Evening star., 1919-02-23

tower room of Peters Hall
where he lived and of which
building he was the janitor.
Howard Hyde Russell found him.
II was day in early spring. The
year was 1894, Eleven months before,
at the same town OF Oberlin, in the
state of Ohio, small group Of grave
men sanctmonious men, neighboring
villagers described them-had or
eanized themselves into society
which they named the Anti Saloon
League.
Then they called Mr Russell from
Chicago, where as pastor of Armour
Mission. he was receiving IA salary of
$4,000 "A year, and placed the work
they had i'm mind under his manage
ment. Your pay" they said, will be
what you can get"
And Mr.. Russell moved to Oberlju
and rented a house for $40 a month.
Mrs. Russell did the family cooking,
baking. bed-making and mendinR.
She is one of he great but unknown
authors. as VIII appear later. of the
last amendment 10 the American Con-
stitution.
II X
81 want q man" Russell had said to
the professors of Obcrlin College, FOR
a job that viii require hard, uphill
work. He must be tactful, tireless,
optimistic. reSourceful" Russell was
plcturne himself. but he didn't real
ze it.
'He must be a good speaker" Rus
sell went on: "a good mixer, loving
spirited, sacrificing soul who
yearns to help the other fellow. Who
flls the bin in the class OF 1884, he
asked.
Wayne Wheeler" each of the pro-
fcssors answered.
Straight 10 the tower, then. went
Russell in search of Wheeler 'But,
said Wheeler, toward the end of Rus
sells eNhortation. II had about de-
cided 10 take II place that IL o. en- TO
me in a business establishment he
side ! ii,an TO be a lawyer"
GO a." replied the ever ready Rus
sell 1--WE shall need several active
lawyers in the work we mean 10 60
BefoGe commencement day IN Iune
the great decision was made. Il ant
going With you." Wheeler said 30 Rus
sell. Il viii stay with YOU for 4 y ha'
At this tine ! can promise no more.
Now, AZ the end of twenty-five
years. Wheeler is stiii with the
league So is Dr. Russell Wheeler is
The lawyer for the league. DR.. Rus
sell raised all of the money which
was used TO finance the prohibition
amendment recently adopted by the
country.
When Russell climbed the stairs in
Peters Hall. which was always kept
warm and clean" so the professors
said. by its janitor two men. prac-
tically. composed the Anti-Saloon
League--Russell. himself, and Edwin
Courtland Dinwiddie, young Luth-
eran preacher who had been proselyt-
ed by Russell before any congresa-
tion could give him a call
* <
The group of grave Oberlin men. Of
course, were back of the league with
their counsel and few dollars in
money. Their main contribution, how
ever, had been "the idea" But the
idea had not been entirely original
with them. Early in the year 1899
Archbishop John ireland, great
Catholic and n great American, and
Rev. DR., Alpha G. kynettt of Phila-
delphia. eminent In the ministry OF
the Methodist Church. met, during
journey. in Il railroad train.
They thought, talking together. that
little real headway could be made to-
ward control of the liquor business
40 long as temperance people Were
separated into a half dozen or more
competing orders and societies. Fed
Grafton, they agreed, was necessary.
Temperance laws can be passed
and enforced" DR.. Kynett later told n
meeting in northern Ohio, whenever
those who favor temperance are
united"
The group OF grave Oberlin men
were present and heard the state
ment. They felt that II was true.
Oberlin, a college town was dry and
was made so by It's inhabitants. VII
lages they said among themselves,
could be dry and so could townships,
cities, counties and states If the tent
perance people. who We're nearly al
ways An the ma iority. they asserted,
would pull together.
Anyway. they desired to test their
theory. j They thought at once of
Howard HYDE Russell who had grad
uated All their college and their theo-
logical seminary and who while n stu
dent in Oberlii, had lobbied a local
option bin through the ohio legsla-
ture
The son OF a home missionary in
Minnesota, in which state he was
horn. Russell had been farm la
borer in Illinois. cowboy on the
plains, school teacher in Colorado
and "a country editor aud luyyer iu