The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-01-18


The above summary comprises all the pub
lie schools in the city. The Centre street
school. suppose, is referred to in the ser
mon, as follows:
"a teacher in that school says: "a pupil
in the primary room is often under the in
fuence of drink. few weeks since he was
in such state that the principal called In
policeman to remove him.. have 1t also ON
the authority of teacher in that school that
in one room every boy but ore allows that
he drinks A teacher in the free kindergar-
ten says, that child Of nine years comes to
school frequently intoxicated.
A thorough examination reveals the fol-
lowing facts: OF the two boys reported in-
toxicated during the past year the first case
occurred months ago. 1t was found that he
obtained his liquor at home. His father has
been repeatedly prosecuted and spent most
of his time in Jail, being think just le-
leased. The second case when the police
man was called in resulted as follows: The
officer found where the liquor was procured
and since that time has made three seizures
at the place and the offender was indicted at
the last term OF the grand jury. Of the
three suspected cases, two belong in the
same family as the above where the father
is cited as in Jail and the third boy from best
information procured his liquor at home. In
reference to the room where all the
scholars but one allow that the drink, the
teacher furnished me with an account Of the
manner in which she procured her inform
alton. She wrote some weeks since upon
the blackboard list Of many drinks regard
less of their intoxicating properties and ask
ed her scholars which ones they used. All
the boys, twenty-one in number, ex-
cept one, named a beverage, but OF
the drinks named lager beer was men
toned but once, while sarsaparilla,
ginger ale and other non-alcoholic drinks
were named by nineteen boys. Six or seven
boys also said they took whisky when sick.
The answers in detail have in my posses
sion, which any interested party can see on
application. A tendency to harmless drinks,
even, is to be regretted, but in this respect
the condition of the school was described by
the teachers as better than when similarly
examined some time previous. am glad to
say that its condition does not warrant the
inference conveyed in the sermon.
The statement in regard to the kindergar-
ten school, in the same building, was en-
tirely erroneous and unexplainable except by
confusion with the cases cited above.
Such are the substantial results Of my
days work. While revealing condition
not absolutely what we might desire, they
show such an approximately perfect condi-
tion relative to temperance in the schools as
to furnish substantial qualification to all
good citizens, and especially to those agitat-
ing for more thorough enforcement Of the
law.
Reporter-At the meeting Of the Woman's
Christian Temperance Union yesterday, the
charge was made by Mrs. Humphrey that
you had received letter from several mem
bers of the Union asking for better en-
forcement Of the prohibitory law, and that
Won did not answer it. What are the facts
Mayor Chapman-I Tecollect receiving a
letter from them, asking me to assist in Sc
curing the establishment of a police matron-
ship in Lewiston, and Immediately complied
with their request. also recollsct receiving
a communication last July, asking for bet
ter enforcement Of the prohibitory law, but
1t was not of such nature, as l understood
IL, as to call for formal reply; nor do re-
member that it asked It,
Reporter-Mrs. Humphrey alleges, also,
that their husbands waited On you, and that
Won professed profound ignorance Of any
open rumshops, and said the police would
not make seizures.