The Portland daily press., 1889-04-16
THE REFORM CLUB AT WORK.
The Proposed 'isIand Home of the
Blue Ribbon Boys.

About year ago the Reform Club decided
to undertake to provide for those who had
been in the habit Of drinking, but who might
desire to lead more sober life, all the social
features they had been wont to find in bar
rooms, together with attractions not to be
found there. In other words the Club un-
dertook to provide home for the reformed
men, a place where they could be free at all
times to go, and where they would be helped
and encouraged. as well as provided with at
tractive means for passing their time and
pleasant and safe associations.
The rooms on Congress and Temple
streets were kept open constantly, and So
cial features added of nature to attract and
hold those the Club most desired to reach.
Finding that Saturday nights the younger
members were more exposed to temptation
than on any other night of the week, the
Club decided to set that evening apart for
social entertainments, and from that time to
the present the Saturday night suppers have
been very taking feature OF the work, and
have served to keep many who might have
otherwise been lost
Last fall generous public kindly assisted
the Blue Ribbon boys, and the hall and
rooms of the Club were handsomely fitted up.
and since January they have seldom been
closed. The work of the Club during 1888
has been more than rivalled this year, and
he officers and members are more than
pleased with the outlook.
But the fact remains that the time is at
hand when people leave the city for the isl
ands, and when the social features now so
effectively used by the Club to reach those
who are drinking and to keep its members
out of temptation, will no longer serve their
purpose. To give up those features, or to
cease to surround those who might be
tempted, and who being tempted might fall,
with the same social influences proved to be
so great factor in the work of reform, is
not to be thought of, and so The Reform
Club proposes to go to Peaks Island and
build summer home. and to continue
through the summer months the same quiet
but effective line of work followed out for so
long a time here.
A site has already been secured, and
friends of the work have already done much
to forward the plans of the club, but more
help is required and an appeal will be made
to the public for help in what all will admit
is noble work. That money spent in help
Ing the REFORM CluO 10 make Oh tnOSo VINO
have fallen, good citizens once more is well
expended, no one will question. and that is
the very work the club is doing. 1t is reach
ing those who could be reached in no other
way and by no other influence
A committee Of which President w. H.
Phillips is the chairman, and of which A. f.
Griffin is treasurer, has been selected to
build this island home of the club, and that
committee would be glad to give any Ie-
quired information regarding the work of
the club, and hope to receive all the assis-
tance needed for the above purpose.
Another thing should be said. The influ-
ence of the Portland Temperance Reform
Club has got all over the State, and is felt
today for good in places where Reform
Club meeting was never held. The original
movement, as started by the late j. X. Os-
good, wasla mighty instrument for good. If
in some measure it ceased to be such it was
because it was not allowed by the politicians
to go on its way without let or hindrance.
While other clubs yielded and went down,
the Portland Club was true to the original
Osgood platform, and is doing the work once
accomplished by the Washingtonian move
ment.
The Reform Club therefore asks for a con-
sideration of the above points. 1t asks that
the public will consider what it has done.
and give it the help it needs in order that il
may do still more. w. III. PHILLIps.
President Portland Temperance
Reform Club.