Middletown transcript., 1907-06-15
A GUARANTEED wHIskEY

| The Rev. Joel 8. Gill6llan, our Gran
Chief Templar, OF Newark, received
communication from the president of
liquor house in Pittsburg, making pro
position to furnish him with pure whiske,
rates and offering him a free bottle 70
trial. He made the following reply to it
Newark, DEL, February Sd, 1907.
Pres. of--Co., Pittsburg, Pa.
Dear Sir-I am in receipt of your com
munication soliciting me to try youl
whiskey and offering free bottle fol
trial, and assuring me that it will be SEM
"by express prepaid" and ''in plain
boxes with no marks to indicate contents
and "that all transactions are strictly
confidential"
You have taken the title for your little
book descriptive of your products from a
poem by the well known poet OF Scotland,
Coming Thro' the Rye" of which title
you say ''it is peculiarly fitting that one
of the most beautiful Scotch ballads that
has come down to us-the one whose title
| have used for my little book-weavesa an
immortal garland of song and sentiment
from the golden Rye"
Probably it was an oversight on your
part not to mention the name Of the poet,
Robert Burns; or probably it was inten-
tiously omitted, that the name might not
recall the fact that his magnificent genius
was crippled and debased by just sueh
products as you are advising us to drink.
l would suggest as more fitting poem
OF his, the following:
There's death in the cup-sae Beware
Nay more-there is danger in touching.
But who can avoid the fell snareP
The man and his wine sac bewitching."
or if you want mere title take
"Oh, Willie Brew'd Peck O'Mout,"
or ''The Whistle"
You further say. "Jenny Lind, with
voice almost divine, sang this Rye song
hundreds and hundreds of times before
vast audiences both in Europe and
America and with sweet and simply
melody brought the whole world of
music to her feet"
If Jenny Lind-the pure and gentle
one-could know that you are making
use of her name and fame to induce man
to drink the unatural product of Rye, she
would turn in her grave.
But Jenny Lind after all produced her
best effort by singing "Home, Sweet
Home, " and it has been my observation
that nothing destroys the sweetness OF
home SO much as the liquid refreshment
~ which you are SO anxious for me to try
But why did You suggest that you
would send it to me Sin plain boxes with
no remarks to indicate contents?" Do
you think me coward or a sneak to be
Of what I drink? Or did You
think I might live in prohibitionsterri-
tory and you would help me make void
the laws under which I live2 Or was it
your own conscience that suggested to
you that probably your business was not
after all as respectable as you claim?
You also guarantee" your whiskey.
Of course would not want anything that
would be productive of evil effects either
in my physical, mental or spiritual life,
or that would are any tendency to cause
me either by influence or example or act,
to iniure others.
Some time ago bright young lad went
past my house into town where he was
given whiskey. When he came back he
was dull and dizzy and fell under tree
not far from my house. went to him
and found him mere boy of 13 years.
He was sent home to his mother. Do
you guarantee your whiskey not to pro.
duce such results?
Not long ago a man who had been
Whiskey went past here, shout
ing at the top of his voice and whipping
his foaming steed at every leap, crying
"I've been drunk for the last six. months,
show me the way to 60 home" Now
this is nice gentle soul when he is not
in drink. Do you guarantee that your
whiskey would not have this effect on
him? He seems determined to drink |
whiskey and if he had kind that would |
not make him drunk, it would be grand |
thing.
Then all about me see murders, thefts, /
fights, poverty, misery, degradation and
shame as the results of drinking whiskey. |
Do you guarantee that your whiskey will
not produce this great train Of evils?
You also say Il will consider it per-
sonal favor if you will tell your friends |
about my liberal offer" l do not be-
lieve I can comply with you request in
this respect. / am not yet persuaded of
your assurance that there's health,
strength and good cheer in every bottle"
My observation has impressed me with |
the fact that death, weakness and misery |
are oftener found in bottle of whiskey.
You have solicited this letter by the
sentence, ST sincerity hope I may hear
from you by early mail" and have
with your request, but you
must excuse me from complying with
your request to try bottle of your whis.
key. am afraid of it. fear, notwith-
all your guarantee, that the
turks within, Yours truly,
JOEL s. GILFILLAN.