Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-29
IN GOOD OLD STYLE.
The Temperance Revival at the
Standard Tneater Commences.
A FORMER PITTsBURGER SPEAKS
Before an Unusually Large Audience, and
With Some Success.
LIQUOR RECEIVES A SOUND RATING

Standard Theater on New Grant street.
Captain j. X. Barbour presided and in
troduced James NJ. Dunn, formerly house
painter OF Pittsburg, but now engaged in the
temperance work. 1t was announced that
meetings In aid of teetotalism would be held
in the Standard Theater every evening
until further notice.
Rev. D. McAllisteE D. D., opened the
proceedings with a short address and a
lengthy prayer, which was occasionally in
terrupted by a number of would be facetious
youths in the body of the theater. DR.. Nc
Allister expressed himself as being deeply
panied at the discordant element in the au-
dicnce, and hoped that before Mr.. Dunn got
through with his hearers he would have con-
verted everyone of them to a firm belief in
temperance aud lasting hatred of intoxi-
eating liquids. He closed with an exhorta-
tion to his hearers to put on Christ" This
expression was evidently misunderstood by
the crowd, who jeered and requested to be
enlighted as to the manner Of the putting on.
DR.. McAllister patiently explained the
term, and begged to be excused from further
speaking.
MR.. DUNN'S FIRST ADDRESS.
Mr. Dunn himself then took the floor, and
took it with much fire and vigor. He OBJ
served that he had not been in Pittsburg,
his native home, for fully IA years; but still
it appeared to be the same old strong-drink.
imbibing city it was before he left to go
West. At this an Individual IN the audi
ence remarked, "Yahi Boo!' in stentorian
tones. Mr.. Dunn calmly proceeded to dis
sect this somewhat faulty argument. He
said that mere noise didn't amount to much,
anyhow. aud that the next man who broke
the silence with a rude exclamation would
be quietly but effectively elected from the
hall.
This rejoinder soothed the ruffled front of
the meeting and awed party of bad boys
that had been leading the obstruction into
temporary QuIetude. Mr.. Dunn then CON-
tinued. He said:
This is the most singular temperance
meeting I have ever addressed in my IA
years experience as worker for the cause
1t is singular principally for one reason,
and that is that there are so many men and
so few women present. This is very graft
flying, as it Is the men we want to reach all
the time. Now. want to tell this pur-
prisingly big audience about my own con-
version to teetotalism.
A REFORMED WHISKY DRINKER.
"I was, Is years ago, whisky drinker. 1
woke up one morning, at the age of %, and
found myself without money or home, and
without any friends worthy of the name.
During the sadness produced by this refec-
tion strolled into the office OF Squire Lar
kin, on the Fifth avenue extension. There
met my friend j ohm Timmin, who but a
few days before had signed the pledge of
temperance. John said to me: james,
feel quite lonely in my sobriety. 1 want
you to sigu this card, pledging yourself to
temperance said 1 would sign, and
filled in the blank card John gave me-
That was on December 2, 1876. Since then
no single drop of intoxicating liquor has
crossed my lips, and, with Gods help, 1
shall stick to that pledge till the day die.
do you know, boys, there are moments
in mans life when, he is granted the graqe
of seeing things with astonishing clearness
and truth? 1 have stood beside a railroad,
and by sudden flash of LIGHTNING, discov-
cred, or thought I discovered, every rivet
and bolt upon an advancing engine. 1t was
the same way with me. In a flash l saw
my whole past life and its wrong doing.
A GREAT CHANGE IN HIS LIFE.
81 grasped the plank that was held out to
me; 1 became sober; since then many
changes have come over me. / have won
friends all over 10 States of the Union. If
am not wealthy, l am at least no longer in
need. Moreover, have home of my own
81 think it curious that should have
been summoned 500 miles to work in the
cause of Temperance amid the streets which
once knew me as a drinker of poisonous
whisky and beer. There is one thing want
to say right here. The Pittsburg newspa
pers call ne lecturer Friends, do not
desire to be called lecturer That term
conveys an idea of teaching with it, and
am not here as q teacher. What have
come to speak on ought to need no teach
ing. If 1 were to ask the smallest
boy present whether he didn't know
that it is better to be sober than drunk, he
would unquestionably answer yes If 1
were to ask him whether he didn't know that
home of sobriety and an ORDERLY household
were better than house of drunkenness
and disorder, would he not speak out in the
affirmative? You all know these things;
then how can teach them to you? That is
why don't like to be nicknamed lecturer. ,
PLATFORM FOR THE MEETINGS.
SCI wish to lay before you kind of plat
form for the forthcoming meetings to be
conducted by me in this hall. First, will
tell You what the lectures are not going to
be. For instance, they are not going to be
sectarian. l am glad no particular church
has been selected to hold the meetings in. 1
remember once before, our course of meet
ings was nearly ruined from the fact that
they were held in a certain church.
People of other. denominations would not
come, because they thought the whole busi-
ness was sectarian. Our meetings will not
be political, either. l have done good deal
of political work, but on this occasion no
politics will be introduced. However, 1
want to tell you that I am a Pro-
hibitionist from wayback. / hold that
the temperance worker who does
not oppose the saloons is a one-eved and one
armed worker. 1 am firm believer in the
principle OF total liquor prohibition. and 1
believe that shall live TO see the day when
wherever our glorious flag floats, no man
will be permitted to sell liquor to his fellow
men. Loud applause. varied by hooting
and hisses. But Oh the other hand, am
going to preach no crusade against the
saloon-keepers and liquor men.
STARTING ON A NEW TACK.
'sThis may sound strange; but 1 think
that everything that could be said against
the whisky-dealing man has long since
been said. We Will give him rest, and
turn our attention to the poor fools who sup
port him in idleness, by their hard-earned
dollars"
At this juncture the noise in the body of
the hall grew vastly more interesting than
the lecture ITSELF Mr.. Dunn saw that the oc-
casion had arrived when he ought to make
show of force. Springing to the edge of
the stage, he pointed in the direction of the
malcontents and cried "Here, now, YOU
fellows shut up! 1 have had to speak to
you Is times, and I am not fond of repeat