Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-02-18

unfairly say "all honor TO The man or wo-
man who does not drink aud gamble" for
remember d-uukRrds may be feminine ne
well n masculine.
will repeat the story Of n young man
well his friends called him Epoii. - who
one evening entered what they call a 20 call
ed fashionable saloon in Toledo. aud laying
iis kid gloves and big headed cane on the
counter. called for n glass Of whiskey and
holding the glass with tips OF his fingers IN
way he thought TO be admired, he turned 10
few OF has acquaintance. and said "Well
boys. here's what killed dad and I'm bound
to have revenge"
What is more true than the sentence 1--WE
shall reap wnat We have sown." Wheat is
not reaped from n field OF corn, uor was
GOOD f-n reaped from the conduct Of this
Young man. His destiny was to blight all
prospects OF advancement and progression
hich may have risen him Rmoag men to
shine like n sta arOGud which lesser lights
would twinkle.
But to. day, under snow covered moInd
unmarked, gone, forgotten, he died rs ne
had lived and filed an unnatural, an I'M
timely, drunkards grave.
One of the 1T questions that IL asked OF
n man who W shes 10 enter tho employ OF
the government e, do on drink 2" An
answer in any form of the affirmative means
after his application, I'VE don't want you"
Drunkenness is cne of the chief causes fof
removal in railway ci cles. for any train or
licer from conductor TO fireman IL found
drinking on or off duty may expect long
white envelope which generally contains 4
discharge. The same rule Is to tue. l2j,OOO
officers under the government. aud to the
sailors on the ocean steamship lines.
Imagine now for an instance, that you are
n passenger on n limited express tram DASH
ing through The night around curves, over
bridges flying through small towns past tue
red lights that mark the switch tracks along
the way;-iust imagine you are look,Gg out
into the dark night and see weird objects
fit by your window-you feel safe, and whyH
You have confidence in the men who manage
the train.
To whom do you owe your safety to at
that hour? The man whose hand is on the
throttle: the man who controls that massive
iron horse Tn breaths fire and smoke, prll-
ing the Fix and eight coaches of human
freight with terrific speed over the track
But suppose you see fellow passenger who
is nervous and restless, aud on being ques-
toned, replied in troubled way, we're be-
hind time tonight and the engineer is try
ing to make it up." swell, what OF that"
you ask He looks out into the darkness
but the whistle of the train startles him; he
turns to you and says "Sir, the engineer
is drunk"
You now begin to grow nervous and q
sudden fear thrills you, yon wish you were of
the train but you can't get off in the woods,
you must reach your destination; in tGe
morning your fear is aroused and yor look
again into the night; whist whist the red
switch lights pass you and You sec the geam
of lamp in q farmers cottage; now you
cross the river; for an instant you look into
the dark water beneath, then on, on, you go,
rushing through tunnel and out again; the
coaches sway to and fro; the hell swings
backwards and forwards; tn lights flicker
and flicker and you begin to realize that you
are going over the rack at speed not
found in the time cards Your mind is
filled with serious apprehensions and you
begin to think "Now here we're behind
time running nearly mile minute-ex-
pect to pass the west bound through freight
at the next station-what if the engineer is
contrary to orders. drunkenness
is temporary insanity and virtually we have
4 maniac at the lever, made SO by strong
drink, what il this train crashes into the
one coming from the east-a collision and q
hundred passengers dashed over bridge
down an embankment or pinned beneath
crushing timbers.
All, such is the curse of drink in mans
social life; barred from society h, enjoys
what other men despise; is ashamed of by
his relatives; his home is made hell, his
life is an unprogressive one, when he dies is
buried in the po.ter's field whore time will
Grace from the eyes of the world the heap of
sarth that marks drunkard's grave.
Even in our own little town we can see
living examples of the ruin wrought by the
'um curse, let us proht thereby, and as
Longfellow says -
"Lves of great men all remind us
We may AXE our lives sublime,
And departing leave behind us
Footprints on the Sands of Time"