The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-22
Creditable Literary Efforts De-
livered in Mastery
Style.
WON BY SERGEANT CURTIss
The Judges, However, Find Difficulty
in Determining the Excess
of Merits,

The large hall of st. Peters Church re.
sounded yesterday afternoon with the
martial cIanking OF swords and the
rhythmic tread of feet as Company l,
League of the Cross Cadets, marched in.
The occasion was a quarterly rally of the
league belonging to St. Peters parish.
T. R. Curtss presided over the rally,
and introduced Thomas Fallon of the ex-
ecutive committee, who explained briefly
the system of the essay contest to take
place He stated that contests had been
held in all the parishes and districts.
This would complete the list, the final
contest TO be held in the Mechanics Pa
viion the second Sunday in August, when
8 gold medal will be awarded by Arch
bishop Riordan to the best essayist.
The subject chosen for yesterday was
"W hat Drunkenness Costs" Those who
read essays were Private Frank Smith,
Sergeant A. +. Curtiss, Sergeant Thomas
G. Mcguire and Private George WEIGH.
The programme was opened with a cor
net duet by Messrs. Lycette and Cattigan.
Frank Smith then read his essay in q very
creditable manner. He stated that two
months abstinence by all the people in
this country would save enough money to
rebuild every city in the land should they
be RACED TO their found ations Conclud-
ing he said alcohol was one OF the great
est enemies of man; it intames his
heart, destroys his stomach and deranges
his mind. "a drunkard il is written )"
said he, shall not inherit the kingdom of
heaven"
After an instrumental solo by Miss
Coonan, Sergeant A. E. Curtiss took to
the platform. He spoke of the effects
alcohol has on the spiritual moral and
physical nature of man. He said: Go
into the jails, the almshouses and the in
sane asylums and see what drink has
wrought" He quoted statistics profuselv
to prove the baneful and destructive in
huence liquor has exerted on the world,
and closed with an eloquent peroration.
Succeeding was recitation: 'Our De-
lenders by Master Charles Campbell
Thomas B. Mcguire then read his pro-
duCtion in winch he spoke of the terrible
increase OF lntemperance with the growth
of nation, finally ending in the nation s
ruin. "Intemperance brings men to the
lowest level, he said, ''and costs man the
loss of love and virtue"
I his was followed by vocal solo by
John ]. MAY, after which the last essay of
the contest was read by Private George
WEIGH. Everywhere" said he, ''in-
dividuals with the brightest prospects are
destroyed by liquor, the moderate drinkers
OF THIS year are the QruDkaTOS OF next.
Rev. Father Lyons then briefly adj
dressed the boys, saying: at is well for a
boy to remem Der that in youth all the
habits that last through life are formed.
1t is necessary that there be some safe
guards around him during this formation
period, and the greatest safeguard is tenn
perance."
A vocal solo was then given by Robert
brady, followed by singing OF the Glee
Club of St Peters parish, at the conclu-
sion of which Professor TAFT on behalf OF
the judges informed the audience that
alter much difficulty they had decided
= that the essay of Sergeant Curtiss, to-
gether with his delivery, had won the con-
test. This decision was hailed with a great
deal of applause. Rev. Father Organ,
the spiritual leader of the League of st.
Peters, then made few closing remarks,
in which he took occasion to com pIiment
the contestants on the fine manner with
which they acquitted them selves and said
that st. Peters parish would send con-
testant to the Mechanics Pavilion next
August.