Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-27
sACRILEGE IN A SALOON.
Slaves to the Cup who said Mock Pray
ers in Low Groggery.

"Cli'aas'' IN Dalton tGd.) OitisoR.
When the writer was youth, living
near Atlanta, a scene was enacted before
his eyes which made lasting impression
upon his mind. There was vile doggery
located in the suburbs of the city on the
Macon and Western railroad, known as
Jim kyle's grocery" 1t was the resort
OF all the worst characters on that side of
the city, and drunkenness, reveling, fight
ing, bloOdshed and murder were the daily
occurrences at this plague-spoI OF SIN and
death.
One morning as l was walking into
town l came by this place, as IL was
strictly on the way. AS l came opposite
the broad, open door, heard the voice of
man by the name of Zeb c. uttering
most tervent prayer; and there were
multitude of responsive ''amens" from a
crowd of the most reckless rowdies and
DULLES, who were all upon their knees in
the same attitude of prayer with the
leader. Zeb was initiating an old MethO-
dist minister living in the country near
Atlanta; and the ''boys" were getting off
the Methodist "amen" in the best old
fashioned style. Tue prayer. as led, was
perfect for dictiOn, psthos and power;
and had you not known the place, nor It's
vile company, you would have thought
you were in the scene of revival of re-
ligion.
Of course the whole thing was piece
OF mockery; and / felt at the time the
cold chill Of horror seize my soul. / won
dered why God did not strike the whole
company down with lightning, or swallow
II up with an earthquake. l have always
been impressed, ever since, with the
mercy OF God; and il is more than likely
thai hA afnO0 fNr.ftunFa 0f fhnan
wretohed blGSphemeFs.
Thls Is the only baFroom prayer meet
ing ever saw or ever heard Ot-espec-
tally upon the part OF the barrOOm at
tendant ; and this Is the only kind of a
prayer meeting / ever heard of bar
room holding. AS a piece of sacriligeous
mockerv it was in perfect keeping with
the place; and with but little exception,
the barrOom is about the only place
capable of such a proceeding. In sim
certify IL could not hold prayer meeting
Such an institution could not invoke
GODS blessing upon its success
or prosperity; and nobody ever
heard OF bar-keeper or liquor
dealer asking Gods blessing upon his
business Whisky can't pray. Upon all
legitimate and respectable business the
blessing of God can appropriately be
solicited, but the whisky traffic as such
mas Dut one god to appeal TO, and he
doesn't live in heaven. Nothing would
tend to disturb barrOOm sooner than a
prayer meeting in sincerity. The bar
room hates the God OF the Bible, hates the
church and true religion, hates Christian
ity aud Christians. aud it enjoys nothing
on earth better than to see Christ an
enter gr0ggery, take drink, and get
drunk. Nobody talks abOnt 1t half so
Justify, or brags over it more heartily,
than the barrOOm
Who ever heard of whisky convention,
an anti-prOhibItiOn meeting, opening with
prayer How would 1t do, upon such an
occasion, to call upon some minister to
invoke the blessing of Almighty God, for
jesus sake, upon the distllleries, brewer
les, beer gardens, liquor stores and bar
rooms of the land? 80 Lord, prosper the
whisky ring; bestOw rich crops OF corn,
rye. fruits, grapes and the like. that we
may waste the resources of nature In
the manufacture of u draught that makes
drunk and ruins and damns its mil
hons; and let thy tender watch-care
keep the hundreds Of thousands of men
who make their fortunes out Of the sweat
and tears and mlssries OF their fellow
creatures. o Lord, whisky makes lively
business keeps up excitement, fills jails
and asylums, makes the paupor's and
drunkard's grave, and keeps thousands OF
labor and capital employed in the work OF
destruction TO mind, soul and matter.
o God. bless the whisky business" Only
such prayer as this could be offered, il
offered at all.