Frostburg mining journal., 1902-09-06
"Nevcr Another Drink"

fRoSTBl re-, MD, september :, Ib-
TO the MINING JOURNAL.
Strong drink is the destruction of man.
1t fills the hospitals, almshouses and
asylums. 1t makes a brute Of the most
high-minded person Think of noble
human being of Gods own creation wal
lowing in the gutter i'll a helplessly in
toxicated condition, v hile crowd of
idlers stand by, jeer and consider it a
huge joke. What can man think of
himself when he gets sober, is told what
condition he was in, and realizes what
fool he has made of himself? He will
be ready to give you his word of honor
that he will drink no more, but just as
soon as that terrible craving for drink
gets hold on him again he is off to the
first saloon.
Who of you has ever seen Il man i'll
the horrible grasp of dclir"m hrm"ns, or
1.-The snakes" as they are sometimes
called? With insane wildness he raves,
shouts, prays or stares with his blood
shot eyes at the different evil objects
his delirious brain portrays, or is ready
to murder as the different courses his
thought pursues. At other times his
imagination is as queer as that of the man
who on Christmas got the idea i'll his
llldI IL was tIt III VI anu
with the thermometer fifteen degrees
below zero went out i'll his shirt sleeves.
Now what is the starting point of such
instances of woe? 1t may be young
man enticed by his companions i'll a
saloon to have just one social drink; or
little boy slipping sugar from the bot
tom of the wine-glass from which his
father has drank; or IA young man at
social gathering accepting glass of
wine from his sweetheart's hand just for
the sake of being courteous. You may
in after years see him differently as the
husband leaning over the bar drinking a
glass of liquor bought with the last cent
he possessed, while his wife, poor thing!
whom he vowed to love, honor and sup
port, at home quietly weeping as his
poor starving children clamor for bread.
And Satan quietly smiles at this pic
ture of misery:
Five cents glass" How Satan laughed,
As over the bar the young man quaffed
The beaded liquor for the demon knew
The terrible work that drink would do;
And before morning the victim lay
With his life-blOOd ebbing swiftly away;
And that was the price of drink he paid,
alas =
For the pleasure of takinga Il social glass.
A touching conversation once took
place on IA train as man was ON his way
east to visit among some of his friends:
mo, | wont drink with you to-day,
boys" said the drummer to his COM
panions as they settled on the car and
passed the bottle of ruination around.
The fact is, boys, | have quit drinking;
I've sworn off"
whats the matter with you, old
boy?" rang ont one voice. IF You have
quit drinking something's up. What
is it ~
well, boys, will tell you. Yester-
day was III Chicago. Down on Clark
street customer of mine keeps pawn-
shop III connection with other business.
called on him, and while there Il Young
man not more than twenty five, wearing
thread bare clothes and looking aS hard
as if he hadn't seen Il sober day for Il
month, came in with little package in
his hand. He unwrapped it and handed
the article to the pawn broker, SAYING
give me ten cents, and, boys, what do
you suppose it was? A pair of baby's
shoes-little things, with the bottoms
only Il trifie soiled, as if they had been
only worn once or twice. Where d d
you get these asked the pawn broker.
Gotten at home, replied the man, who
had an intelligent look and the manners
of a gentleman despite his sad condition.
My wife bought 'em for our baby.
Give me ten cents for 'em-l want Il
drink 'GOu had better take the shoes