The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-03-13
NOVEL TEMPERANCE WAR
Young Women Will Not Associate
With Young Men Who Drink.
officers or Ripley County. Ind. Called
Upon to Suppress Violence - both
Sides Form Rival Clubs.

IDdianapolis. Ind. - The officers Of
Ripley County have been called upon
to suppress disorder Of a novel char
acter at Osgood. At the opening Of
winter the young women Of the town
got together and signed pledge not
to associate with any young man who
drank. The young men retaliated by
agreeing not to associate with any
young woman who had signed the
pledge.
The winter gayeties in the town
were brought to L sudden close by
these two agreements. Night after
night the young women attended
church without their male escorts and
the young men entered church IN q
body and took seats by themselves.
AS time passed the novelty OF the sit
uation wore off and the young men
made proposals for compromise, but
the women were firm and adhered
strictly to their pledge. Each side in
the meantime had adopted q badge.
The young women formed an Old
Maids Club and the young men an
Old Bachelors Club. The two organi-
cations adopted rules that separated
them more and more.
Then the young men from the sur
rounding country invaded the town
and found themselves suddenly very
accountable to the young women. In
two weeks one of them married a
Young woman who had been engaged
to one of the town young men when
the split came, and few days later
the town young men were surprised
by the marriage Of another young
woman at the church Immediately af-
ter the morning service.
The young men thereupon declared
war upon their country cousins. mat
night every country boy who attended
a girl to church was cgged as he went
home. Since then the disturbances
have taken on a more serious form.
and several young men have been
stoned and one or two quite seriously
injured. Other visitors from the coun-
try have had their horses brides
taken taken off, their saddles cut to
pieces, their harness riddlcd. and their
buggies ruined. One night young
man started for home and all the
wheels of his buggy came off, the nuts
Of the spindles having been removed
by his rivals.
A few days ago one Of the country
boys discovered some one unhitching
his horse and opened fire upon him
from the door Of the house where he
was calling upon young woman.
The shots were returned, but no one
was injured. When he reached his
horse he found that the animal had
been cut with q knife in the shoulder.
The liveryman who has taken care or
the horses of one of the country boys
has received anonymous letters threat
ening to burn his stable If he persists
in accepting the patronage of the visit
ors, and even the hotel keeper has
been warned not to lodge the objec-
tiopable visitors.
At the last meeting Of the Old Maids
Club resolutions were passed denounc-
ing the outrages and calling upon the
officers to enforce the law. 1t is said
that there are dissensions in the Old
Bachelors Club, and that a minority
favor the cessation Of hostilities be-
fore all the girls are married off to the
country boys, but the majority are
still adverse to compromise, and
settlement is not yet in sight.