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ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Temperance
Dashaways
1842
05 15 State Temperance
Convention at Watertown—The Catholic Total Abstinence, Temperance and Benevolent
Societies of this State are moving in the work of temperance. A call has been issued for a convention at
Watertown on the 18th of June next, and the indications are that the sessions
will be interesting and important one.
There will be
large delegations from all parts of the State, as the friends of
temperance are largely represented in the several church associations.
The Vindicator assures the gentlemen who
are the movers in this work, that the Rt. Rev. Bishop Henni
is highly pleased with their efforts in so holy a cause, and wishes the
enterprise complete success, and hopes no influence shall ever prove able to
prevent its purpose or its action in any ignoble end, nor divert its efforts
from the one grand end now proposed; the cultivation of the lovely virtue of
temperance . . . WD
1860
03 01 TEMPERANCE LECTURES
Dr. Charles Jewett of Boston, an
eloquent and accomplished lecturer on temperance, will probably visit this city
next week and deliver a series of addresses on his favorite theme. He discusses the chemistry and physiology of
nutrition and applies the principles involved to alcoholic drinks and the
deleterious and fatal effects of their constant use on the human system. No greater blessing could be conferred on
mankind than the banishment of spirituous liquors. Anything that will awaken men to a
consciousness of the inevitable and unavoidable results of indulging an
appetite for the slow but deadly poisons that are daily dealt under the names
of brandy, gin, rum and whiskey will accomplish a good work and may do much
towards inducing the adoption of a general resolution to let the destroying
compounds alone. As Dr. Jewett’s series
of lectures will be free, interesting and highly instructive, we hope he will
have thronged audiences to listen to what he has to say. WD
06 28 TEMPERANCE
MOVEMENT
We
understand a temperance organization has recently been formed in this city,
under the very appropriate name of The Dashaways, headed
by Gen. James Potter, as President, Mr. Myron W. Reed, Secretary. The first regular meeting of this club took
place on Saturday evening last, at the School Room of Mr. Harger,
and appointed a committee to draw up a constitution and by-laws and transacted
other business tending to make it a permanent institution; after which the club
listened to a short address from the talented temperance lecturer, S. M.
Hewlett, Esq., who we are glad to learn, has been engaged by the Dashaways to give a public lecture at Cole’s Hall on Monday
evening next, on which occasion, no doubt, the citizens of Watertown will
eagerly embrace the opportunity of listening to this eloquent champion of the
temperance cause, who has won such golden laurels wherever he has lectured.
Admission ten cents to pay expense. WD
07 05 DASHAWAYS—Mr. S. M. Hewlett’s address before the Dashaways last Monday evening was able and interesting. He presented an old theme in a new and attractive light, and from beginning to end, held the attention of the large and intelligent audience which assembled to listen to his first effort in this city. Hon. L. A. Cole presided with his usual dignity and urbanity. Everything was admirable—the speaking, the music, the lightning that blazed along the clouds, and all went home gratified and pleased. The probability is that the young and vigorous order of the Dashaways will make tangle-foot whiskey, aloes and strychnine—the latter should be reserved for vagrant dogs—in less demand as a drink hereabouts. May the vile stuff and its kindred poisons be speedily dashed from all lips . . . On motion that there be an amendment to the pledge so that it may read, “To abstain from drinking any kind of intoxicating liquors, wines, ale, beer and cider.” After some discussion it was finally passed. WD
07 19 THE
DASHAWAYS—This association, although yet in its infancy, has been
instrumental in accomplishing much good in our community. Its numbers have increased from week to week,
until at the last regular meeting the number enrolled was fifty-three. The association was first organized under the
name of the Anti-Tanglefoot Society, under the management of our esteemed citizen,
General James Potter, Jr., to whose efforts, together with the cooperation of
his friends, we are now indebted for this useful and efficient temperance
organization.
In the
early stage of its operation, it was deemed expedient not to include among the
discarded drinks the comparatively harmless beverage of Lager Beer; but after
battling successfully with the more villainous fluids, like Alexander the
Great, this army sighed for more enemies to conquer, so by a vote of a majority
of its members, they pitched into Lager Beer, Esq., and turned the hitherto
respectable gentleman out of the society, and to keep him away changed the name
of the institution to the Dashaways, leaving Lager
Beer—a former member of good standing—without the pass-word.
Aside
from the main object of the organization, by way of variety and interest, a
literary department has been added, which consists of a short essay, to be
delivered by some member at every meeting—essayist to be appointed by the
President; subject of the essay optional with the writer. Last Saturday the audience was entertained
with an address from Myron W. Reed, Esq., subject, “Tanglefoot-whiskey and its
accessories.” The President appointed as
essayist for the next meeting, Ashley Harger, Esq.,
who will discourse upon the beauties of grog
generally. They public is invited to
attend. WD
08 02 Personal—The inimitable temperance
lecturer, Professor S. M. Hewlett, is now addressing the people of Michigan, on
his favorite, subject. We learn he is
greeted by overflowing houses wherever he lecturers. He is on his way to Canada, where he intends
to spend a short season previous to his departure for England. Mr. Hewlett's peculiar gift as a lecturer,
together with his inexhaustible fund of humorous anecdote, is particularly
adapted to draw together large and popular audiences, who listen with rapture
to his eloquent appeals in behalf of the poor deluded inebriate, and urgent
solicitation to the youth never to apply hot and rebellious liquor to their
blood, and woo the means of weakness and debility. May success ever follow in his
footsteps. WD
08 02 Mr.
P. SINCLAIR - The Great Scotch Temperance Lecturer
We are
informed that Mr. P. Sinclair of Scotland, the celebrated advocate of
Temperance and friend of Sabbath Schools, is expected to lecture in this city
on Tuesday and Wednesday, 7th and 8th of August. He will address the Sabbath Schools of this
city in the afternoon of each day, and the public in the evening. The first day the lectures will be free. On the last day he will exhibit his
temperance panorama and there will be an admission fee of 25 cents. Children 10 cents. The public are invited to attend. WD
08 02 THE DASHAWAYS
This
active and efficient organization held their regular meeting on Saturday
evening last, and listened to an address from Mr. R. L. Reed, at the close of
which, by a unanimous vote of the audience, a Committee was appointed by the
President to solicit Mr. Reed's consent to offer his essay to the Watertown Democrat for publication. In
compliance with this request, we place this appropriate and well written
production before our readers in another column. The association will have the pleasure of
listening to an address from C. B. Skinner, Esq., on Saturday evening next. No doubt he will be greeted by a large audience. WD
08 09 C. B. Skinner, Esq., will deliver an
address before the Dashaways
on Saturday evening next to which the public generally are invited to
attend. This society is still increasing
in strength and popularity. Mr.
Sinclair’s visit is well calculated to given an additional impetus to the
temperance movement. Let the ball
roll. WD
09 21 The children turned out in great numbers
last Monday for the formation of a “Band of Hope,” which was organized by J. W.
Vail, agent of the American Temperance
Union. One hundred and twenty names
were enrolled, which we think a good beginning.
Persons
are received from the age of 6 to 18 years, and adults are invited to become
Honorary Members, and each will receive an appropriate card. The members pledge themselves to abstain from
intoxicating liquors as a beverage, tobacco, and profanity.
The next
meeting will be held at 4 o’clock p.m. on Monday next, at the Methodist Church,
at which we hope the number will be doubled and a large accession of honorary
members admitted. Let parents encourage
their children by their presence and cooperation. WD
1865
07 06 MISS SUSANNAH EVENS: A lay
sermon to the children
Last Sabbath afternoon, at the Methodist
church, Miss Savannah Evans, the youthful apostle
of Temperance, made a very instructive and really eloquent address to the
teachers and children of several Sunday Schools in this city. The house was filled to overflowing and all
listened to the gifted speaker with the greatest attention and pleasure.
For one so young, Miss Evans possesses
remarkable talents as a popular orator, which have evidently been carefully
cultivated and developed. Impelled to
this public effort by a deep and profound sense of duty, she speaks with a
sincerity and feeling which plainly indicate that the interest she awakens and
the power she exercises over her hearers come from the heart. Her enunciation is clear and distinct, her
language ready and flowing, her illustrations appropriate and well chosen, her
voice full and musical, and her manner calm and earnest.
Indeed few of her years or sex have ever
surpassed her in the charms and attractions of a graceful and impressive
expression of the thoughts and sentiments she wishes to urge and fix on the
mind. In the bright bloom of life, how
much of their future usefulness, welfare and happiness depend on a purpose
early formed and resolutely carried out, never to use intoxicating drinks as a
beverage or encourage the habit in others.
And surely such a noble cause – so grand in its aim and so beneficent in
its end – could hardly have a more zealous disciple or fairer pleader. She seems to stand before her audience as the
youthful impersonation of goodness and benevolence – another Florence
Nightingale, trying to arrest and lessen the swelling tide of woe, misery and
sorrow which infects and poisons not only the contagious atmosphere of
hospitals, but spreads its withering blight and desolation over whole communities
and nations . . .
As the tickets of admission will be sold
it is only right to state that the proceeds will be presented to the Sunday
School of the Welsh Methodist church of this city, with the design of making
additions to its library. WD
07 27 MISS SUSANNAH EVENS:
Temperance Apostle
It will be noted that Miss Susannah
Evens has accepted an invitation to deliver another lecture in this city and named
August the 1st as the day when she can fulfill the appointment. We trust it is not necessary to say a word to
secure her an overflowing audience.
Those who admire genius and eloquence will gladly take this opportunity
to listen to the most youthful and gifted speaker now before the public – one
who is earnestly devoting her time and energies to the promotion of so noble a
reform as ever appealed to the sympathies of a whole people. Let us give the young and fervid Temperance
Apostle such a reception as will show our appreciation of her rare
accomplishments and benevolent labors . . .
WD
1874
04 16 NEW AND VIGOROUS TEMPERANCE REFORM
During the past two weeks, a large number of ladies in this city have been actively and
earnestly engaged in organizing a new and vigorous temperance reform. They belong to all denominations and intend
to act with zeal and harmony for the accomplishment of their ends. We understand their efforts are not to take
the form of what is known in some states as the "crusade," the
success of which elsewhere had not been such as to encourage it adoption here,
but these ladies will direct their labors and influence towards securing the strict
enforcement of the laws now on the statute book, regulating the traffic and
sale of intoxicating drinks, and to induce as many as possible who are in the
habit of using such beverages, to entirely refrain from the dangerous if not
fatal practice. These are methods of
proceeding wholly free from any objectionable features, and at the same time
promise the most beneficial and permanently useful results. That the laws should be enforced is a plain
proposition, and it is the sworn duty of every officer to see that they are
rigidly executed. No one can complain if
individuals are persuaded to break away from expensive and perilous indulgences, and abandon a custom the inevitable tendency of
which is to involve all its victims in ruin as deplorable as it is hopeless. WD
1910c CARRIE NATION
Carry Amelia
Moore Nation, Carrie Nation, as she came to be known, cut an imposing
figure. Wielding a hatchet, she was
downright frightful. In 1900, the target of Nation's wrath was alcoholic drink.
Nation, who described herself as "a bulldog running along at the feet of
Jesus, barking at what he doesn't like . . .
1915
06 10 PROMINENT DRY SPEAKER COMING
A rally of anti-liquor people will be
held in the English M. E. church on Thursday June 10th at 8 p. m. to be
addressed by Hon. William A. Brubaker, of Chicago, who is now touring Wisconsin
under the auspices of the Prohibition State Committee. Mr. Brubaker has a national reputation as an
orator and debater. He is the man who
took the “wind out of Windle”, the famous liquor champion, in a hot debate at
pulpit and press. No one should miss
hearing this able champion of the “dry cause'’.
The evening lecture is illustrated by the latest and strongest
stereopticon pictures obtainable, concluding with fifty thrilling war
scenes. The meetings will be free. All are cordially invited to attend. WG
History of Watertown, Wisconsin