The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-02-19
TEMPERANCE.
PAuL.s DOWNFALL.
How and Where He Began His Downwar
Career-A True Storv

How and Where He Began His Downward
Career-A True Story.
One afternoon, few weeks since,
while passing through one of the prin-
cipal business streets of large city,
we came upon crowd of school-boys
standing in front of saloon. The
boys had come out of the school-house
only a few moments before, and had
their books and states, ETC., in their
hands. They were company of
bright, intelligent, happy-looking lads,
but they all seemed deeply Interested
in something that was going on inside
of that saloon. As they opened their
ranks to make way for us to pass we
stopped and asked what twas that had
attracted such large crowd of boys.
paul Thompson's been in fight in
the saloon there, and policeman has
just gone to arrest him, said one Of
the boys.
While he was speaking a large, blue
coated, brass-buttoned officer came out
leading man, or rather jerking hin1.
by the coat-collar. The man in Gus
tody was young, with slight form and
delicate features, and as we looked in
to his face we saw traces of intelligence
and cultivation.
g He is druGk,H said another boy,l
''and when he's drank he is always
ugly and wants to fight. This isn't the
first time he has been taken, either"
The crowd of boys followed the po-!
liceman and his prisoner, and we soon
lost sight of them. As we passed on,
we noticed the public school building
was only short distance from that sa-:
loon; many of the scholars had to pass
by it every day. The same proprietor
had been in possession of the buildingi
for ten years past. Only six years be-
fore Paul Thompson had graduated
from the high school. He was schol-
ar of high standing, too. But he had
been in the habit of passing this dam
gerous corner for years before he grad
uated. He had been attracted to it in
bis boyhood, as the boys Just spoken OF
had been, by some similar occurrence.
He began by looking in to see what
was going on behind the green screen
doors. Then he STEPPED inside to hear
what the men were talking about. The
saloon-keeper noticed him, for he had
manly bearing, and belonged to q
family in high standing.
He encouraged the boys coming in
with pleasant, fattering words. and
one day he gave him glass of beer t0
drink. Paul thought it was manly TOT
take the offered glass, but he could only:
drink a part of it; he did not like
the taste; it was bitter; but the sa-
loon man patted him on the shoulder
and told him to drink as much as he
could, and it would make a man of
him. Paul knew it was wrong, and
when he went home he felt ashamedi
to stay in the presence of his good
sweet mother. He could not look her,
in the face; every smile she gave him
and every kind word made him feel
more and more guilty: He resolved
never to pass by the saloon again,
but to go home another way, although.
it was much farther. But somehow
he did not 90 the other way but a
few times. There seemed to be a.
fascination about that saloon, and he
would linger around it. That was the
beginning. Now we sec Paul Thomp-
son constant frequenter to this same
saloon. He had been going down,
down from bad to worse, for six years
or more-the years, too, of his life
which were the most important to him
the time when he ought to have been
acquiring true, honorable, manly
character. His mother used to love
to hear his step on the walk, and his
cheerful, boyish whistle when he came
bounding home from school, so happy
and light-hearted. But now that dear
mother listens and listens night after
night for his step with an anxious
heart. She has pleaded with prayers
and tears for his reform; but the ''habit
begun in cobwebs has ended in iron
chains" He is slave to liquor. Now,
boys, this case of Paul Thompson is a
great warning to all of you. Don't
stop at saloons, even to look in. Cross
over on the other side, and shun those
terrible places where so many have lost
their manhood and their soul. Remem-
Der that every poor, miserable drunk
ard began his downward career when
he took his first glass.-SuSGn Z. Per-
ry, IN Youths Temperance Banner.