Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1893-12-22
elves. Marching two abreast the army

selves. Marching tive abreast the army
= 1j0 miles in length. Look ut them.
Gray haired men and fair boys. There
are also many women in this army
sunk to deeper depths than t!e men
because Of the greater heights from
which they fell. 1t will take them :
DAYS to go by. Oh, it is sad and sick.
ening sight. But do not turn away, yet,
for there comes another army 100000
criminals from jails and prisons. Al
the head comes long line Of persons
whose hands arc besmeared with hum
an blood, with ropes around theirmecks
they are bead to the gallows Others
are going to prison for life. Every
crime known to our laws has. been
counted by the these people to- have
been under the Influence of drink. But !
bark! What are those yells: MAaniacs,
yes. Made so by strong drink. Their |
eyes are tormemted by fearful sights I
aud their ears ring with awful sounds. !
Shiny snakes crawl over their bodies |
and iiends from hell torment them be
fore their time. They have gone by
now and we can breathe more freely
But what gloom is in the air., What is
that long line of black coming down
cessioas zoe, 900 who died drunkard's
death are being carried to their graves.
Drunkards do not have many friends
and we can put thirty of these funeral
professions in one mile, we have then
Il; procession 1883 miles in length. 1t
will take good share of u year for this
to go by as they move very slowly.
Yes, most of them do but every now
ana then ,n uncoifiEed corpse in rough
cart is driven by and we hear the brutal
lltt,lver singing
Quick, rattle his bones, rattle his
| bones,
I Over the stones;
He's only II pauper that nobody owns"
| Did you look ut their dead faces lines
of terror still marked on their faces.
Some frozen to death by the roadside
too drunk to reach their homes Of they
had any; some stumbled into the water
and were drowned; some blew out their
own brains; some We're stabbed IN u
drunken row; some roasted in burning
buildings; some were cru shed to death
under cars, they died in various ways
but strong drink did it and on their
tombstones if they have amy, may be
fifty inscribed: He died drunk.
Close behind comes another column
we know not how many, but they are
more numerously attended by mourning
friends, They are the remains of those
who haye met death through careless
hess and cruel drunken men. Seme
died of bloken hearts; some were muir.
dered by their drunken husbands who
promised to love, cherish and protect;
and u thousand more could name, but
here comes another line, the children,
200, 900 marching up the street, would
reach 80 miles. They are reduced to
want and poverty; they live in ignor
ance and vice; some of them are crying
with hunger; some with the cold; and
some of them are idiots, made so before
they were born by their drunken father
and more than all the rest, many have
inherited love for liquor. They will
fill the ranks of this awful army. 1t
will take nearly year for this street OF
saloons to empty itself of its years work
and close behind comes the next years
supply, and if this what liquor is doing
in the U. s. what would the result OF
the whole world. Oh, women, you
must be up and doing with heart for
any fate. There is no time for idle
kicking. These are the figures Of the
liquor traffic, but these figures no moi
tell all. 1t does not tell of the dreadful
tragedies going Oh I'LL around us; they
cannot picture to us the wretched
drunkard's homes; they cannot tell u.
, how many unkind and cruel word;
strong drinks has caused otherwise
7 kind and tender hearted fathers and
husbands to utter to their dear ones
they cannot tell how many blows have
fallen from the husbands hand; they
cannot tell how many fond and brigh
| hopes which the fair young bride hat
, been blasted and turned to bittercs
, gall; they cannot number the long
weary hours of night they have waited
: and listened aud dreaded the heavy
t football at the door; figures cannot tel
: of the scaldlng tears that has been shet
=, or how many prayers of bitter anguisl
and cries of agony God has heard them
: after; they cannot tell how many moth
. ers hearts have been broken with 'griel
as they saw u darling only son beeem
, ing drunkard; they cannot tell ns how
many white hairs have gone down il
sorrow mourning over their drunker
children; they cannot tell how many
hard fought battles the drunkard in hi
sober moments has fought, how many
times he has walked up and down hi
room in dispair, tempted to commi
suicide because he could not conquer
8 and finally We cannot search the re
cords of the other world and tell how
many souls have been shut out from the
T beautiful gate where no drunkards
ever enter and banished forever III the
realms of eternal dispair. What man.
what woman, what child would not
fight to have this awful street, with its
awful traffic buried ten thousand
fathoms deep. Yours fraternally.
AUNT Betty.
P. S. Mothers. keep this as sacred as
you would your Bible and read it often
to your children.