Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-07-27
A DRUNKARD COLONY
LATEST PLAN FOR THE REDEMPTION
OF VICTIMS OF ALCOHOL.

, temperance institute Appeals EO
Funds to Buy Farm on Long Is
land Where It's Patients May u,
Kept From Temptation.
! To a large audience recently gath
cred in Carnegie hall, In New York city
Mrs. Isabella Charles Davis of the In
ternatlonal Order of Kings Daughter.
and Sons made an appeal for funds
with which to establish a farm colony
Oh Long Island for the redemption OF
victims Of alcoholism and the drug
habit, and backed up her plea with fig
ures showing the ravages of these
habits, which caused sensation.
The meeting was held under the aus
pices Of the Woman's National auxil-
iary, well known institution, of
which Mrs Davis is vice president.
Testimony was given by men who had
been cured Of drugs and drink, among
them the Rev. DR.. John Riley Thomp-
son, at one time president of the Uni
versity Of West Virginia, who told the
audience Of his twenty years battle
against the drug habit.
The Right Rev. Charles II. Fowler,
bishop Of the Methodist Episcopal
church, presided. Lady Somerset, the
Rev. DR.. Charles II. Parkhurst, the
Rev. DR.. Lee w. Beattie and others
sent cablegrams and letters indorsing
the plans of establishing q farm col
Ony for drunkards and drug victims.
Through the efforts Of the Women's
auxiliary free clinic for the treat
ment of poor patients has been estab-
lishcd at Madison Square Church
House. The aim of establishing q farm
colony has grown out of experiences in
connection with the work there, where
many poor In the last stages of alco-
holism come to be treated. Mrs. Davis
said that during the present year
tWenty-six men who had been cured
had fallen back into their former hab-
its because they had not the means
with which to get away from old asso
Citations and often not for lodging or
for proper nourishment.
There are 100000 men In Ameri- |
ca who are absolute slaves of alco-
holism," said Mrs. Davis. There are
twice as many, or almost 1000, 900 men
and women-an alarming proportion OF
these from the highest ranks Of our
social and professional life-whO are
helpless victims of the far more ter
rible drug habit
within radius Of twenty-five miles
from this hall there are at this moment
$4,000 such men and women. You find
them In homes Of wealth, you will
ind them In the depths Of the pit, and
yet there is not In all this broad land q
single hospital that is open to the I'M
fortunate victims struggling in the
clutches Of these destructive habits,
which are nothing but disease, dis
'ase that can be cured.
"Give us a farm colony on Long Is
and where we can put them to work
With grain and potatoes and chickens,
nd we will send them back to you
gain. We need $4,000. Give us this
mount, and 1t will save 1000 men a
ear"
DIR. j. d. Dolan, who has had charge
( the clinic work. said that alcoholism
Tas disease occupying very much the
lme place as do pneumonia and ty-
hold In the category of medicine.
Some day in the future you will find
n physicians signs that they are spe.
allsts In alcoholism, just as we find
'day eye and throat specialists" he l
lid. The consumption Of distilled
'irits In this country last year was
IL 100000 gallons. That Is twenty u
llons per capita, but as half of the D
'ople do not drink somebody is bound II
get more than his share. | have II
Gated some men and one woman this u
,ar who drank five gallons of whisky
oh n week. know they would not u
nsume twenty drops In twenty years p
W." Is
Members Of the Brotherhood of st. a
Ike, composed of men who have been u
red of the drink habit, occupied the
ntform, and some of them related
cir experiences.
Edward A. Clewley, who Is connect RI
with the free clinic, In giving Stats b
s Of the work explained that many df
the poor and homeless who came to | Al
Q clinic discontinued taking the treat OF
mt because 1t gave them too much OF
petite. da