Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1900-06-07
TEMPERANCE SERMON.
BY William Allen White, of
Emporia.

The other day a paper came Il
the Gazette Office from town il
Arizona. 1t told Of the death Of (
man who, ten years ago. wal
prominent in this part Of Kansas
He lived in neighboring but no
udjoining county Hewas law.
yer by trade and a good one. H,
wen, TO a good college just before
The war and his mental equipment
was OF the best. He came to this
part of the world in 1867. He wat
young man then and like mosl
young men be enjoyed a good
time. Like most young men he
took little something TO take and
started in to practice law. He
did we'll. He made money easily
aud spent il handsomely, as most
boys do before they are %. He
married the prettiest girl in town
Bui he liked a good time and
stayed out many nights when the
other young fellows OF his age
were al home toasiing Iheir shins.
5 he took up with younger set
ant kept on having a good time.
N = dpn't understand that he was
the fown DTunksrd. He wasn't.
He wa just good fellow and as
that was before the days of pro-
hibiliOn. he used to like TO
"shake" The fellows for drink.
Once he aud lot Of other young
fellows got drunk, turned over
haIf the board sidewalks in town
and painted lot OF signs on the
walls that made the whole town
laugh. The second set of young
men oulgrew him and began to
rock cradles and his wife began TO
wear the old brown alpaca the
third winter Still his practice
was good. He became a criminal
lawyer and his reputation for elo-
qusnce extended from Wichita to
the Missouri line. When he went
into the country to Try case the
fellows-and you know what sort
the fellows are-knew that while
he was in town they would have
good time, and the dining room
girls at the hotels where he went,
used to giggle about the awful
things he said to them.
The young men with whom he
started out in the sixties began to
get on in the world. Most of
them owned the houses they lived
in. Some were buying real est ate
for speculation; ono was running
for county attorney; another WAS
starting a bank. But the good
fellow went to the legislature and
bad a good time and the people
wondered how his wife stood it.
He got pussy and red faced and it
took a good slug Of whiskey TO
steam up his oratory. But he
could wave flag when it was
up. and tear the feathers from the
eagles tail, and make people cry,
jurors clench their fists and lick
dry lips. He was a wonder on
the stump but you could never be
sure he would dll an engage
ment. For he liked 10 get out
with the boys-lhe fifth genera
tion Of boys aud whoop em up.
v omen also made fool Of him.
In the boom OF the eighties Mr..
Goodfellow began TO plunge. He
tried to catch up with the men Of
bis age who were living In their
own houses. with elm trees and
blue grass around He got in
debt and when the boom broke he
was still living in a rented house,
with the rent ten months behind
and his practice narrowed down
to joint keepers and few farmers
who hadn't heard the stories Of
his financial Irregularities that
went about the town. But bis
vile stuck 10 him and believed |
every year that the next year he
would settle down But Mr.. Good
fellow continued 10 soak up
little once In a while--not much,
but q little. He was never drunk
10 public. but there were mornInge
when hie Office smelled bad. The J