Year: 1879

For the GAZETTE.


Mr.. EDIroR:-Only a few days ago, /
suppose in view of the May Court, at
New Castle, being near at hand, quite an
attempted excitement was triedtO be got
up in Wilmington by the temperance
fanatics, over the death of the old negro
Perry Demby, charging all on rum. No
doubt this old negro had been drinking
more than wa. necessary, and he, in COM
pany with other younger negroes, was re-
turning home, and there may have been
little fracas between some white boys
or young men and these negroes. The
younger and smaller negroes, from the
published report, ran of and left old
Perry and he may have staggered into the
ditch and got out, for it appears some
persons came out of the houses and tried
to help Perry to 60 ON after the black
men he had been with, and these white
persons, who came out of the houses,
after going some distance with Perry left
him, and he was found dead near that
place. Now, If these persons who at
tempted to act kindly to Perry had taken
him to the fire he no doubt would have
been living now. But instead of taking
him to the fire he was left out in his wet
clothes and perished. knew an old
negro, many years ago, in this hundred
who had been left behind others. He
fell or lay down on the ground and died
that night, there was little or no frost at
the time; and last fall, near here, a
young, strong negro was cut and hurt
badly, at what the negroes call festival.
heard about 1t and went out next morn
ing and saw him, he was chilly and shiv
ering. told the negro at whose house
the affray was at, if he did not take that
fellow in the house and build up good
fire and warm him and keep him warm,
there was danger of his dying, and he, the
personliving in said house, would probably
be tried for his life. He took the man in
as told him, and he got well, and saved
these pretended good people would do
something for persons suffering instead
of letting them die and charge it all on
rum, it would be much better, or if real
temperance men would use persuasion
and example to those that have not
the nerve to resist getting so drunk as to
unfit them for business it would be much
better, for after all the abuse heaped on
the people of this county two of the
brightest Wilmington stars Of temperance
persuasion have left their lawful wives,
and taken to other pastures, which is
more to be approved than rum, or rather
whilst they are prosecuting the followers
of Noah. They themselves chime in af-
ter David. What hypocrites. Now if
whisky was as cheap as before the war
these negroes could have got whisky for
10 cents quart nearer home, and would
not have been necessitated to go into Will
mington and pay from so cents to one
dollar per quart, and all this trouble
comes from Republican bad management
OF the government ana the high price oI
whisky, robbing poor people, and putting
them to great Inconvenience in procur-
ing whisky, whilst the rich man can buy
from a keg to barrel, and put it into
his cellar and drink when it suits him,
and then such man as this in my opin-
ion much better man than if he lied,
and run off with his neighbor's wife, and
left house full of children for his law
full wife to feed and clothe, and nurse
when sick. Whenever l see a man
blowing himself up as model for man
kind to follow, 1 shun such fellows as l
would horse thieves.


SAMUEL TOWNSEND.


Townsend, April 2sth, 1879.