Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1903-02-27
A Word to the BOYS.

Editor PhuniX-
one word to the boys. We are proud
OF our native town. Is it license or no
license? 1t is no license for Newfane.
W nat makes you think so? We cannot
handle the other side. Why? If n man
drinks any, at times, he drinks too much
Three years with three different land
lords handling the. fluid makes me pref
" sure We have in our possession n
set of bar rails cut in February, peeled in
May, that have been exposed to the
weather for "a years, that are we'll pre-
served NOW would it not have been
better If part of our legislature had spent
their time in planting the spruce instead
OF trying to plant saloons and drinking
houses all over the state of Vermont?
Nearly at the close of the war, being
Il, l wondered what / should do IL
everyone was as poor as myself Grip
IN hand, l went to a nearby town The
nrst man TO nave any conversation with
was a landlord He wanted to hire
What is my work." Anything
ask you to do" Last, but not least, to
sell the rum in the morning with strong
directions not to sell to any one who
was under the influence of liquor The
first man was what we called a dead
beat" He comes in with a pitiful story
His wife was sick, he had been up all
night He forgot his money, but he
would fetch it up in the afternoon He
is handed a bottle of pure spirits and
water, mixed with the rankest kind of
whiskey, kept on purpose for such Gus
toners. He has no idea of paying for
a good thing, and if he ever gets 10
cents he wants it for his morning dram
He goes to one-half the other houses
to get enough to feel comfortable.
The next one is a working man-works
hard and patronizes the bar freely
sometimes, not often. some poor, sad
looking woman comes and asks the land
lord not to sell to her husband any more
liquor. She is supporting the family
and he is supporting the bar. Most all
iirst-class hotel keepers are good men,
The call bell sounds one, two, three,
even the fourth man responds they are
all young; they do not drink A young
man cannot get a good position If he
drinks. We are told not to give Mr.
So-and-So any more drinks We usually
get a short sermon about the house be
ing run on wholesale principle, and he
could not live without selling. Today
IT Is run on a retail plan and keepers
can live. Christmas and New Years
are most to be dreaded Some men want
to treat their friends. II does not work
on all alike. Some go to sleep after drink
ing number of times others let you know
how they love you, others show a good
amount of fight Some say the business
men want open bars. They do not
Business men. well-to-do farmers, and
boys under 90 seldom visit drinking
places. They are ashamed of it. Some
say we want a town agent so when we
want pint We can get 1t for medical
purposes. We do not want that. We
can have quart brought to our door for
10 cents extra. Who wants to be lug
ging rum jug for 10 cents?
We have in mind one old man who
used to visit my father. He had spent
his little farm at the bar. 1t was told
he used to visit place until late hours
and the landlord would help him on to
his horse. He would ride a mile or two
and fall off into the snow. His faithful
horse would always stay by him. When
he came to- he would crawl up and get
hold of the neck halter, and his horse
would lead him home. Boys, horses do
not wear neck halters now and If they
did We might not get hold l was told
by an old man that when he was young
he and other boys went to church; at
noon they went into a barn where stood
a load of hay Under 1t a man lay,
beastly drunk, and the green flies were
going out and in his mouth. Boys, we
have always kept the flies we'll brushed
off
You say you want open bars so people
will come to spend the summer in Yer
mont. III YOU could see the shabby
looking men that were here so years ago,
hanging around, summer visitors would
be more scarce than now. You say the
officers of the Wndham county fair
killed it. because they would not have
liquor on the ground. 1t was carried out
to the letter after a few hours in the
morning. Why did not the drinking men
take it up and run fair? They never
do much towards running a fair. The
Valley Fair is stepping in the same
tracks as the county fair All can have
a good time If We have no rum.
Very truly yours
BAXTER c. CUSHING.
Newfane. Vt, Feb. 1903.