The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1891-06-26
Camden Chips.

The celebration of the''glorious Fourth"
was begun here by the boys on the fourth
of June. Every day ard every night the
explosion of fire crackers and torpedoes is
heard on every street and this evening l
saw a number of burning rockets soaring
skyward. The small boy with small capt.
tai has ceased buying cakes aud pea
nuts at the grocery, preterring to patronize
the men who sell fireworks. How patri-
otto. II there was half as much public
enthusiasm manifested for the temperance
cause as there is for Independence Day the
blot on the flag of our country would soon
be effaced.
Perhaps some of your readers would
like to look into the Camden market
basket. Potatoes are Hofti from 30 cents
to 81. 90 per basket; tomatoes are selling
at 20 cents a quart and apples from 10 to
% cents a quarter of a peek. Cucumbers
have fallen to a cent; beets 4 cents a bunch;
squashes are selling at from 3 to 8 cents a
piece; raspberries 10 cents a box.
There is no better place to spend a Sab
bath afternoon than at the gospel temper
perance meetings conducted by Mrs. II. NJ.
Bratton. Song, worship and testim onies
from reformed inebriates and life long
ClIlSIldu w OIhbIS tGho up IL tiibC. L 1911
the w. G. 7. l., of Woodstown,a and every
temperance worker i'll your community
cou'd have listened to some that have at
tested to the power of the Almighty in
saving them from the power OF strong
drink. From the many who come out and
tell their experiences, your correspondent
will from time to time put on paper a little
Of what is said. Here is one from across
the river. He is we'll known to the police
but they will let him aloue now Listen
to a portion of his testimony. About
thirty-eight years ago when l had no
notion of following a life of sin, for some
unknown reason | was placed in a house of
of refuge. 1t was while | was confined
there that | learned to commit crime. [
was put in the yard with other boys and
When asked by them what was sent there
for, | could not tell because | did not know
what | had done. 1t was in the house of
refuge that | learned to pick a lock so we
could get some tobacco. | know from my
" experience that houses Of refuge are
schools of crime. After some years of i'm
~prisonment | got a position as bartender in
a saloon in Philadelphia which kept open
day and night, and run a faro bank IN a
back room out Of sight of tue public. |
have seen aged parents come to that place
after their hayward boys. | would tell
them they were not in. 1t was easy to tell
a lie then because l had no religion and if
| had told those sorrowing fathers and
mothers where their soas were | would
have been discharged. Becoming tired
tending bar enlisted il the regular arm
but spent much of my time in the guard
house for getting drunk, and for striking
an officer had to carry a bali and chain for
a long time. Finally deserted and fetched
up in a Missouri penitentiary in which |
served seven years. When | got out
| said would do better, but when ! met
my old companions would forget my good
resolutions, drink with them, commit a
serious offence and again be cast into a
prison cell. Only a few years ago | was
one day arrested on Chestnut street and
dragged into the patrol wagon for nearly
killing a man with an axe. Twenty.tw two
years of my life has been spent in PRISONS"
The speaker then told the story Of his con-
version last January at the Mission at
Eighth and Vine streets, Philadelphia.
God bad given him grace to conquer the
appetite for strong drink, and he will al
ways be ready and willing to help restore
the downcast sinner to honor and USE
fulness.
The next speaker was a man well along
in the fifties. Ga his disfgured face were
the scars of wounds inflicted by a man
while i'll a fit of anger over the refusal of
his companion to take a drink of liquor.
The story of his reformation fifteen years
ago, and the scars he carries to. day,
would change, we imagine, the most sin
hardened heart. When it was time for the
meeting to end a reverend gentleman,
physically feeble from age but strong in
heart in the temperance cause, rose to his
feet and said: In all these years that |
have been preaching the gospel l have
done the best | could, but if / could 90
back fifty years | would follow a different
course. | tell you, dear friends, we must
take off our kid gloves and satins and fine
broadcloth and reach down after those
whom tie churches pass by. We must
bring in the wandering sinners as these
witnesses were brought to Christ. Theo-
logical sermons do not reach the hearts of
the most needy" Turning towards a
young convert. he continued: ''Jim, how
long have you been converted?" six
weeks" replied Jim. clear that: only
six weeks, and he can get up and talk like
a minister. Why, if had come into this
meeting a profound inidel | should have
been converted by the testimonies of these
witnesses to the power Of God. | am to-
day more of n Salyati0nist thar ever be-
fore, because | believe they are doing a
great and mighty work for the building
up OF Gods kingdom" P~ANTsINBooTs.