The Anaconda standard., 1895-12-14
DARBEE A REFORMER
More Than Two Dozen Men Have
Signed Temperance Pledges.
HIS BEATS THE GOLD CURE
One of Those Cute Little Monkeys
and Long String Do the Work
-Whiskey Is Drug on
the Bar These Days.

Missoula, Dec. 1s-Alderman Frank
Darbee has never made any particular
claim to being a temperance reformer.
While he has always been generally
recognized as a good man, he has new
er, until very recently. essayed the
role of q reformer of inebriates. But
he has branched out and from now on
he must be classed among that noble
army of men and women that go about
doing good and seeking to lift up their
fellow men who have fallen into the
slough of misery and degradation
which follows an excessive use of the
beverage which is possessed of both
cheering and inebriating qualities. To
the names of Murphy. Reynolds, Keel
ey and the rest of them will now be
added that of the alderman from the
Third ward and his name will be well
up in the list. inscribed in letters of
gold.
Like all true reformers, Mr. Darbee
started out on an entirely original
plan. His was not the method of the
blue ribbon society: the plan of DR..
REYNOLDS was not considered by him;
DIR. Keeleys gold injection he ignored;
his was a method of his own. How
long he has been considering 1t, no.
body can tell, but he inaugurated IL
last night and 1t was an instant and
phenomenal success. Men who have
been regular imbibers for years have
foresworn the cup and youths. who
were just taking their first steps down
the broad road whose terminal station
is self-heated and whose attendants
wear thin clothes. have retraced their
steps and have taken the other track.
Mr.. Darbee's method is as simple as
IL is original and effective. But that
is not to its discredit. All great in
ventions and discoveries are simple
after somebody else has produced
them. Because a man accomplishes
great good by the agency of some SIM
ple means is no reason why his efforts
should be despised. He deserves all
the more credit for having placed a
cheap and simple means of grace at
the disposal of the public. And thus
Alderman Darbee should not be ridi-
culed because he reforms inebriates by
means of a little, simple, greenland
red monkey.
That is the secret of the new drink
cure. 1t is just a toy monkey that
climbs up and slides down a string,
yet IL has proved effective in cases
where prayers, entreaties and threats
have failed. 1t is a little thing, all
right. but IL does the business.
Either by design or by fortunate CO.
incidence. the alderman-reformer chose
as the time for the Inauguration of
his method last night, the night of the
more than the usual number of can
didates for reform in the local field It
was a fortunate selection and this
morning the reform monkey began to
get in its work. Mr.. Darbee had
stretched a cord vertically in one of
the display windows of his store and
up and down this piece of twine the
monkey clambered and slid. He isn't
very much of a monkey but his mo-
tions are very natural and he is per-
sistent and active in his efforts to
reach the top of the string His hat
and coat are emerald green and. in
contrast with this hue, are the bril-
liant orange of his waistcoat and the
flaming red of his breeches. But. as
Jim Lucy remarked. ITS all right, for
the green's on top"
1t was late Wednesday night when
the monkey was started on his mission
of reform. and he didn't do much busi-
ness until yesterday morning. But
when his trade began II was with a
rush. The steely gray of morning was
just breaking over the hump OF Mount
Jumbo. when a party OF jewellers pass
ed the window, returning from the
Cremorne dance. One of them, whose
place of business is not far from the
White House, where the monkey was
at work. saw the grotesque little ami
NAL as he started on one of his period
ical trips up the string. The man
stopped and rubbed his eyes. 1t was
an affecting sight. There upon the
sidewalk in the cold. gray light of the
morning. stood the victim of drink.
Upon his face were signs of a night
of revelry and dissipation and his dis
ordered attire told a tale of might
out" Unsteadily and with uncertain
gaze. he watched the monkey climb
the string. He stepped forward, he
stepped back. he walked to the right,
he walked to the left. whichever way
he moved he saw the monkey. His
companions left him and he stood
alone. Within his mind one question
was uppermost. Did he see the mon
key or did he not? And IL he did. was
there a monkey there or was there
not? For full five minutes he ponder
ed over the question. Then he walked
away and he would not eat breakfast
until he found notary and swore to
a pledge. Score one for the monkey.
Hawkshaw. the detective who has
been laid up with rheumatism for sew
eral weeks. was out on crutches early
this morning. Slowly and painfully he
hobbled along down the avenue until
he caught sight OF the monkey. Then
he. too. stopped and watched. He
looked about him to get somebody TO
verify his vision. but nobody was in
sight and the monkey climbed on
Hawkshaw turned and hobbled back
10 his room without a drink. Score
two for the monkey.
Uncle Bill Berry was the next vic
tim. He saw the monkey before he
had had his morning drop OF Iemon
and whiskey and. for the first time in
40 years. he went TO breakfast without
his dram Score three for the monkey.
And so IL went on all day. Bill Town |
send. Bob Foster. Frank Weaver. Har-
ry CLANCY and IL other moderate
drinkers saw the monkey during the |
day and none of them have taken a
drink since. Score "a for the monkey.
Thus did Alderman Darbee make his
debut as reformer and thus IL is that
thousands shall rise up and call him |
blessed