lalifomia Amculturis 



£Lmiy 



Emm^wm e^ooic joi-on^ra^^ jkx*. 



Vol. 7— No. 4. } 



SAN JOSE, CAL., APRIL, 1876. 



( SuBscniPTioN Fbjce, $1.50 a Tear. 

 X Siiigle Copies, 15 Cents. 



GENTEEL INTEMPERANCE. 



A TALE OF OUR OWN TIMES- 



BY NELL VAN. 



iAMlIA," said Gertrude Deau to 

 one of our staunch prohibition- 

 ist mothers, "can you imagine 

 any evil that can consistently be 

 ' called genteel?" 

 'Weil, my dear, that depends upon 

 circumstances," said the lad}% with a 

 puzzled look; "for instance, one might 

 speak of a genteel dram shop with a de- 

 gree of correctness to distinguish it from 

 a low den where liquor is dealt out. Now 

 a dram shop is in itself an unmitigated 

 evil in any community — a plague-spot to 

 contaminate the morals and pollute the 

 very atmosphere to all within breathing 

 distance. But, child, what prompted 

 such an odd question? Of what were 

 you thinking to suggest it?" 



Gertrude frankly explained to her 

 mother that, the afternoon previous, she 

 and Fanny K. had sat next to a ministe- 

 rial-looking gentleman, in a street car, 

 who was conversing with a fine, benevo- 

 lent-looking lady. "They sj^oke earn- 

 estly, mamma," said she, "and so loud 

 that we became unintentional listeners 

 and deeply interested in a remarkable 

 story related by the lady. I can never 

 forget the sorrowful expression of the 

 old gentleman's face as he said, with a 

 sigh, ' Alas! madam, it is but another 

 example of genteel intemperance. We 

 have plenty of such on every side, and it 

 is the more lamentable beause of our in- 

 ability to prevent it.' He continued: 

 'the habitual drunkard can be dealt with 

 by law, but this fashion of fostering 

 dnmkenness in the family circle, by of- 

 fering hospitality with the wine cup, 

 feeding invaUds upon strengthening bit- 

 ters and tonics, and drinking hot whisky 

 punch to induce sleep, are all demoral- 

 izing in the extreme.' And, mamma, 

 you should have seen the expression 

 upon his countenance as he spoke — his 

 hoary locks moving in the breeze and 

 his eyes brightening with enthusiasm. I 

 scarce ever saw a finer face, and both 

 Fanny and I felt sorry to see them stop 

 the car and go out, for we had been so 

 much interested in them both." 



It was now Mrs. Dean's turn to speak, 

 and glad was she to remind her usually 

 giddy daughter of the terrible evil which 

 fashion had placed at our very doors to 

 combat. 



"On every side, my dear," said she, 

 "we find men and women, and children 

 even, either battling with or yielding to 

 temptation in the wine-cup. Frequently 

 the taste for liquor is inherited, and more 

 frequently fostered by the habit of ignor- 

 ant and unprincipled nurses feeding 

 young babes either soothing syrup or 

 gin-sling to keep them quiet. Upon the 

 young women of to-day, my dear, rests 

 a great responsibility — that of using 

 your influence towards crushing out this 

 hydra-headed monster. If more of our 

 young girls were as firm in their convic- 

 tions of right as my school-mate and 

 friend. Amy Stanhope, much good might 

 be accomplished. You've heard me 



speak of Amy, my dear. She passed 

 through town a few j'ears ago, with her 

 husband, on their waj' to Japan, where 

 he has been to establish a Christian 

 mission. She was a girl of unusual 

 power. Her youth had been spent wnere 

 she had become familiar with the devas- 

 tating results of intemperate habits, and 

 upon every occasion she would read a 

 lecture to the young men who hovered 

 about her because of their fondness for 

 wine. Young Oscar lletcalf was one of 

 her chief admirers. He was the only son 

 of a wealthy merchant who had spared 

 no pains to give him a fine college educa- 

 tion. At that time Oscar was a splendid- 

 looking youth, generous to a fault, and 

 the admiration of all the young women 

 of the village when he spent his vaca- 

 tions at home, where he formed the ac- 

 quaintance of Amy, who was spending a 

 few weeks with his sisters. Like all the 

 young men of the time, he had formed 

 the very respectable habit of wine-drink- 

 ing, and more than once had he remarked 

 the sad expression and quivering lip of 

 Amy while listening to his recitals of the 

 lively times he and his college chums en- 

 joyed together at the festive board. Oc- 

 casionall}' a gentle remonstrance would 

 fall from her lips, and she would tell him 

 how disgusting the habits of smoking 

 and drinking were to any right-minded 

 young lady, that she pitied the one who 

 became his wife, if he did not mend his 

 ways, to all of which he replied in an 

 off-hand way; but the truth of her argu- 

 ments would rankle in his heart and de- 

 stroy, for the time, his peace of mind, 

 for he was madly in love with Amy, and 

 desired to please her that he might win 

 her for his own. 



" In those days I was more thought- 

 less than she, and cared less for the fu- 

 ture than for the glorious present. How 

 well I remember taunting Amy with the 

 remark that she would lose her lover 

 with her reproachful talk, and that it 

 was well enough for old folks and spin- 

 sters to preach temperance, but to one of 

 her j'outh and good looks, she should take 

 the world as she found it, for young 

 folks would be young folks, and wine- 

 drinking and smoking was a fashion 

 among men which it was simply impos- 

 sible to disturb. Such talk aroused Amy 

 to use her influence upon me, and many 

 interesting conversations we held to- 

 gether upon the subject, till I grew to 

 love the girl for her strong principles 

 and desire to influence all within her 

 reach to do right, because it was right, 

 regardless of fashion or custom. 



"She afterwards made me a long visit, 

 and I became conscious of the fact that 

 she really loved the wild, harem-skarem 

 Oscar, and desired above everything to 

 save him from the ruin which seemed in- 

 evitable. She had won his affection and 

 esteem and hoped to be able to shield 

 him from the enemy. 



"One evening we all stood on the 

 moon-lit porch, where climbing vines 

 filled the air with perfume. Her brother 

 and mine, young Oscar, Amy and I had 

 been talking over a grand party which 

 we had all attended. Amy, as usual, 

 deprecating the habit of the young men's 

 frequent visits to tlie wine room, and. 



stamping her foot to give emphasis to 

 her words, she said, decisively, 'I'll 

 never marry a man who cannot find suf- 

 ficient enjoyment in the society of his 

 friends and the dance, without seeking 

 outside stimulants.' 



" Tut, tut, little one,' said her brother, 

 laughing; ' I dare say Oscar here will 

 take wine at parties all the days of his 

 life, notwithstanding his partiality for 

 you — which he does not try to deny — and 

 you never would try to coerce so clever a 

 fellow as he is now, when he paj's yon 

 the highest compliment a young man 

 can pay a lady. Don't be too severe 

 upon us young fellows with your strict 

 ideas of propriety which belong to a past 

 generation.' " 



"And wh.it did she say to that, mam- 

 ma?" said Gertrude, with animation. 



"Well," continued Mrs. Dean, "she 

 turned upon him, with her large, brown 

 eyes full of earnestness, and drawing 

 herself up with indignation, she said, 

 impressively, "George, I know a young 

 lady — who shall be nameless, for she is 

 very dear to yoiir heart — who, to en- 

 hance the beauty of her complexion, is 

 slowly poisoning herself with arsenic! 

 She has not acquired the habit thought- 

 lessly for social indulgence, but to grat- 

 ify a desire for the admiration of the 

 world and the envy of a few of her own 

 sex. Would .vou, in your sound senses, 

 lead that young woman to the altar to 

 become your wife, even though you loved 

 each otner to distraction, without at- 

 tempting to awaken her to a sense of her 

 danger and urging her to denounce the 

 habit? Now, this wine-drinking, being 

 a social habit, is much more disastrous 

 in its results; for it does not necessarily 

 kill its victim, but leads on to ruin no 

 end to the number of participants. 

 Henceforth, George, go your way, and 

 let me go mine. Marry your transparent 

 faced beauty and have her to bury; but 

 I'll live the life of a spinster and depre- 

 cate the small vices of men to my dying 

 day before I'll succumb and entail upon 

 future generations a disgraceful inherit- 

 ance.' 



"Not a word was spoken in reply,and, 

 Gertrude, those words sank deeply into 

 the hearts of more than one of her hear- 

 ers, as I afterwards learned." 



".\nddid she marry Oscar, mamma?" 



"No, child. He sat moody and un- 

 easy the whole evening after we went 

 in-doors, and before leaving had a long 

 conversation with Amy, which made 

 him renounce forever all claim to her 

 hand. 



" He found he must choose between 

 the life he then led and a future with a 

 new state of things. She year of trial 

 she demanded before a final answer 

 could be given was more than his weak 

 nature could stand. They met for a 

 time only as friends, and then as Amy 

 was lost to him forever, he became reck- 

 less, and died as he had lived, a victim 

 to what might be called "genteel intem- 

 perance." His passion for the cup was 

 already stronger than his love for this 

 pure girl. She had a lucky escape from 

 a fate worse than any that can befall a 

 noble wom.an — a sensual, selfish, drunk- 

 en husband. 



POOL-SELLERS AND AGRICUL- 

 TURAL FAIRS. 



Our Legislators will do one good work 

 if they succeed in classing pool-selling as 

 gambling, and subject it to the 

 severest penalty of the law. We have 

 had enough of it, and sufilcient of its 

 evil effects. Pool-selling is gambling — 

 and pool-sellers are no better than any 

 other class of gamblers. It is the most 

 dangerous of all gamWing; the most de- 

 moralizing, exciting, enticing, and there- 

 fore the most dangerous to the morals of 

 a community. If pool-sellers are allowed 

 to ply their avocations, why not license, 

 or remove restraint from all other species 

 of gambling? The power of pool-selling 

 is felt all over the State, and wherever it 

 is allowed. There are rings of pool- 

 sellers who control State and county ag- 

 ricultural societies. They do not foster 

 agriculture, or in the least benefit it; but 

 agriculture is made to serve pool-selling, 

 and whatever industrial interests arc 

 drawn together at fairs arc controlled by ' 

 the pool-sellers — are a sort of breast- 

 work and shield behind which they are 

 sheltered. As a general thing, the pres- 

 idents and directors of State and county 

 agricultural societies are elected by the 

 pool-sellers. Whom they oppose cannot 

 be elected. The pool-sellers make up 

 the boards, the speed progiammes, the 

 pool privileges. They match the horses 

 so as to produce the largest sales of 

 pools. They influence the boards to 

 give twice as much for horse-racing as 

 for all other exhibits. Pool-selling is 

 chargeable with all the disgraceful con- 

 duct of drivers. They so manipulate the 

 races as to rob the dupes who buy their 

 pools and bet at races. They monopo- 

 lize half the day at fairs, to the exclusion 

 of all honest interests. We say, as we 

 have heard dozens of honest farmers say, 

 if all this horse-race gambling is to be 

 forced upon us, and we cannot rid our- 

 selves of it, let the fairs go down — the 

 sooner the better. The public demand 

 that pool-selling shall not be allowed at 

 our State and county fairs. Pool-sellers 

 have had control of fairs long enough. 

 In place of our fairs fostering gambling, 

 drunkenness, reckless profanity, extrav- 

 agance and immorality, it is time that 

 they be devoted to advancing material 

 interests of honest producers, and foster- 

 ing the virtues of our wives, sons and 

 daughters. 



Since 1854, the State has given the 

 State Agricultural Society §118,000, and 

 it has so managed, with all its vast pat- 

 ronage, as to be now some $16,000 in 

 debt. The State Society is now praying 

 to the Legislature for relief. Within the 

 past three years the State board has given 

 the horse, in piirses and premiums. 

 S52,59'2. For entrance to these purses 

 they have, for the same, $21,0'71. 

 Amount of all premiums paid for other 

 purposes during the years 1873 and 1874 

 (excepting medals and diplomas), cn!y 

 S12,.530. These figures, compiled from 

 the transactions of the State Agricultural 

 Society, will tend to show what interest 

 is festered by "State aid." 



The pool-sellers take a percentage of 



