The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1890-10-03
COUGHS TEMPTATION.
OFFERED A DRINK---"PUT 1T UP, I SAY,
BEFORE DISGRACE MYSELF"

BEFORE DISGRACE MYSELF
eyes, gentlemen, ] carried a pint
bottle of whiskey in my pocket for
fifteen years and never drank a drop
of it," said Milo Bosworth, a we'll
known citizen of the south side, who is
S5 years old, in Justice Pecks office
yesterday afternoon. "When was a
young fellow l drank pretty hard, in
fact, l was drunk about all the time,
but when got married / thought it
was time to call halt. went down
to Chagrin Falls on little business,
and before l came home l stopped at
Boards grocery, as was my custom,
and had my flask filled. l had made
up my mind that that would be the
last liquor l would drink for fifteen
years, but when | got into my wagon
l fell to thinking about the matter and
came to the conclusion that there was
no time like the present, and | Just put
that bottle in my hip pocket, and there
| carried if for fifteen long years, and
during that time | never touched a
urop OF lquOr OF any Klnu.
"Well, about twelve years after that,
Cough, the great temperance orator,
was advertised to speak in Cleveland.
The posters informed us that the meet
ing would be held In the Presbyterian
church. You young fellows probably
never heard of that church. 1t was a
large, wooden structure, and stood on
the site of the Old Stone Church. Of
course we attended the meeting, which
occurred on the Sabbath, and | kinder
took notion to Cough, and asked
him to go home and dine with us. He
accepted, and after dinner | took out
the bottle l had carried for twelve
years and asked him if he would take
drink. just said it in fun, but
great guns, you ought to have seen
that man. He turned first red then
white, and finally gasped out the
words
"'Put it up. l can't stand it. Put
it up, | say, before l disgrace myself.
was frightened and put the flask in
my pocket in hurry. He didn't say
anything Tor several minutes, but sat
wi. h his head between his hands. FL
nally he looked up and said:-
My friend, | am truly sorry that l
should display my weakness in your
house, but sometimes | have an uncon-
trollable desire for liquor, and when l
saw your flask l would have given my
life for drink. But he continued, Il
understood you to say that you had
carried that bottle and not drank any
thing for twelve years.
"'That is true l said, and then pro-
ceeded to tell him of the circumstances
of my swearing off. When he had
heard me through he said, You are
just the man l am looking for, and l
want you to 90 to England with me.
Of course l was taken by surprise, and
asked him to explain. He said that he
had long wanted reformed drunkard
to travel with him and lecture, and
that man with my will was just the
chap he desired. Well, l talked the
matter over with my wife, and she
said that she guessed she could spare
me for year or 80, and the upshot Of
the thing was that Cough and !
formed partnership whereby l was to
receive a handsome percentage of tho
receipts, and we started out.
"Albany was the first place where
we were billed to lecture, and L tel
you there was crowd there to hea
us. Cough had advertised the re
formed drunkard feature for all it wa
worth, and l was regarded with a
much curiosity as the dime museum
freaks are to-day. From Albany W,
went to Boston, and finally to New
York, where we bid goodbye t,
America and set sail tor England. 4
stop was made in Ireland, and at Dab
| lin the largest hall in the city wouldn'
hold the people. gave those VIII
were on the outside tickets and ha,
them come the next night One wa,
of running the lecture was to bav
Cough make the opening speech, afte
which ne would introduce me as tn
reformed drunkard l would step fol
ward and as a starter would slap dow
my whisky bottle on the table and tel
the audience how long had carried il
|, After that we would call for peopl
to come forward and sign the pledge
and there were dozens who compile,
every night. In England we wer
very successful and remained ther
three years. AT the end of that time
was getting little home-sick an
wanted to see my family. So l toll
Cough that l guessed that l woul
quit, and we looked over the book
and settled up, had $1,000 coming
to me, and / brought every cent of
back to Cleveland and deposited it i
an old bank down on Canal Stree
After that carried my flask and di
not drink any of its contents for te'
weeks
| Speaking of Cough he said: "H
was great orator and grand, mob
man, but he was not master of himsel
l remember one time, when man pr
some whisky in glass of soda wate
he was about to drink. Just ths
taste was enough to set the appetit
atire within him, and he went off on
protracted spree. Very few peop
ever knew of this, but it is true neve
: theless, and the fact is related in or
of his biographies. When he can
out of it never saw man feel so
all my life. He cried like baby, an
vowed that he would never speak b
, fore an audience again, and if l r
member rightly he cancelled his e
= gagements for the rest of that yea
: He has told me many times when pas
= ing salsons mounted on a horse,
7 had dug the spurs into the beas
flanks, and ridden for miles at brea
neck speed to get out of reach
temptation - From the Cle0elU