Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-03-07
w. G.. T. u. COLUMN.
4 SETTLEMENT IN THE CASE OF
JOHN SMITH, THE BUTCHER.
MORO: God and Home and Native


stands the work, he might command
a salary of at least $50 per month the
year round.
Naturally John Smith is an affec-
tionate husband, kind father, a good
provider, and diligent workman.
He ought to be the head of happy,
comfortable home. But John Smith
has one very bad fault; he drinks in
toxicating liquors and has become a
drunkard His wife is known as the
wife of drunkard, and when the
playmates OF his children get angry
they taunt them with, "Your pas a
drunkard.'
Let us make a statement of the case
of John Smith, the butcher, and learn
as near as we can, what has been the
actual cost Of his liquor bill.
John Smith is now forty five years
discharged from position that COM
manded a salary of $50 a month, solely
on account of drunkenness, and from
that to this he has had no steady en-
ployment. He works at his trade be-
tween sprees for butchers, who, know
ing his failing and taking advantage
of it, pay him small wages and treat
him as they would not dare to, if he
was a sober man. From the time of
his first discharge until the present
day he has not averaged earning $50
per month. He might have had at
least $50 a month.
ITEM 1: $50 each month for twenty
years, from loss of employment and
salary. Total, 81, 200.
What liquor John Smith has drank
he has had to pay for. On an average
his drinks have cost him twenty five
cents day (not high estimate) for
each day of the twenty years; or, 81 so
per month.
ITEM 2: $3.50 each month for TWEEN
ty years paid for liquor. Total, 81, 800.
Add item one to item two and we
have $4,000 as the price John Smith,
the butcher, pays in hard cash for the
privilege of being drunkard during
twenty years of his working life.
John Smith, at the age of twenty
five, was a strong, healthy, intelligent
man, with constitution like iron.
Now, when barely past the meridian
of life, he is a trembling, blOated
wreck, a mental and physical ruin,
and stands with one foot on the brink
of a grave more awful in its rayless
hideousness than the black depths of
the bottomless pit.
ITEM 8: Health and Intelligence.
John Smith, the butcher, once had
the love of his faithful wife, the affec-
ton of his beautiful children and the
friendship and esteem of his neigh
bors. Now, his wife lives with him
from a sense of duty, cherishing, it
may be, loving remembrance of the
dead manhood of his youth, but not
his children fear, nay, almost hate
him, because he has brought suffering
and shame to the dear mother, and
woes innumerable and disgrace almost
unbearable into their young lives;
his neighbors look upon him as a
drunken sot, hopelessly ruined man,
as one better in the grave than out of
it,
ITEM 4: Love of Wife and Children
and Friendship and Respect of Neigh
bors.
Once John Smith held his head up
proudly and was not afraid to look
any man in the eye. Now he shambles
along the street, with head bowed
and bleared eyes bent upon the
ground He has lost his pride in self.
ITEM 5: Self Respect.
John Smith was, naturally, a domes-
tic man. He loved his wife and chill
dren, had a pleasant, comfortable
home and was always well clothed and
well fed. Now, he has lost his love
for Mary and the little ones, lives in
tumbled down shanty, cares not how
he looks, has little to eat, and goes
about living synonym of wretched-
ness.
ITEM 6: Homes Blessings and Com
forts. Let us summarize:
Itemized account of the cost of
the drink bill of John Smith, the
butcher:
ITEM Ito cash by loss of employ
ment and salary for twenty years,
81 200.
ITEM ITO cash paid for liquor dur
ing twenty years, 81, 800.
Grand total cash cost of liquor bill
for twenty years, $4,000.
ITEM 3.-To twenty years. constant
use Of intoxicating liquors, health and
intel1ipence