256 AMERICAN GRAPE GROWING 



Wine has become so cheap in California that any fam- 

 ily may, by purchasing in five-gallon kegs, have good, 

 sound, light wine at a cost of twenty-five cents per gal- 

 lon, delivered at their door. This is cheaper than tea 

 or coffee, and should be kept in every house as a daily 

 table beverage with the meals, for lemonades, etc. It 

 would be much better for the community if it were thus 

 made a part of the household supplies, to be drunk only 

 at home, instead of leaving it to be had only in the 

 drinking saloons, where it costs five to ten cents a glass, 

 and where the abominable practice of "treating" pre- 

 vails. As to this so-called custom of "treating," I hold 

 it responsible for more drunkenness, broken constitu- 

 tions and moral ruin than any other cause, especially 

 among young men. A party of them will go to a saloon, 

 where one of them invites the others to "take a drink." 

 They do so, and then another one of them feels under a 

 sort of moral obligation to return the compliment. 

 Thus it goes around until everyone has, in turn, " stood 

 treat," and spent his money to be even with the others, 

 and the liquor enters their heads. They call this "hav- 

 ing a good time," which it may be for the bartender but 

 not for them. It means heavy heads and empty pockets 

 if kept up, and ruins many a promising young man. 

 How much better would it be if each took his glass of 

 light wine at home, with his food, at one-tenth the 

 price. I have labored in the cause of true temperance 

 (as I understand it) all my life, and my dearest wish has 

 been to see this nation the freest and happiest on earth, 

 which it can never be until it is one of the most temper- 

 ate. I firmly believe that the general use of light wines 

 would be one of the chief agents in bringing this about. 

 I may not live to see it, but after the experience of a 

 lifetime I have no reason to retract a word that I have 

 ever written or spoken in the cause of true temperance. 



