Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-07

little good for me to talk temperance to
drunkards while I myself took a drink
whenever l wanted one. Preaching not
based on practice has a mighty empty
sound Finally | undertook to stop habit
of twenty-five years standing and quit
drinking. My doctor told me it meant a
great deal of sickness to rob my system of
a stimulant to which I had been accus-
toned all my life. But from the day
stopped l became healthier, stronger man
than | had been for years. Then l had the
money l used to spend for drinks to give to
the home.
when I fully realized the good it had
done me to leave off drinking and the ter
rible influence of liquor on the men sent
to the home l set about at once to close
the saloons on this block. There were half
a dozen. L think, and a club where liquor
was sold. The people in the neighborhood
became just as much interested as l was
when the situation was explained. Saloons
and club were soon closed. Now the whole
community rejoice5 that no liquor is sold
anywhere within reach. Even of the
saloon men, who was at first very bitter.
was brought to see the horror of selling
liquor and changed his business"
The Force of One Mans Example.
The whole scene, as Mr.. Downey finished
talkng-the bare furnishings of a home
which counted it's riches in results rather
than furnishings; the two men working as
energetically as their physical weakness
"Odlu pei INT " http the iloiHe DIS ciedu dS
they found it; and the earnestness of the
founder, through whose single labor and
self denial the institution had come into ex-
istence and who counted as it's chief return
to him a fuller appreciation of other men s
suffering-suggeste the boundless area of
influence which has proceeded out of one
mans modest charity.
DR.. Claiming expressed this possibility
by saying: Others are affected by what
| n n how leo
their spheres of influence. So that a single
act of mine may spread in widening circles
through nation of humanity"
Yet when Mr.. Downey came to Washing
ton in 1862 and began his career as bust
,, ness man he was nearly as penniless as the
men to whom he now gives such great help.
His parents had fled from the Golden Vale
of Limerick" before the horrible famine of
1S47 and had their boy brought to America
in 1852. He came to Washington as a
youth with "a in his pockets. Before he
could find anything to do this fund had
been reduced to $3.50 With stock of
papers, bought for sale in the camps about
Washington. the start was made In a few
days the young Irishman had saved enough
to go into the livery business to the extent
of hiring a hack at a rate of 81 per day
Today's fiourishing business is the out
growth of that small capital and the four
principles on which the home is founded
sobriety, industry, frugality and honesty
All the activity which has followed Mr.
Downey's coming to America has not sub
| dued his inborn love for the River Shannon
near his first home and the beautiful coun-
| try about Limerick. Recently he intrusted
his business and the Good Samaritan work
| to subordinates and went back to ireland.
The signs of poverty in that land of plenty
worried him greatly. He tried to apply
some of the energy which created this
American home" for unfortunates to help
| ing his fellow 1rishmen But the onIy
| course which commended itself to him wa
TO support the aims of the Irish nationalists
| and discourage the violence to which they
| nave sometimes resorted. The subject ha s
| not been dismissed. however. 1t may vet he
| that the influence which has proven so
great here in the American capital NAV
| achieve some lasting good for the unfortu
| mates in the Vale of Limerick