. l studied them,
and their traits. Finally l classified their
emotions and desires, and made a chart
which 1 used in talking to the men. You
would be surprised to sea how quickly can
make them understand me.
The periodical is always a man of high
spirits while in health, and strong animal.
emotions. If he suffers disappointment,
bodily pain or discomfort, or from loneii
ness or lack Of application, the desire for
relief is stronger with him than with msl
less sensitive and emotional, and he rushe
into drink. Once started, he is a slave.
Being man Of intelligence. pride and fine
taste, upon becoming sober he is greatly
chagrined and mortified. His better self
again assumes control, and for time he is
g good citizen. But the further he getS
from his last debauch the less his pride
and chagrin all in holding him up, aud
SOON he falls again With many the begin
ming of periodical is a matter Of sudden
temptation or opportunity. Sunday is al
ways q bad day for the man who is trying
to reform. Holidays are always dangerou.
and we dread every election as we do a
plague. 1t never fails to send back to u
some Of our men, whom we had hoped We're
permanently reformed. The constant drink
ers are usually, though Of course not Away
Of more stolid disposition, and from tn
lower walks of life Most of the mon ssn
us by the police justices are steady drinker
aMen with finely organized nervous Y
TENS are peculiarly liable to become periol-
icals. They overwork, or lose sleep, Il
their sensitiveness to pain drives them
quickly to the use of stimulants. Nj,
work is one of the most fruiJa
causes of intemperance. Railroad, teie
graph, and steamboat men, ply
clans, editors, reporters, and prInt9
not having regular habits, meals, and sleep,
are frequent victims to drink. They M :
have time for sufficient sleep, but they /
not take it. A railway president told
the other day that most Of the employ
his company discharged for intemperaac
were on the night runs. Their nervou ~
TENS break down, and intemperance clLi
them for its own Bookkeepers who
long hours, and frequently take their TO
home at night, so weary the brain t-.a
restful sleep is impossible, are also liable
drink Travelling men, from their irresu
lar habits and habitual sociability, o.C-l.
become drunkards. Lawyers, being genei
ally highly emotional, by excessive bra
work destroy their nervous systems AMI T.
easy victims Why, OF the 700 men adm
ted to the Home during the last year near
one-third were of the classes l have ju
mentioned. Let's see-there were So boz
keepers, Is railway men, IA newspaper m'I.
- printers, % lawyers, physicians, o.
statesmen and travelling men, and telegra IA
men.
ITO prove my assertion that periodlr.,i
drinkers are usually bright men, who b.
come expert in some profession or trade, o.
engage in business requiring the energy a i
tact which emotional men nearly aIway
possess, let me give you some furta5i
figures Besides tine ones l mentioned, W.
had during the year board of trade meu,
4 druggists. 3 hotelkeepers, insurance
agents jewellers, hatters lumber dea.-
ers, II machini Is, TO merchants, mOldsF ,
2 millers, manufacturers, photographer
4 plumbers, profe ,sors IN colleges, aud :
real estate men: We had actors, archlt2cUS
builders, publishers, coal dealers, chemist,
civil engineers, contractors, dentists, Ell
grayers, evangelist, music teachers,
watchmakers and wood-carverS. In tact,
of the 700 men only eighteen were laborer,
and only fOrty-two returned no occupation.
They are nearly all business or professional
men or skilled mechanics"
"Were there no clergymenP
tOh, yes, there was one clergyman. There
are two clergymen in the house now. At
one time, a few years ago. we had in the
Home clergymen, physicians, lawyers,
editors and 3 reporters. You woull be
surprised if I were to walk down town with
you and introduce you to tho business ard
professional men who have been inmate
here"
@Are most of these men single?"
mo; ma jority are married, and domestic
troubles cause many to come here Scarce.Y
a day passes that we do not make an efors
to reunite man and wife, as the surest way
of reforming the husband. We straighten
him up and work his courage to the sticking
point, where he wants his wife's aid ar
cheer We make inquiries, and find she n
let him We send for her, get them L.
gether, and if she viii be lenient and 81
couraging half the battle is won. We
unite an average of four or five families
week. and even if the happiness that tA1
comes to those homes does not prove perm
nent we are doing some good in the wori !. "
Cabinet Officers Son.
lChicago Tribune
l. O. c. Lamar, Jr., the son of the srre