The San Francisco call., 1895-07-29
An Interesting District Rally
in ST. PauPS Parish
Hall.
ESSAYS ON TOTAL ABSTINENCE.
Fifty Boys Take the Oath to Alb
stain From Liquor During
Minority.

! PauPS Church, Twenty ninth and Church
streets, was crowded yesterday afternoon,
the occasion being rally meeting of the
First District, League of the Cross.
! There were present cadets of the league
in their neat uniforms. prominent MEM
bers of the clergy. parishioners of ST..
| Paul's, st. James and ST. Peters parishes.
| The cadets composed Company K, Cap
tain Lowrie, of st. PauPs parish; Company
I, Captain Haggerty. of st. Peters parish,
and Company E, Captain Mccarthy, of ST.
James parish. Among the clergy present
were: Rev. Fathers Connolly and O'Grady
of ST. Paul's, Casey, Pimenteel and Lyons
of st. Peters, and Lynch of st. James
parish; Rev. Father Yorke and number
of the brothers who teach in ST. Joseph's
| School,
The principal event was contest for a
silver medal, to be given to the cadet offer
| ing th e best essay on "Why Am Total
Absta iner." The judges to decide upon
the merits of the several essays were:
| Brot her George of the Brothers of Mary
and teacher in st. Joseph's School, Pro-
fessor Kennedy of the Normal School and
Mrs. Margaret Deane, president of the
| Catholic Ladies' Aid Society.
District Chairman P. Mccormick of St.
Pauls parish extended hearty welcome
| to those present, and explained that when
| the boys make their first communion they
| take the pledge to abstain from liquor until
| twenty -one years of age, and that the raj
| lies and the quarterly meetings are held
| for the purpose of keeping alive the interest
| in the work OF the league as to total absti-
nence.
| The first number on the programme was
singing the hymn 1.-The Veni Creator" by
| the audience This was followed by a
short prayer by the Rev. Father Yorke.
The boys of st. Paul's Sodality sang in
very acceptable manner "The Sweet Tum-
tum," which was deseryedly loudly ap-
plauded This was followed by an instru-
mental quartet, cornet and trombone, by
Frederick and George Kaufman and James
and Willie Dewey.
Corporal Frank Sullivan of Company
delivered the first of the essays.
He dwelt at length upon the evils OF in
temperance, the result from the use OF
Intoxicating liquors and the misery it en-
tails on its votaries and those who depend
on them. AS reasons for being total abb
stainer he gave: That liquor is dangerous to
the human family; that it is not necessary
to the maintenance of life and that to main
tain respect for his family and to attain
position in society a man must refrain
from the use of intoxicants. He con-
| have never yet taken drop of liquor to
fortify themselves against the offer of the
| first glass. Hail Sweet Temperance" was
| then sung by the st. Paul Choral Society
under the leadership of r. D. Vallerga.
| Sergeant Daniel Mccarthy of Company
| E delivered the second essay and said that
| his reasons for being total aDsta1ner are:
First his duty to his God; second, his duty
| to his country, and third, his duty to him
self. He then in clear and succinct man
| ner told why he had reached these con-
| clusions and quoted from Cardinal Man.
ming, Gladstone and others to show the eff
! feet OF intemperance on the people and
| how the masses impoverish themselves
| to enrich limited few. He drew num-
| Der of strong word-pictures, showing the
degradation of the drunkard's home and
| the Joy of that of the abstainer. In con-
clusion he said that he had never heard an
argument that would cause him to regret
the day he took the pledge.
The audience sang America" after
which there was choral singing, lover the
Bounding Main," by the st. Paul Choral
Society.
The third essayist, Private William Gel
logley of Company K, then told why he is
a total abstainer. He said that first, he is
SUCH because it is not useful nor necessary
to use intoxicants; second, that drink is
a temptation so great that one cannot be
sure of himself if he once gives way to it;
third. because of the influence his example
may have on others, and lastly because he
regards young man badly handicapped
ID the race of life who is given to the habit
of drink.
Captain Edward Lowrie of Company K
Of st. Pauls, sang in excellent, voice,
Crooked in the Cradle of the Deep" This
was followed by a piano solo by Miss Pauba.
st. Paups quartet and chorus rendered
"My Own Native Isle" which was loudly
Professor Kennedy then announced that
the judges had considered the literary
merits, the arguments and the delivery OF
the essays in deciding on the winner of the
medal, and it had awarded the medal to
Corporal Frank Sullivan.
The announcement was received with
very loud and prolonged applause, and
when the winner stepped upon the plat
form to have the medal, a beautiful silver
one, pinned on his breast, the members OF
his company gave the company cry:
Ha, ha, hal Hi, hi, hi
Frisco, Frisco, Company II
What's the matter with /?
I'm all rightl
Rev. Father Connolly made few re-
marks during which he expressed the hope
that when the gold medal is competed for
it will not go out of ST. Paurs parish. He
said that he would continue in the work of
total abstinence until every boy in the par
ish is enrolled under the banner of the
League of the Cross.
Father Yorke then made a short address
| to the cadets and said something compli-
| mentary of the efforts of st. PauPs parish
! to advance the work of the league. He
said that it is the only parish that has
| junior branch, cadet branch and a senior
| branch. He then called upon the boys
| who wished to take the pledge, and over
fifty answered. They were given plain,
comprehensive talk on the subject of in
| temperance, after which they took the
oath to abstain from liquors until they are
| 81 years of age and to avoid saloons and
discourage others from visiting such places.
The exercises closed with the singing of
the "Te Deumn by the audience and a