Connecticut western news., 1911-06-15
Reading Room Revelry
An Incident of the Great Murphy Tenn
 perance Movement in Canaan.

perance Movement in Canaan.
 Reference to the Murphy movement in Canaan, in this column last week has reminded a citizen who took promi- nent part in that movement, of a num- Der of incidents connected with it and growing out of it, that are worth re- beating. One of them deals with the temperance reading room" established in the old Warner House, as related last week.
 The reading room was made favorite evening resort of the staid and studious citizens who took an interest in the newspapers and magazines with which it was we'll supplied, and it was. to some extent employed as a meeting place for sly young couples at certain quiet hours, and not infrequently was invaded by gentlemen under the influence of drink for the movement did not overtake all the incorporate dwellers in the land of Canaan, nor hold fast to everyone that it did overtake.
 One evening a we'll known horse jockey from Sheffield, and a gang of railroad workers who had just been paid of-all drunk and hilarious-made the reading room their rendezvous, and kept their jags keyed up to the proper pitch by frequent applications from sundry whiskey bottles and pocket fasks, and incidentally filled the room to suffocation with tobacco smoke from all sorts and conditions of pipes. By way of anus ing themselves they sang songs, told stories and discourse6 glibly on the topics of the day, and constituted al- together an undesirable and disturbing element. Occasionally citizen of the staid and studious sort referred to,would drop in for his usual perusal of the read ing matter, but being unable, to with stand either the ribaldry or the dense tobacco smoke, would quickly make his escape.
 One of the leading lights in the temper. ance movement, and a pillar of the read ing room, who long since died and went to heaven, made his regular visit, but on sizing up the situation, marched straight through to the hotel office and demanded of the landlord
 Warner, what is the meaning of this disgraceful revelry in opr reading room?"
 Ut isn't any of my doings. Deacon" replied the landlord. II wish, myself, they would get out"
 "Well sir, why don't you put stop to the debauchery and have the rabble re- moved?" persisted the irate pillar.
 "I'd do it mighty quick if I could, Deacon, " said Warner. i've been try ing all the evening to get rid of them, but haven't had any success, Say. Deacon, s'pose you go in and order them out, as one of the directors of the read ing room-go on."
 The deacon acted upon the suggestion. Bursting into the reading room with all the majestic dignity of his station, and confronting the horse jockey, who was acting as sort of master of ceremonies, and who was at that instant in the act of passing big flat bottle GO his right hand neighbor, the deacon exclaimed:
 "What is the meaning of this intrusion and these outrageous proceedings in this place? Don't you know you're where you have no right to be, and laying yourself liable, with your drinking and carousing and your offensive tobacco smoke? Leave this place at once-you and your miserable crew "
 But the horse-man was not feazed, even little bit. He greeted the irate deacon with the utmost cordiality, thus:
 "Oome right in, sir; you are just in time to join us in round of the real prime article-and won't you load up your pipe and have a smoke wiGh us :? Glad to welcome you to our little circle. My friends and myself are enjoying little session, more or less private, but 1 beg of you. don't consider yourself an intruder-we bid you welcome, sir. Sit right down and enjoy yourself with us. We're about to sing another song, and trust you'll come in on the chorus-no intrusion at all, sir. I assure you. No, no, pray don't apologize-you' wei come as the flowers of spring"
 The more the deacon attempted to ex- postulate, the more profusely the horse jockey assured him that he was vel come, and the more urgently he i'm portuned him to "have another drink, and smoke up," until finally the deacon, in despair and indignation, founced out of the room, leaving the ribald crew in full possession.
 CANAAN LOCALS