Year: 1873

On Tuesday evening we took the night
train for Winona. On the train we met
with delegation from the


FATHER MATHEW TEMPERANCE SOCIETY,
of Lake City, who were just returning from
ST. Paul, where they had been to connect
themselves with the National Temperance
Union, and to procure banners and regalia
Among the delegates we were glad to meet
John D. Lyons, formerly a resident of Belle
Creek, in this county, and were agreeably
surprised to learn Of the rapid growth of
the order. The Lake City Society numbers
already one hundred members. The re-
gala and banners purchased by this Socie-
ty are very rich costing four hundred dol
lars. The Society commenced with four
members less than year ago; from that
the number increased to seven and then
fourteen, and then grew very rapidly until
it has reached the number stated above


The growth Of the Society in Lake City
is only sample of the growth of the order
throughout the State There are already
two societies in St. Paul numbering two or
three hundred members; one at Winona
numbering two hundred; one at Rochester
numbering a hundred, and several others
in different parts of the State numbering
from fifty to one hundred.


Mr.. Lyons informed us that number of
Lake City Society, with the President of
the societies Of the State, proposed to visit,
in short time, Belle Creek for the purpose
of organising society; may they be sue
cessful is our wish. The members whom
we met manifested genuine zeal and
praiseworthy ambition and pride in their
Society and its work. Here is q powerful
agency for good growing up in our State.
In entering this society members take a
pledge of total abstinence, either for life or
for series Of years. We understood that
ss yet, not member had been known to
violate his pledge. The Society has .
benevolent and social side with view of
aiding members in misfortune, sickness, or
atfliction, as we'll as elevating them socially
and morally.


At Lake City the temperance delegation
left the cars for their homes, and we fell
into very pleasant conversation with


FATHER TRoBEC uF wABAsHA.


Father Trobec thought that there was
much good being done by the temperance
movement; that Father Ireland was de-
serving Of much praise for his earnest work
in the temperance reform. He spoke of the
wonderful movement under the direction of
Father Mathew in 1848 in Ireland and in
this country when six million persons
took the pledge as the direct result of his
powerful appeals ascribed much of the
success Of the present movement to the fact
Of having so remarkable a precedent to point
to, and such a noble example to follow He
said that such an organization could never
be appreciated among his countrymen (Ger-
mans); that drink did not seem to effect
them in the same manner as it did other
nationalities.


He spoke very strongly Of the beneficial
influence arising from forming men into
societies, said that q man left to himself
often becomes reckless, but united with
others in society he feels to certain ex
tent responsible for the reputation of the
society, and that he has not only his own
good character to maintain, but he comes
to have pride in maintaining the good
name Of the society and desire to retain
the good will and respect of all its members.
He illustrated his statements by the be
nevolent society which he has had in his
church in Wabasha for the last three or
four years, organized for mutual aid and
for the mental and moral elevation of its
members, with rule enjoining temperance
in drinking or promise by the members to
that effect. Since the beginning of this so.
ciety, only one member has violated his
promise or disgraced himself by drunken.
ness, and this was poor worthless fellow
who had long before lost all respect for
himself or for anybody else, and he was
promptly suspended.


He remarked that quite number of the
members of his church at Plainview had
united with the Patrons of Husbandry, AND
said that while it was contrary to the rules
of the church to take an oath of secrecy,
that his members claimed that it was
merely promise to keep secret the signs
and pass words of the order. such prom.
ise as one man might make to another te
keep secret matters Of business, and we un.