San Saba County news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1874-19??, 1892-07-29
BROUGHT HOME TO HIM.
The Reason John Haws Closed His Dis.
tillery.


In the early days Of the present
century in New England drinking
habits were very common among the
people They were encouraged and
cultivated by the local distilleries
says the Youths Companion. which
were found in almost all towns.
There was a heavy traffic in rum with
the West Indies. with Africa and with
other parts OF the United States. and
the d.stillation OF this liquor was con-
tidered very important industy well
worthy Of fostering.
Unlike other commodities the de-
mand for which usually creates the
supply an abundant local supply of
liquor usually creates local demand
for it; and the New England towns
where rum was made consumed large
quantities OF the product OF their own
distilleries.
Merchants and shopkeepers. to at
tract custom. often made u practice OF
placing open pals OF new rum on
their counters Zach pail was pro-
vided with a wooden dipper and
everyone who entered was free 10
drink as much rum as he liked
In the town OF N. where little
rum vas Used except that made By the
local distiller. John Haws a practi,
grew up, not without reason. OF attrib-
uting every case Of drunkenness and
the evil which resulted from it to the
man who made tho RIM,
! Whenever man was found intoxi-
cated-which was very very often
aud was reproached for his condition,
he would eNelaim.
~ Oh. that John Haws,n
| The phrase became proverbial in
the place. The distiller who was
very important man in the town.
heard it repeated and became very
Angry that people should impute the
results Of their own excuses to him.
He Threatened that ii the practice
went on. he would prosecute for SLAM
der the man who uttered the words
oh, that John Hawsr' in any such
offensive way.
One evening In midwinter as the
distiller was going home from a Sc
lectmen's meeting. lighted lantern in
hand. he came upon the body of q
man lying in the snow at the foot of a
tree. The light fell upon the fore
head OF the figure and showed a
rough cut freshly bleeding
whats this? What's this?' ex-
claimed Haws STOPPING down.
As he did so he noticed. to his horror.
that the face wa, that OF his own son.
young man Of whom he had great
hopes and in whom. to his great
pleasure, he had seen little tendency
10 follow the drinking habits of the
place.
The father saw the bleeding cut in
the forehead and supposed. on the
instant that his son had been as
saulted by some one whom he. the
father had threatened with prosecu-
ton.
He shook the boy by the shoulder
to see if he still had life
'What is it my SOM" he OK
claimed despairingly. "Oh, who
has done this?"
The young man opened his eyes
sIeeply.
oh. that John Hawsi-that John
Hawsm he murmured.
fhb boy il fact had been led BY
companions into drinking his father
rum at the store. On his way home
waking unsteadily he had struck his
head against the tree and had fallen
.senseless His father had come up
just as his senses begun to revive, and
he had drunkenly uttered the current
phrase of the village.
The father dragged his son home
IL go much affected by tle
young mans unconscious and entirely
true accusation that he soon gave up
the manufacture of rum and there
has never since been disiillery IN
the town OF N