The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-04-03
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF INTEMPERANCE.

AA~ - S'Ne "
May Appear.
Farmer Boggs planted some new
seedcorn last spring, imported from a
far distant land, and as the result
gathered two thousand bushels from
twenty acres, and he took a wagon
load to the country town to
for some necessaries Of life.
He had just entered the main bust
ness street, when q saloonkesper
hailed him and inquired the price OF
his corn.
Forty cents a bushel," said Boggs.
But I can get plenty OF corn Tor
thirty" replied the dealer in liquid
goods. .
Not such corn as this" said the
farmer. This is a new kind-grown
from imported seed. Nothing like 1t
in the State"
"All right" said the saloonkeeper.
II will take it, as I have the best
family horse in the country, and he
shall have the worry best corn in the
market; so you may drive around to
my barn, and throw the corn ID the
crib, and while there please tell John,
my hired man, to give old Faithful
O. good feed, and have him hitched
up by 2 o'clock, for I want to take
my wife and two children out riding
this afternoon"
Boggs unloaded the corn as direct
ed-got his pay for it, made a few
purchases, and left for bonneville
John promptly at 2 O'Clock hitched
old Faithful to the phaeton. But as
the s~aloonkeeper, his wife and two
little daughters we're getting into the
vehicle, old FaithfulTs eyes flashed
like fire; he reared upon his hind
feet, snorted like a locomotive, and 1t
was all John could do to hold him.
At last, when all were fairly seated,
John was told to let him 60, and off
went old Faithful down the street
wholly unmanageable, until, sudden
ly turning a corner, over went the
/ phaeton, smashed into splinters, and
it's occupants sent sprawling into the
street.
While the bruised and battered
family was being picked up and cared
for, a crowd of men succeeded in
capturing old Faithful. A veterinary
surgeon was called, and as he took
hold of the bit, old Faithful's breath
struck him fully in the face; ne
smiled and said: There is nothing
the matter with the horse, only he Is
drunk-drunk on that new kind Of
corn"
The next day the farmer ignorant
of what had happened, took another
load to town; he stopped at the sa-
loon, but the proprietor was not in.
He then drove around to his resi-
dence, rang the bell, and the saloon
keeper, with a patch over n eye. his
arm in a sling, nose smashed, hobbled
to the door, and was asked by Boggs
if he didn't want to buy another load
of corn.
Raising a crutch, he CALCULATED:
"Corn-corn! do I look like I needed
any more of that kind of corn? Look
at my wife there with a broken aim.
See my darling angels bruised be-
yond recognition. See my three
hundred-dollar phaeton smashed into
everlasting smithereens,t and old
Faithful so Inundated and ashamed
that he can't look decent people in
the face, and then dare to ask me If
I want any more corn; get out OF
here, you villainous old %clodhopper,
or I'll set my big dog on you!"
Boggs had two thousand bushels
of that kind Of corn. He had depend
ed on it to lift the mortgage off his
farm, but now it seemed that all was
lost.
He went to a lawyer, and told 'him
his story. The lawyer informed him
that all he had to do was to take out
a license. A petition was at once
prepared and the farmer started out
to get signers.
He first went to the saloonkeepers,
%supposing that they would sign with
out a Word. But he was mistaken.
Instead of signing his petition, they
with one accord declared that any
mar who would sell that kind Of corn
to be fed to a dumb brute was worse
than a heather.
Even the deacons refused to sign,
declaring that they could not stand
it to see a'colt humiliate and disgrace
it's mother by Keeling through the
public streets; or hear a cow bawl at
the sight of her besotted calf; while
a minister, with a look of indignation
that was indescribable, said in thun.
der tones, that if his party ever Ii.
censed the sale of that kind of CORD
he would never vote its ticket again,
and then he quoted Scripture about
no drunkard entering the Kingdom Of
God; and, as a final crusher, he asked
Boggs what would become of all the
poor dumb brutes, if We licensed the
sale of that kind of corn. Then he
wept.
Poor Boggs, discouraged, returned
to the Office, dropped the petition on
the table, sank into a chair as he ex-
claimed: "Personalliberty Isl myth"
The lawyer, moved by sympathy, as
lawyers always are, put on his best
thinking cap. In a moment his coun.
tenance beamed with joy; he slapped
Boggs good-naturedly on the back.
and said: Brighten up, old boy,
! I've got an idea. A capital idea, too;
one that lets you out slick and clean,
saves your farm, and, above all, pre-.
serves your personal liberty. You
proceed at once to draw that corn to
the distillery, have it made into
whisky-and then circulate your Pc
tition for a license to sell the whisky,
and they will all sign it; and thus the
dumb brutes will be protected, per-
sonal liberty perpetuated, and, be-
sides all that, such a course will not
hurt the party. You see it all de-
| ponds upon whether the corn is sold
in q solid or liquid state."-National
Advocate.