The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-01
That is How Major Camp, the Tenn
perance Talker, Speaks Of
Whisky.
waging War on the Saloons and
Gambling Houses Of
Montana.
An Interesting Series of Meetings Begun
ut h Wobstcr Block ON Park
Avenue.

A series of gospel temperance meetings
we're inaugurated by Maj. H. Camp in the
Webster block on Park avenue last night
under the auspices of the Independent Or
der of Good Templars. The hall was COM
fortably heated and we'll lighted and cheer
full looking, and tho attendance was large.
Mai. Camp is quite an eloquent and able
advocate of the cause OF temperance, with
straightforward ANN of talking, which
leaves no doubt of his sincerity. Anything
thai comes his way is handled without
gloves. His voice was a trifie husky last
night, which fact he attributed to the
birthstone he had inhaled at Butte. As he
put it himself; s.If. there was ever anything
whloh increased my desire to get to heaven
and to avoid hell, I found it at
Butte" Major Camp then got down to the
meat of his subject by declaring that the
prandest boom a city ever had was along
the line OF morality. Every dollar kept
out of the saloons and gambling hells," he
said, ''goes into the channel Of legitimate
trade. If when to-morrow's sun rises on
the Switzerland of America it finds it with
out a saloon, in a month there will be a
boom in every town in the state. Whisky
is the DEVILS natural gas. 1t has sent down
not only those who drink it. but thousands
of the innocent" He said he had been
astonished and shocked to find that of
the great aims in the west was getting
none and drinking whisky. The saddest
thought of all was that 80 many young men
came west, far from the restraining influence
of home and go down to ruin by way of the
saloons and the gambling bells. People
did not think as much of n man dying rs
they did of a good dog in the west. There
had been a shooting affair in a gambling
house in Butte some weeks ago. Two or
three men were shot. A dog was killed by
q stray bullet. Some n had made the
remark. what a pity the dog was killed.
He was a good fighter"
tinued the major. "The Lord gave us a
magnificent victory in Livingston. There
are no more Sunday amusements in that
place. The days of frontier life are gone
The days are gone by when the saloon
keeper can elect the officers there. The day
is coming all over this state when the poll
ticians will 90 to the good templars to cleo
%tioneer. When I went to Butte they told
me very little could be dcne there, that we
could mo- get a crowd. The only trouble
found was to get a hall large enough to
hold the people. The women have quit
crying. They have put their foot down.
They are beginning to look after their
boys.
ut costs something to go to hell. The
devil does not run excursion trains. You
have to pay full fare. The only proper roal
is the other way. l have tried BOTH"
Major Camp argued that the appetite for
drink was an unnatural one. If the appe-
lite for meat increased like that for liquor
there would not be cattle enough, hoof.
horns and hide, to satisfy it. If the appe-
tite for water had increased in the same
way there would not be enough left for irri-
CATION or navigation. The speakers illus
~trations were very entertaining, as much SO
on account of his manner as by reason of
the matter. The series will eep up for a
week.