Evening journal., 1911-01-07
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Story Of Old Temperance
Lays
By "ROlIand."

/
Very few living Americans have ever
heard of him, yet John Van Buskirk
achieved two unique distinctions while
In the service of Uncle Sam. First, he
was the oldest custom house employe
at the time Of his death Of any who in
his own time or any time had been
upon the Custom House rolls. He was
/ appointed in the administration OF
John Quincy Adams He died nearly
sixty years later.
In the second place, Mr.. Van Bus
Kirk gained a widespread reputation
as one OF the FIRST prominently placed
men in the United States to adopt the
principle OF total abstinence. He re-
| Trained from the use of intoxicating
liquors or malt beverages i'm the year
1929, at least fifteen or twenty years
I before the first great temperance wave
swept through the country. creating
the once famous Washingtonians. or
cold water army of children. and the
Independent Order Of Good Templars,
an organization that was Of such great
and beneficial influence
When the WashingtOnians used to
march. in the early ffties, in this city
or that, waving their cold water BAN
ncrs, Mr. Van Buskirk frequently
joined them, and he speedily became
known throughout the United States
not so much as an apostle Of total ABB
stinence as a practitioner of Il. This
was the more remarkable because IN
those days the use Of alcoholic bcv-
erages was very common. Evon clergy
men sometimes drank a little too much
hot toddy, and it was the great tenn
perancc NOV cment instituted by Or.
Lyman Beeoher. father of Henry Ward
Beccher, which did much to bring
about a change of habits in that re-
speet DR. Lyman Beccher was fond OF
pointing to Mr.. Van Busklrk as
prominent example Of total abstinence.
II was in the spring Of 1863. thirty
four years after the last drink of
liquor had 'boen taken by Mr.. Van
Busldrk, that he explained the reason
which led him to adopt the policy OF
total abstinence.
"ln 1929 ] was employed I'm the sur
veyors division of the Custom House
in New York city" he said. "One Bit
ter cold winter night the ship William
Tell entered the port. Sne was making
harbor after a long voyage. during
which she had visited the West Indies
The captain was very anxious to have
his papers made out so that he could
get ashore that night, and / gave him
all the assistance that ! could.
After the Custom House work had
been finished, the captain invited me
into his cabin. IL was a very cOzy
place. The captain opened his locker,
and brought out a bottle of liquor, say
ing that It was a very fine quality Of
Jamaica rum He thought we ought to
have q tOddy to warm us up. / OBJ
served what a beautiful golden color
the LIQUOR was as he poured it from
the bottle. He mixed a tOddy and Il
tasted very good. We chatted while,
and then, as / arose TO so, he sug-
gested that we drink another toddy
And was willing.
"A little while later I found myself
upon the Battery just beyond the
Barge Office. which at that time was
at the lower end of the Battery. Things
acted very queerly. The Battery SEEM
cd % be turned upside down. thought
the sky was under my feet. The trees
seemed to be hugging each other and
valtzing around. J saw one man so by
and he looked like two men. II l shut
one eye, then he was only one man II
I opened both eyes he was two men.
I sat down on a bench TO think
things over. At last said to myself:
John Van BuskiIk, you are drunk.
Two glasses of toddy have made you
drunk There is only one thing for you
10 do You see, was sober enough to
realize my condition. And then and
there l decided that l never again
would permit a drop Of liquor 10 pass
my lips. / became a total abstainer,
and a prominent example as such"
here Mr.. Van Busirk smiled drily-
because accidentally became intox-
icated. That resolution l haYe kept
faithfully. and I shall continue>to keep
it as long as I live"
And he did.
Copyright. 1911. by f. J. Edwards. All
rights reserved.