The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1893-01-26
THE DEMAND INCREASES.
4 Kentuckian Tells How the Thirst fol-
Liquor Grew Upon Him.

4 Kentuckian Tells How the Thirst for
Liquor Grew Upon Him.
II have been steady drinker of
Kentucky whisky for forty-five years."
said ruddy-cheeked, gray-haired man
of sixty five to two companions who
were sitting at table in tho Hoffman
house cafe one night recently. II was
born and reared in Louisville, and my
experience as a consumer of the native
liquor is worth something. I remem-
Der we'll my fathers fear that would
become addicted to the stuff. What l
suppose he meant by the phrase ad-
dicted to it was that I might let it get
the mastery of me and become a drunk
ard. His words made profound i'm
preston on me, although when a mere
boy l had high opinion of my will
power and secuted the idea that any
habit could get the control. Just to
prove it to myself 1 used occasionally
to quit chewing or smoking, or both,
for spell, long or short, and begin
again with feeling of triumph, just
because knew that I could stop when
pleased.
"As to the whisky habit, l felt per-
fectly safe. l knew the taste of whisky
when fifteen or sixteen years old, aud
before l was twenty had made up nv
mind about the conditions under which
man could drink without endanger-
ing his future. l resolved that under
no conditions would 1 ever take a drink
until after supper. 1 firmly believed
that this rule would be my saliva
ton, and that if adhered to
it could never fill drunk
ards grave. I did stick to it for several
years, and then modified it slightly.
'After the modification I felt that
any man was safe who resolved not to
drink during business hours and ad-
hered to his resolution. Some time
later I extended the limit, and for
years could not be persuaded to drink
before four o'clock in the afternoon. l
felt apprehensive for the fate of my
companions who took a drink right
after dinner. l believe three or four
years passed before l concluded that I
might safely push the limit back to two
o'clock, and held that this was the
earliest hour that a business man could
indulge in liquor without endangering
his prospects. 1t was not more than a
year before I added another hour to
my time for indulgence. and the fol-
lowing year found me taking an ap-
petizer before my monday meal.
1t took eleven years to bring the
limit down to ten o'clock in the morn.
ing. when, with other men in the to-
bacco warehouse, stepped across the
street every day to get a little hot
lunch. Then l felicitated myself with
the idea that there was no danger of
becoming topper if a man abstained
from drinking until after his breakfast
had digested. Several years passed,
! and l had arrived at the conclusion
that one drink of whisky right after
breakfast as starter for the day was
a correct thing and could not harm any
able-bodied man. had by that time
convinced myself that the danger Law
in taking nip before breakfast, and
that those who did so were bound to
end as drunkards. Idon't think took
drink before breakfast for fifteen or
twenty years, but during that time 1
always felt that it was necessary to
have enc to fortify myself against the
open air, especially in winter"
''How is it now?' asked one of his
companions
Now" said the old gentleman, Il
am congratulating myself that don't
have to get up in the middle of the
night to take nip."-N. Y. Sun.