Year: 1873

When was about 10 l thought was
too smart to work on farm; SO armed
with hundred dollars / went to town to
try my luck. Every one l asked for
work sang to Inc that old, old song about
hard times, hard times, etc. This made
me very homesick. At last. however, l
got a place in grocery as clerk. The
name and style Of the firm to which
hired was C.. IL c.. dealers in all kinds
of Groceries and Foreign and Domestic
Liquors Wholesale and Retail" soon
learned that the part of the sign which
read "all kinds of groceries was pu.
up more for the accommodation of the
pious, who did not like to be seen going
in and coming out of a house that sold
liauor exclusively, than for the sake of
truth knew | was acting against my
mothers wishes in going into this busi-
ness, but was resolved to be superior
to the situation and never drink drop.


was astonished to see how little the
Oldest and most experienced knew about
what they had been drinking all their
lives. We used simply to draw off ten
gallons from barrel marked RYE
Whisky and make a dollar gallon by
the operation. To me it was very anus
ing to see the old topers taste one and
then the other and pronounce that in the
keg much the finer article. Mr.. c., the
Junior partner, was skillful compound
er and manufacturer of liquors. He used
to take barrel of pure corn whisky and
with little of cheap chemicals and a
great deal of water, he would make five
barrels of excellent apple brandy, and
then have good barrel of corn whisky
left.


However, in making II keg of port wine
one day, he was not very successful, for
he put in some sulphuric acid or some
other voracious ingredient, that the drug
gist sent by mistake, and made most
diuboIical compound l sold bottle of
it to farmer for medicinal purposes for
his wife. The next day he came back
after some more. Said that it ate the
cork out of the bottle, ate the pocket out
OF his coat, fell on the ground and was
wasted. We never sold any more of
that wine but used it for rat poison.


Mr.. c. Jr., was also philosopher; he
used to say that he never put anything
worse than alcohol in his liquors; that it
was no harm to cheat folks who were
trying to cheat him, and that it was USE
less for merchant to tell the truth, for
nobody would believe him. Poor fel-
low, he has long since filled pauper's
and drunkard's grave by the side of
his victims. l used to witness some pit
iful scenes while clerked in his gro
Gerry. One day lady, with the lines Of
beauty and refinement lingering about
her pale face and leading two lovely
children, came in and begged us not to
sell her husband any more liquor. Her
husband called for brandy in few min
utes, and when we refused to sell it to
him he went away indignant. In about
an hour he returned gloriously and tri-
umphantly drunk, and boasted that he
had = found place where decent man
could get accommodation.


had now been in business about four
months For two months had kept nv
temperance resolutions, but one windy
day caught slight cold and the tempt
er whispered that some brandy toddy
would do me good. took the hint. 1t
was long time before pronounced that
little cold entirely cured, and then used
TO take three or four drinks day as
preventive. had now become regular
tippler | perceived that l had spent all
the money | had brought with me, my
smallwages, and was $40 in debt besides.
| concluded if | ever became famous,
wealthy and powerful, would have to
leave that town. So, with far less honor
than did the noble Cincinnatus, re-
turned to the plow. Ell. NJ.


San Francisco. Oct. &, 1878.