The Saint Paul globe., 1904-01-24
JUST A FRIENDLY
DRINK HIS RUIN
Temperance Lesson in Story OF
Downfall of Once Trusted
Bank Clerk.

NEW YORK. Jan. 23.-Garvin H.
Dick, former clerk of the check depart
ment of the Chase National bank, sat
on a bench in the room for visitors at
the worl1house on Blackwell's island
He wore prison trousers, prison shoes
and a prison hat.
"Tippling brought me here" he said,
"just a drink or two day with
friend That's what downed me. Mod
crate drinking is the most insldious
form of indulgence.
ut was moderate drinking also that
brought my wife here. She had her
circle of friends. and they had their
social glass She will agree with me
that the hard drinker has not as much
to fear as those who take a social glass
regularly"
Dick and his wife, whose maiden name
was Gertrude Bancker, popular In the
Harlem SET were taken to the Island at
the same time, sentenced for six months
because neither could give the required
bond of $500.
Friends of Dick who used to know
him when he stood behind the grating
of the Chase National and counted up
the checks and classified them. would
not have recognized in the thin faced,
white haired, unshorn prisoner, feebly
and penitently telling of his downfall,
the same smiling, jovial and confident
young man who was pointed out as
model to many of the subordinate
clerks in the big bank.
Victim of the Social Glass.
81 didn't bring my wife down with
me- 1 didn't cause her to take up
1rinking," he said. 1T was her circle
IF friends with whom she used Htake
y social glass when they came together
that caused her to be here with me.
Il had no idea that I would ever be
as low as this. l came to New York
from New Brunswick, Canada, more
than twenty-five years ago. 1 was
barely more than boy then and I had
hopes of accomplishing something in
the big city. 1t was the habit of all
the people in my Canadian neighbor-
hood to take a glass of whisky when
they wanted it. 1 thought, too, that 1
could drink like gentleman and suffer
no i'll effects. got position twenty
three years ago with the bank as one
of the clerks at SIS per week. worked
hard, and was shortly afterward adj
vanced. Two years later l married.
and we were very happy together
Whenever the boys would ask me
out to have a drink l would not refuse,
but | was not what one might call in
the habit of drinking. l knew that l
could stop it at any time.
Mrs. Dick did not drink in those
days.
by hard work in year or two 1 was
advanced again and we took a more
pretentious home 1 had several friends
at the bank, but of course, they would
not endanger their position now by try
ing to do anything for me. You know
how particular a bank is
Both Needed StimuIants.
Il suppose it must be the case with
all drunkards, but the first thing knew
1 got to be so dependent upon my daily
amount of stimulant that 1 would be
nervous if 1 left it off. In the mean
time [ noticed that my wife also would
ask for drink before meals and be-
fore retiring.
She seemed to take to it at first to
be congenial with me-. but she told me
she had learned to drink at a friends
house. 1 did not try to stop her, be-
cause 1 expected no i'll effects. l always
did my work regularly at the bank. The
first intimation that anything was
wrong came a year ago, when the
surety company which protected my
position went off my bond.
THE bank of course notified me that
I would have to leave. l got out. In
the meantime had saved up no money
and had to borrow from friends
thought there would be no trouble in
getting a new place, but after a man
gets to certain age in New York no