But still they keep praying for those who had agreed not to sell or

drink intoxicating liquors. They were often remembered in prayer by

name, that God would keep them faithful to their pledges.

One day when the workers were gathered in a place which seemed strange

and unfamiliar, one of our number spoke In these words: “Ever since I

engaged in this work I have seemed to see before me my Saviour hanging

on the cross. I see Him with His bowed head, suffering, dying for me,

and I want you all, with me, to think of this when our work seems heavy

to us, and the way grows weary. He has done so much for us, let us do

somewhat for Him.” After that sweet appeal their hearts burned within

them, and did they not draw nearer to the dear cross? At other times,

when the flesh was weary, and faith drooped, how a few words from the

Bible would cheer them! “I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, from

whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, who made heaven

and earth. The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in,

from this time forth even forever more.”

Time would fail to recall the many incidents and memories connected

with this work. We have been more than repaid for all our weariness and

anxiety, by our sweet Christian communion with each other, and with

Jesus, and by seeing this cause, which is of the Lord, prospering, and

we pray that he will still carry it on to a sure completion.

Laura Ballard adds the following:

The Crusade work in our town was characterized by great earnestness and

spirituality; and those of us who were engaged in it will never cease

to thank the Lord for the part we were permitted to take in it. The sin

of intemperance is very far from being done away with in our town; but

when some sneeringly tell us, “the woman’s work did no good, things are

worse than before,” we can only say, we don’t understand just how, and

why it is; but we _know_ that, that work was of the Lord, and we were

called to it, and the Lord never makes mistakes.

A temperance prayer-meeting has been kept up ever since that time, and

is now well attended. We meet during the warm weather at eight A. M.,

on Friday morning. It is cheering to see twelve or fourteen mothers

and housekeepers lay aside their morning work for an hour of earnest

pleading with the Lord for a blessing on those who never pray for

themselves.

COLUMBUS, OHIO.

The gospel wave of temperance had cleared many of the villages of Ohio

of rum, before the larger towns engaged in the movement. The work in

the cities was undertaken with many misgivings. The saloons were so

numerous, and the foreign population so large, and because of appetite,

or interest so identified with the liquor business, that many worthy

Christian people advised against saloon visitation. A mob and bloodshed

might be the result.

But in Columbus, Ohio, the women met daily to counsel with each other,

and to pray. And on the 3d of March, while at prayer, in the First

Presbyterian Church, the baptism of the Holy Spirit came down upon

them, and fifty women, consecrated to God and His work, rose from their

knees and marched forth from the church to the saloons. Not, however,

till they set the great bell, hanging in the steeple, to ringing.

The tolling of the bell attracted the attention of the people, and the

news that the women had begun a Crusade against rum, spread like a

flash, and in a few moments vast crowds of people were following them.

After visiting the principal hotels and saloons, they returned to the

church, and a rousing prayer-meeting followed. Many who had not been

accustomed to hear the gospel, were there to listen to the songs and

prayers.

The next day the number of Crusaders had increased to three hundred,

and there was great enthusiasm among the better class of people. As

the women slowly filed out of the Presbyterian Church, many of the

church-bells were rung. Thousands of people lined the streets, and many

a “_God bless you_” followed them. But the German beer-dealers were

very angry, and were determined to break the matter up, or turn it to

ridicule, if possible.

One saloon-keeper had provided a brass band, and when the ladies

appeared before his saloon, the band struck up, “Shoo, fly, don’t

bother me,” and many of the drunken roughs joined, with inharmonious

voices. But the ladies, not the least disconcerted, sang one of their

sweet gospel songs; and many a tear was brushed away from manly

cheeks, as amid the jargon they lifted their gentle voices to God

in supplication for these wretched lost ones, who gloried in their

shame. The band, however, changed to “Home, sweet home,” and they were

followed by laughter and jeers, as they moved away.

The saloon-keepers rallied their forces. Their wretched victims,

crawled out of their dens, to join in the hooting and howling with

which they greeted the purest and best women of the city, and mock

prayer-meetings were held, after which beer was freely dispensed,

without pay. It was evident that Satan’s kingdom was stirred, and a

strong stand would be made against the Crusaders.

Passing through Columbus, about this time, I caught a little of the

spirit of the movement, and heard many interesting facts.

A Boston gentleman, who boarded the train at Columbus, but who looked

back wistfully as we moved out of the city, told me that he went there

prejudiced against the whole movement. He could not reconcile it with

his ideas of social propriety, or womanly delicacy. But curiosity led

him to their meetings, and he had followed them, day after day, through

the streets, till all his prejudices were gone. It had given him a new

view of Christianity, as an aggressive power against sin. He never

had been so impressed with gospel truth in all his life, as in these

meetings held in the streets and saloons. The solemnity of the judgment

day rested down upon the masses of the people: others acted as if

possessed with devils.

It was an awfully solemn sight, to see arrayed on the one side, the

best and truest Christian women of the city, with earnest, solemn faces

bending in prayer, and appealing in gentle, eloquent words to God, in

behalf of those who reviled them, and who were ruining their homes and

their city; while, on the other side, men of avarice leered at them

from behind their counters, and the bleared and bloated victims of

rum, with the leprosy of sin written all over their faces, mocked at

the truths which alone could save them from a drunkard’s grave and a

drunkard’s hell.

“With all my prejudices against women speaking and praying,” said he,

“it didn’t take me long to determine which side I would take. I have

stayed a week here, since getting through with business, to enjoy the

Crusade, and marvel at the wonderful works of God. _Thank God for the

Crusade!_” he added, reverently.

A German, who had listened with unconcealed interest, now broke in upon

the conversation.

“You b’lieves in dem Crusaders? I dinks dem vimins has besser be at

home mit der chil’ren. I has von goot frien’ in Columbus, and dese

vimins spile hees pisness entirely already. Mine frien’ is von nice

man, has much riches already, and von fine house and carriage, and

everyding so nice. But dese vimins come so much singin’ and brayin’,

and so much foolishness, that he loses much money already, and dey most

set him crazy mit der brayin’.”

“What business is your friend in?” I inquired.

“He keeps von nice lager peer saloon.”

“How is it that he loses money? The women don’t take it.”

“He give away so much peer already to get the peoples to come dere and

drink, so that the vimins will be ’fraid, and go way purty soon.”

“The women don’t want him to give away his beer.”

“Well, dey rob him; dey trive the people from der schop.”

“How many horses and drays were sold, and how many women and children

did he rob, that he might buy a carriage?”

He took the hint immediately, and spoke up with some spirit--

“Dat is dere pisness. He dakes gare of hees own wife and chil’ren.”

“And these women are taking care of their business and their families,

by breaking up his trade.”

“Dis is von strange countre--I never vonce see vimins do zat in

Schermany. Zis is no free countre any more. Good-day, madame, I goes

into de schmoking-car.”

It was very evident that the mass of ladies and gentlemen near us were

in sympathy with the Crusaders, from the undisguised pleasure they took

in the hasty withdrawal of the knight of the beer mug. I saw his face

no more.

On the 20th of March two or three hundred of the women of Columbus,

marched in a procession to the State Capitol, and held a meeting in the

rotunda.

The members of both houses left their seats, and stood reverently, with

uncovered heads, during this meeting. The women were preparing for a

struggle that they foresaw would come, and they went to their work

boldly. A bill was introduced in the legislature to protect the sale of

ale and beer.

The women met it with counter-petitions, and mass-meetings. Delegations

came from all the neighboring towns, and the capitol building

was crowded during every session with the friends and enemies of

temperance. It was a hand-to-hand fight with the rum power, and the

women gained the victory.

On the 18th of April they had the satisfaction, after the midnight

hour, of seeing the legislature adjourn without doing anything in the

interest of rum.

Columbus contains a large foreign element, and the work was, therefore,

the more difficult and dangerous: the men hooted, blasphemed, and even

spit upon the kneeling women. While the women were at prayer, before a

saloon, one day, a German shouldered a keg of beer, and marched through

the prayer-circle, and the men and boys set up an unearthly shouting

and screaming. But good results followed: several saloons closed out

business, and liquors of all kinds were banished from the Union Depot;

many men reformed, and many citizens signed the pledge, among them

James G. Bull, mayor of the city. At a State dinner, soon after, where

every luxury was provided, wine was banished; such was the advance made

in public sentiment. A State dinner without wine would not have been

thought possible before the Crusade. And so the women work on, looking

for the time when complete victory shall crown their efforts.

VAN WERT, OHIO.

The work began about the 10th of March, 1874.

The following officers were chosen: President, Mother Webster;

Vice-Presidents, Mrs. Elcock, Mrs. Hines, Mrs. Kennedy, Mrs. Sevinford,

Mrs. Richey; Secretary, Mrs. M. J. McFadden; Executive Committee, Mrs.

M. M. Minger, Mrs. M. Harnly.

The Spirit of the Lord seemed to move upon the hearts of the women. A

meeting was called to be held at the M. E. Church. I doubt whether any

one had any definite plan in view.

Mrs. Dr. Hines (one of the faithful workers), in relating her

experience of those days, says: “I heard of the meeting, felt quite

undecided about going; but I felt a restlessness, and could not

be satisfied to stay at home. I took my seat in the back part of

the church, thinking I would not say a word. Very soon some one

called out, ‘There is Mrs. Hines: let us hear what she thinks of

this movement;’ and then, without a moment’s hesitation, I said, ‘I

thought the work would be a success, that God was about to answer the

prayers of those crushed women and children, who had felt the power

of the demon drink so long, through those that should have been their

protectors; and from that day to this the work of the Crusade has been

dear to my heart.’ Another says:

“As for myself, I remember well when I first heard the work talked off.

I thought if it ever came here, I would do all that I could, _quietly_,

so that it would not be noticed; but firmly determined in my own mind

that I never would go into a saloon to pray, nor go out upon the

streets, under any circumstances, or appear in public, but would be a

silent worker. But nothing could make me believe that the Crusade was

not the direct power of God upon the hearts of His children. The work

was inaugurated at that first meeting I spoke of, and almost before

I had time to think, I was addressing an audience of hundreds. God

gave me power, and for a year, with others, I went to different places

in the country helping to defeat _license_. Ohio gained this victory

through the Crusade.

“Although of a very delicate constitution, I, with my sisters, went

through mud and slush, standing or kneeling in the snow, going to

meetings night after night, visiting saloons in the daytime, and

through it all, and all the opposition, God preserved us by His mighty

power, and to His name be all the glory. After a while the number

thinned, until but the faithful few remained. Our prayer-meetings have

been kept up until the commencement of the reformed men’s movement this

spring.

“Our aged President, Mother Webster, was always a power in the Crusade,

faithful to the last.

“During the first week of the work in Van Wert, one saloon-keeper,

a German, who had always been accustomed to drink beer, refused the

ladies admittance, while his wife made sport, and laughed mockingly

at the ladies. But one morning, when the band stopped at his door,

he admitted them, and told the ladies he had sold his last drop.

Then there was such a joyful hand-shaking, and a prayer-meeting of

thanksgiving.

“Another German, who was poor and had a family of interesting children,

was very much opposed to the ladies’ visits. For some time they were

refused admittance, and prayers were offered in German and English.

About a week afterward, he disposed of his liquors, put out his white

flag, and started to meet the ladies, telling them he had sold his last

drop of liquor. It was a sacrifice, for he was dependent upon his daily

labor for the support of his family.” We are indebted to Mrs. M. Harnly

and Mrs. Elcock for the above facts.

The contest, with various successes, continued until the 6th of March,

when a decided victory was gained at the municipal election. The ladies

worked and prayed, and many of the temperance men were energetic and

persistent. The issue was squarely made, “whiskey or no whiskey.” The

temperance candidates won a decided victory. When the result of the

election became known, the bells rang out a joyous peal, and the new

mayor-elect, Mr. T. S. Gilliland, rolled out a barrel of apples that

were in his office as a temperance treat. A prohibitory ordinance was

passed, and the saloons were closed.

[Illustration: MRS. SARAH KNOWLES BOLTON,

First Assistant Corresponding Secretary Woman’s National Christian

Temperance Union.]

CINCINNATI, OHIO.

There was much prayerful interest in Cincinnati. Many of the best women

of the church, bending low at the dear Christ’s feet, were asking:

“What wilt thou have me to do?”

The difficulties in the way seemed more formidable for saloon work

there than at any point in the State, or perhaps in the country. But

these consecrated women were ready to follow the Master wherever He led.

Cincinnati was a great manufacturing centre. The annual trade in

spirituous and malt liquors amounted to over $33,000,000, and there was

immense capital invested in massive buildings and machinery.

One-third of the population of the city were Germans, accustomed to

beer-drinking, which tended to make the traffic respectable.

Any interference with the trade was regarded as an attack upon their

personal liberties. Many of them were ignorant bigots or infidels,

who were ready, on any pretext, to cry out against the Bible and

Puritanism, and many of them belonged to the criminal classes, as the

police records will show.

To meet this class in the saloons and beer-gardens, when the city

council was made up largely of men interested in the traffic, and the

mayor of the city was ready to do the bidding of the liquor oligarchy,

was a fearful risk. But Christ led the way and gave the courage.

The first saloon visited was a fashionable resort, called the “Custom

House,” next door to the Merchants’ Exchange. The house was well

patronized by first-class drinkers.

The time chosen was the lunch hour, when many of this class were

lingering over their cups.

The women, unheralded, were in the saloon before any of them had time

to escape. In a moment an immense crowd was surging about the door, and

escape was impossible. A prayer-meeting was held, which lasted about

half an hour.

The proprietor, affecting indifference, invited them to “come again,”

an invitation which they accepted; but when they visited that saloon

again it was like “a banquet hall deserted:” the merchants and

fashionable drinkers were careful not to be caught there again.

The trade began to be interfered with, which aroused bitter opposition,

and the saloons were closed against them.

The Esplanade, a large, paved square in the heart of the business part

of the city, and the market-places, became praying-stations, and many a

season of prayer was held on the curbstones opposite saloons.

A CRUSADE DOG

A lady in one of the bands had a large Newfoundland dog, that always

accompanied her.

He seemed to know their business. He would walk before them with

stately mien, till he came to a saloon, and then stop and turn around,

as much as to say: “Here is work for you.” He would walk back and forth

before the saloon while they sang; but as soon as they knelt to pray he

would go and set himself down on his haunches beside the woman who lead

in prayer, no matter if she were a stranger, and reverently maintain

his position till the prayer was ended. Then he would start briskly off

to look for another saloon.

It is said that he showed a decided preference for only _one_ prayer at

each saloon. Perhaps he knew that there were nearly three thousand in

that great city, and feared that they would not make the rounds, unless

he hurried them.

A German saloon-keeper tried to set his dog on one of the bands, (not

this one,) but the poor brute had more sense, and politeness, and

humanity, than his master, and wouldn’t even bark, but hung his head in

shame.

One day the crowd about the Esplanade was very large and threatening.

Every foot of space was occupied, and all the streets approaching it

were filled. But the ladies had advertised a meeting there, and they

went forth, in the name of Christ, to face the howling mob.

They marched right on, two and two, as though no crowd menaced

them. Many temperance men, and order-loving citizens, were there

mingling with the crowd, determined to prevent, if possible, a riot.

Mrs. Leavitt led the band. The crowd parted as they approached. A

scissors-grinder had been hired by the rum party, for twenty-five

dollars, to push his cart through the crowd, ringing his bells. He

undertook the job, but his cart was broken into a thousand pieces,

and he was arrested and marched off to jail, and subsequently fined

fifty dollars. So his enterprise did not pay. Mrs. Leavitt gave the

following graphic account of the beginning of the _Crusade_, at one of

the mass-meetings held in connection with the annual meeting of the

National Union at Newark, which was reported by Miss M. E. Winslow for

_The Morning_, from which we copy:

“People at the East have little idea of what the Crusade really was.

One of our local papers described its opening in these terms: ‘Hell

on earth! The devil woke up! The women on their knees!’ I always knew

that liquor was an awful thing, but I felt no responsibility about it,

and when I first heard of the Crusading in Hillsboro’ and Washington

Court-House, I felt in my heart, though I did not say so, that it

was a prostitution of prayer. But there came to _that city of 3,000

saloons_, (open twenty-four hours of every day, and seven days of every

week, with an average of 15,000 men pouring out death by the glass all

the time,) a call for the women to meet and consider the subject in a

certain church. I went to my room and asked the Lord what I should do.

It was a short prayer, for in ten minutes I was at the corner with my

hat on, on my way.

“The church was fuller than I had ever known it, women, old and young,

rich and poor, praying and sobbing; and such prayers I had never heard.

In an hour or two about eighty of us started--I hardly know how we did

it--for one of the most fashionable saloons. The wealth represented

by those eighty women being over $3,000,000. We walked two by two;

some men blessed us as we passed, and some cursed. We went into the

‘sample-room,’ and asked permission for a moment of prayer, which was

granted. You can imagine the praying we did, as we agonized that Jesus

Christ would come and convert that rum-seller. Eight thousand people

had gathered outside in a few moments. I had never opened my mouth to

pray in public before, but God opened it now. We were there thirty or

forty minutes, and then went out, where men pointed a finger of scorn

at us, and every one thought we would be crushed. But we never felt

so near heaven as we did then. We walked homeward, singing, ‘There is

a Fountain filled with blood.’ Every day after that we met at nine

o’clock, and went out in bands every hour, visiting different saloons,

hundreds following us.

“One day I led a band of eighty, or a hundred to the Esplanade. The

authorities had said this must be put down, and the mayor had privately

given orders to the police to ‘be scarce where the women were.’ We did

not know that; and after visiting fourteen saloons, we marched towards

the Esplanade, where we found a dense mass of several thousand men

awaiting us. I heard a man say, ‘JACK, A WOMAN’S FOOT SHAN’T TOUCH

THE ESPLANADE TO-DAY!’ And I said, ‘Lord, give us the Esplanade.’ One

great brutal-looking fellow stood in my way, debauched and degraded,

yet with a look which told there was a heart somewhere. I took it for

granted this was Jack. Bless God for woman’s intuition. I walked right

up to him and said, ‘Jack!’ He started as if he wondered how I knew his

name. ‘Jack, we are a band of broken-hearted mothers and wives, weeping

and praying because you are all going to hell as fast as you can go. We

want to pray here, right by this fountain, and I want you to make way

for us and keep the men still till we get through our service.’

“First he looked like thunder; then he looked foolish; then I smiled

sweetly at him (always smile at a man if you want him to do what he

don’t want to), and he said, with a fearful oath, ‘I’ll do it. Make

way for the Crusaders!’ and as he forced his great, brawny shoulders

through the crowd, many voices shouted,

‘GOD BLESS THE CRUSADERS!’

I never asked the Lord for a policeman again. I’d rather have

Jack. At last we stood close to that central fountain, which is the

glory of Cincinnati, and sang, ‘JESUS the water of life will give,’ and

I think there must have been joy among the angels of God at the chorus

that rung through the square. Then we sang ‘Rock of Ages,’ and then I

talked to the crowd. I forgot all about the liquor-saloons, and thought

only of Jesus Christ upon the cross, I then called upon all who wanted

to be saved and have us pray for them to kneel down, and 2,000 men,

mostly reeking with the fumes of rum and tobacco, knelt there on the

pavement seeking Christ, with tears and sobs.

“The next day our church was so full that we were obliged to have some

place to hold an overflow meeting, and we telegraphed to Rev. Mr.

Beecher (nephew of Henry Ward Beecher), that we must have his church

in ten minutes. ‘Ten minutes, do you say? You shall have it in five,’

was the answer, and in ten minutes it was packed to overflowing; and

afterward we held two daily meetings.”

One of the regular meeting-places of the praying bands of Cincinnati

was a large, open market-house. Thousands gathered there daily. The

place and all the avenues leading to it were usually well filled. But

one day, as the band of women approached, they found an unusually vile

and belligerent crowd. Butchers fresh from their stalls, with their

sleeves rolled up, and their bloody aprons on, and their butcher knives

in their hands; villanous-looking men with ugly pistols protruding from

their pockets; and women debased by strong drink, uttering curses, were

all huddled together, while just across the street a cannon had been

placed so as to sweep the market-house if fired.

Altogether, the circumstances were anything but encouraging. But the

women marched right on to their usual meeting-place in the centre of

the open space and began to sing:

“There is a fountain filled with blood,

Drawn from Immanuel’s veins,

And sinners plunged beneath that flood

Lose all their guilty stains.”

The crowd was somewhat hushed into respectful silence by the singing.

Mrs. Leavitt, who led the band that day, made the opening prayer. As

they knelt on the paving stones she found herself facing the cannon,

with a possibility of its being fired.

The crowd, that seemed to expect such an event, surged to either side

so as to be well out of the way. But her consecration to God covered

all that, and she remembers saying to herself: “If God wants to take

me, as He did Elijah, to heaven in a chariot of fire, I would just

as soon go that way as any other.” And she thought no more about the

cannon or the vile men with knives and pistols, but prayed straight

up to God for the perishing multitudes about her. And there came down

upon the people such mighty awakening power, that the most desperate

and unbelieving bowed their heads, and tears streamed down many a

sin-scarred face.

And when the meeting was over, and they invited the people to come

with them to the house of God, many followed them to the church, and

hundreds remained to pray.

The placing of the cannon was a trick to frighten the women, but it did

not succeed; and as they took no notice of it, the experiment was never

repeated. The falling off in the liquor traffic in Cincinnati was very

great; the trade in the leading houses in that business losing tens of

thousands of dollars.

During the first six months of the Crusade, in the United States

Revenue District in which Cincinnati is situated, the falling off In

the revenue on liquor alone was about $3,000,000. And such was the

interest, that one day the Merchants’ Exchange suspended, at least for

a time, their business, to follow a few women who modestly and quietly

sang and prayed on the Esplanade, or before the large saloons near by.

At first, the manufacturers and dealers laughed at the attempt of the

women to call public attention to the traffic. But when they saw that

this was effectually done, and that they were losing by thousands, they

were wild with rage.

I overheard a conversation between two Cincinnati liquor-dealers at the

time.

They were seated just behind me in a railroad car, so I could but

choose to hear; and the curses they heaped upon Christian women were

loud and deep; almost every word was emphasized with an oath.

“We must do something to stop this horrid thing, or we are ruined,”

said one.

“The press has played the mischief with us,” exclaimed the other, “by

publishing their movements. We must buy up the press. If they don’t

stop writing about it, we must withdraw all our advertisements. Let

this be a united thing with us, and they will soon have to look after

their own bread and butter. These women have cut down my sales more

than $20,000 this spring.”

“The mayor and city council ought to do something before the city is

ruined. They are a pack of fools to let a few praying women ruin our

business in this way.”

And then they talked and planned earnestly. The press was to be dealt

with, the mayor brought to issue a proclamation against the women,

forbidding their singing and praying on the streets, etc.

The mayor and city council were quite willing to serve the rum cause,

as results show.

The ladies soon after were informed that they could no longer hold

meetings in the streets, but must confine themselves to the public

squares and market-places, unless a saloon-keeper chose to open his

doors to them.

They obeyed orders, and went on with their work in the places

designated. But one day, while one of the bands was quietly walking up

the street, they were met and surrounded by a mob of the vilest men

and women in the city. They were, no doubt, sent out by the dealers

to intimidate the women, and received their reward in strong drink on

their return.

The mayor also, accompanied by his private secretary, came to them and

earnestly appealed to the ladies to quit their work and go home.

“I’ll not be responsible for your safety unless you do. For God’s sake,

ladies, desist.”

The ladies in turn appealed to him to disperse the mob. They were

quiet, unoffending citizens, walking the streets, which was their

right; and as for their lives, they relied on God, not on him. All the

while this parley was going on, the vile drunken mob was hooting and

howling.

No attempt was made to disperse them. But the mayor was exceedingly

annoyed with the violence and obscenity of a German woman near him, and

turning upon her he commanded silence. “Shame! shame! such indecency.”

But the words were scarcely out of his mouth till she began cursing

him, and the mob uttering a horrid yell rushed toward him. He raised

his hand, waving them back; but they came on like a herd of wild

cattle, pushing each other forward, whirling him like a top from the

sidewalk into the gutter. His secretary ran like a frightened deer,

and the mayor, as soon as he could gather up himself and find his hat,

followed suit. They remembered Lot’s wife, and never looked behind

them. Some of the women of the band had been knocked down; but they

soon fell into line, and now that the mob was behind them, marched down

into the heart of the city, singing,

“Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer to Thee,

Even though it be a cross,

That raiseth me.”

The insults offered to the ladies aroused a feeling of indignation,

and an address was prepared, and a committee of gentlemen appointed

to present it to the mayor. The reading of the paper brought on a

discussion, in which the mayor said it would take all the police force

within twenty-four square miles of the city to protect the ladies.

Dr. Payne--“Do we understand you to say that you are powerless in the

hands of a mob?”

Mayor Johnson--“It would appear so from the practical experience of

yesterday afternoon.”

Dr. Payne--“Then, sir, it is high time that the pulpit began to

thunder, and that all good men should arise, and see that men are

elected who will enforce the law.”

The committee then entered upon a defence of the rights of women to go

upon the streets as they had been doing, notwithstanding the riotous

crowds which surrounded them, and the disorders consequent thereon,

which point the mayor met by saying, that he believed with Lincoln,

that the blow should be aimed at the cause.

Dr. Payne--“Yes, but the cause is the liquor traffic, not these women.”

Dr. Taylor--“We only claim their rights, and if women cannot be

protected by law, the result will be that neither can we, and the blow

that strikes them, strikes us. If they be prosecuted for praying, so

may I. The same mob spirit that attacked women yesterday, may attack

citizens. If we cannot obtain protection, by addressing you, where

shall we go?”

In the course of the conversation, the mayor said, that the whole Board

of Police Commissioners were opposed to the women.

Immediately following this interview the mayor issued a proclamation,

addressed: _To the ladies composing the Temperance League_; forbidding

them to hold meetings on the streets, basing this action on an old

sidewalk ordinance that had been a dead letter for years.

I quote again from Mrs. Leavitt’s speech.

“By this time there was such a falling off in the liquor trade that

the mayor and common council, twenty-three of whose members were in

the liquor trade, said the Crusade must be stopped; so they raked up

an old sidewalk ordinance which said that no group of more than three

should occupy the sidewalk at any one place and time. But we knew

nothing of it, and we went to a saloon where we were denied admittance,

so we knelt outside. The pavement was eighteen feet wide, of which

we occupied about thirty inches. I was leader that day, and gave

out, ‘Rock of Ages, cleft for me,’ when a policeman laid his hand on

my shoulder, and said, ‘_Mrs. Leavitt, you are under arrest!_’ ‘All

right,’ said I. ‘Let me hide myself in Thee.’ And then we prayed for

that policeman, and for the others, and for the crowd. We tried the

patience of that policeman a little, for our service lasted sixty

minutes. Some shouted, some cried, but all were happy; and then we

rose and walked in an orderly manner, two by two, about two miles, to

the station-house. As soon as we got there we kneeled down and prayed

again, and then they asked our names, nativity, and ages. They took

mine first, and while they were taking the others, I thought may be the

Lord had something for me to do there; so I went round to the cells and

talked with the inmates. In one I found a boy of eighteen, who said,

‘I wouldn’t have my mother know I am here for all the world. I came in

under an assumed name. Did you?’ So I visited every cell, and pointed

every prisoner to Christ. I tried to guess a conundrum (I never

guessed one in my life), and I will give it to you. ‘How is it that

every one I spoke to was put in for drunkenness, and we forty-three

women were brought there for trying to put it down?’ We expected to be

sent to the work-house for thirty days; so presently the husband of one

of our number came in, and asked in the most touching tones, ‘_What

shall I do with the baby?_’ ‘Go home and feed him,’ said his wife, ‘I

wouldn’t be got off for twenty babies.’ Then the mayor came in. You

have heard of the man who drew the elephant in a lottery, and then

didn’t know what to do with it. The mayor looked just like that man.

At last, when we had stayed two hours, the common council excused us

till Monday on parole. So we marched back to the church, and gave our

report, and it seemed as though the roof would come off with the ring

of the doxology that followed.

“On Monday morning we went to the police court, and while they were

trying the prisoners for drunkenness, we who were arrested for trying

to stop them from drinking went round, preached Christ, and got twenty

signatures to our pledge. When our turn came they did not know what to

do with us. We had put on all our best things, and though I say it,

were FORTY-THREE OF THE PRETTIEST-LOOKING WOMEN YOU EVER SAW, and all

just as happy as could be. Six of us were ministers’ wives, three wives

of rich bankers, and all the rest of wealthy citizens. At last they

told us we had been naughty, but they would forgive us this time if we

wouldn’t do so any more. We went back to the church, and a few of us

went out crusading.

“But we didn’t want to break the law, and just at this time the Crusade

began to change its form from active crusading into steady, organized

work; so we only went out in parties of three or four, and we have been

doing this ever since.”

The city officers and the police force were in the interests of

the liquor traffic, and the arrest of the ladies was a part of a

well-concerted plan to break down the temperance work.

We must not omit to give the names of the forty-three women arrested

and thrust into the common jail:

Mrs. Rev. S. K. Leavitt, Mrs. Rev. W. I. Fee, Mrs. Rev. C. H. Taylor,

Mrs. D. H. Baldwin, Mrs. Charles Folger, Sarah Shipley, Mary Whitaker,

Mrs. May A. French, Mrs. Olive Roseboom, Mrs. Lottie Oldrieve, Mrs.

Lizzie R. Harvey, Mrs. A. F. Whiteman, Miss Ellen King, Mrs. S. E.

Massey, Miss Kate M. Warden, Miss Helen Russell, Miss Susan Sutton,

Miss Annie Nunn, Mrs. J. R. Squire, Mrs. Mary J. Montford, Mrs. Ellen

Hewson, Mrs. Whitredge, Mrs. Rev. C. H. Payne, Mrs. Rev. A. McHugh,

Mrs. Dr. Carter, Mrs. S. J. H. Elstner, Mary White, Mrs. Kate Traugh,

Mrs. Maria Stevens, Mrs. A. V. Crum, Mrs. H. Robinson, Miss Lottie

Nunn, Mrs. Lucy M. McKenzie, Mrs. May Francis, Miss May Talbot, Miss

Jennie Forbes, Miss Mary Scott, Mrs. E. B. Dalton, Miss Eliza Hughes,

Mrs. Frederick Hanbold, Mrs. Mary Warner, Mrs. E. H. Mance, Mrs.

Wealthy Fisk.

Dr. Fowler, of Chicago, who happened to be in the city at the time,

and went with them to the jail, at a mass-meeting said: “Although I

do not belong to this city, I say as an old heathen said, ‘Whatever

concerns mankind, concerns me.’ Not only the immortal forty-three, but

every woman in the land went down into the streets yesterday, and was

scoffed and jeered at by those who stood in the saloon doors. You are

not alone. All the good people of the land say, ‘You are fighting our

battle,’ and from 10,000 pulpits are going up prayers for those who

have made one bright page on the records of the police courts. The day

may come when you can sell that page for money, enough to buy all the

saloons in the city.” (Applause.)

Stirring, eloquent speeches were also made by Dr. C. H. Payne, Mr.

Rowland, Rev. S. K. Leavitt; and Mrs. Leavitt followed with a solemn,

earnest appeal, that brought nearly all the men and women in the house

to their feet.

There was a meeting of citizens of the first ward, and a protest was

prepared and sent to the mayor and city council--a protest, strongly

condemning their action and calling upon them to maintain law and order.

Nearly all the pulpits of Cincinnati thundered against the liquor

traffic, a strong public sentiment was created, and the women have

gone steadily on with their work from that day to this. A large number

of meetings are sustained in various parts of the city, and at Walnut

Hills; tens of thousands have signed the pledge, and it is no longer

respectable to sell or drink intoxicating liquors in Cincinnati.

A large hall has been secured for head-quarters, where meetings are

held daily, and their influence is felt throughout the entire city.

WHITE SHOES AND WHITE DRESSES.

One morning, during the Crusade, a drunkard’s wife called on Mrs.

Leavitt. She carried a babe in her arms only six weeks old, and was

pale and weak from sickness and fasting, and this was her pitiful story:

“My husband is drinking himself to death; he is lost to all humane

feeling; our rent is unpaid, and we are liable to be put out into the

street, and there is no food in the house for me and the children. He

has a good trade, but his earnings all go into the saloon on the corner

near us; he is becoming more and more brutal and abusive. We seem to

be on the verge of ruin. How can I, feeble as I am, with a babe in my

arms, earn bread for myself and children?”

“Why not have your husband converted?” questioned Mrs. Leavitt, as the

drunkard’s wife finished her sad story.

“Oh, there is no hope of such a thing. He cares for nothing but rum.”

“I’ll come and see him this afternoon.”

“He’ll insult you.”

“No matter; my Saviour was insulted, and the servant is not above his

Lord.”

That very afternoon Mrs. Leavitt called at the little tenement house.

The husband was at work at his trade in a little back room, and one of

the children was sent to tell him that a lady wished to see him. The

child, however, soon returned with the message: “My pa says he won’t

see any one.”

“You go back and tell your pa,” said Mrs. Leavitt, in her energetic

way, “that a lady wishes to see him on very important business, and she

must see him, if she has to stay till after supper.”

She knew there was nothing in the house to eat. A moment afterward a

poor, bloated, besotted wreck of a man stood before her.

“What do you want?” he demanded, as he came shuffling into the room.

“Please be seated and look at this paper,” she answered, pointing to a

vacant chair at the other end of the table at which she was sitting,

and handing a printed pledge to him.

He read it slowly, and then, throwing it down upon the table, broke out

violently:

“Do you think I’m a fool? I’ll drink when I please, and let it alone

when I please. I’m not going to sign away my personal liberty.”

“Do you think you can stop drinking?”

“Yes: I could if I wanted to.”

“I think you’re a slave to the rum-shop down on the corner.”

“No!”

“Then you love the saloon-keeper’s daughter better than you do your own

little girl.”

“No, I don’t, either.”

“When I came by the saloon-keeper’s house I saw his little girl coming

down the steps, and she had on white shoes, and a white dress, and a

blue sash. Your money helped to buy them. I come here, and your little

girl, more beautiful than she, has on a faded, ragged dress, and her

feet are bare.”

“That’s so, madam.”

“And you love the saloon-keeper’s wife better than you love your own

wife.”

“Never; no, never!”

“When I came by the saloon-keeper’s house, I saw his wife come out with

the little girl, and she was dressed in silks and laces, and a carriage

awaited her. Your money helped to buy the silks and laces, and the

horses and the carriage. I come here, and I find your wife in a faded

calico gown, doing her own work: if she goes anywhere, she must walk.”

“You speak the truth, madam.”

“You love the saloon-keeper better than you love yourself. You say you

can keep from drinking if you choose; but you helped the saloon-keeper

to build himself a fine brick house, and you live in this poor,

tumble-down old house yourself.”

“I never saw it in that light before.” Then, holding out his hand that

shook like an aspen leaf, he continued: “You speak the truth, madam--I

am a slave. Do you see that hand? I have a piece of work to finish, and

I must have a mug of beer to steady my nerves, or I cannot do it; but

to-morrow, if you’ll call, I’ll sign the pledge.”

“That’s a temptation of the devil; I did not ask you to sign the

pledge. You are a slave, and cannot keep it. But I do want to tell you

this: _There is One who can break your chains and set you free._”

“I want to be free.”

“Well, Christ can set you free, if you’ll submit to Him, and let Him

break the chains of sin and appetite that binds you.”

“It’s been many a long year since I prayed.”

“No matter; the sooner you begin the better for you.”

He threw himself at once on his knees, and while Mrs. Leavitt prayed

she heard him sobbing out the cry of his soul to God.

The wife followed Mrs. Leavitt in an earnest prayer. The words were

simple and broken with sobs, but somehow they went straight up from

her crushed heart to God, and the poor man began to cry in earnest for

mercy.

“O God! break these chains that are burning into my soul! Pity me, and

pity my wife and children, and break the chains that are dragging me

down to hell. O God! be merciful to me, a sinner.” And thus out of the

depths he cried to God, and He heard him and had compassion upon him,

and broke every chain and lifted every burden; and he arose a free,

redeemed man.

When he arose from his knees he said: “Now I will sign the pledge, and

keep it.” And he did. A family altar was built, the comforts of life

were soon secured--for he had a good trade--and two weeks after this

scene, his two little girls came into the Sunday-school, with _white

shoes, and white dresses, and blue sashes on_, as a token that his

money no longer went into the saloon-keeper’s till.

But the lesson that should impress us most is, that this disciple,

helped of God, devoted _less_ than two hours to this service of

redeeming a family for time and for eternity. Go, thou, and do

likewise! _The Master is waiting for you_ in many a desolate home. Go,

speak in His name, and He will be with you, and help you.

WHAT A PICTURE DID.

The heading of _The Reform_, an illustrated tract paper, is composed of

three pictures. The first represents a drunkard staggering home to his

family. In his hand he holds a bottle; his wife, with her babe in her

arms and her little boy clinging to her dress, is shrinking from him.

Terror and fear are depicted upon the countenances of the three.

The second picture represents the same man, standing at a table, a

woman holding out a pen to him with one hand, and with the other a

paper upon which are seen the words, “Temperance Pledge.”

In the third picture we see the same man, well clothed, walking erect,

with a cane in his hand, and leading a little boy up a flight of steps

to a nice house, in the door of which stands the wife, with beaming

smile upon her face, and hardly able to hold the baby, who is overjoyed

at seeing the father.

A bundle of these papers was sent to one of the ladies in Cincinnati,

who distributed them in the market, at the hospital and jail.

Two months afterwards she was stopped on the street by a German woman,

who told her the following story:

“You shoost stop von minute vile I tells you vot is in mine heart. You

come von day to mine stall in de market, you give mine old man a paper,

and you gives me a paper.

“Ven I goes to mine home, mine children dey cries for dere dinner. I

says, ‘You shoost keep still, and I vill give you von paper a vomans

give me in de market.’ So dey spreads a paper on de floor, und dey

kicks up dere heels, und dey looks hard at de pictures. Vile I gets

mine dinner, dey visper. Mine leetle boy he says: ‘Dat is pap mid the

bottle! dat leetle boy vot hides hind his mudder’s dress is me, ven I’m

skeered at pappy, und de baby is Helwig, cause dat is shoost de vay he

hides hind mudder’s ear when pappy’s drunk.’ Den dey say, ‘Mudder, vat

dat voman do mit de table?’ I says, ‘De temperance voman vants de man

to sign de pledge, and says he drinks no more beer or whiskey, den his

wife and children be no more feared of him.’

“Dey looks hard at de picter, den dey vispers and dey say, ‘Mudder,

will pappy look nice like de udder picter, would he sign de pledge?’

“And I says, ‘Yes, childrens, your fadder would look shoost like dat if

he goes no more to saloons.’

“Mine old man den he comes in to his dinner. He loves his children ven

he is sober. My children dey see he no drunk, so dey runs to him mid

de papers, and dey say, ‘Pappy, that is you mid de bottle, and dot

voman is mudder, and de baby wot hides hind his mudder’s ear is Helwig.

Pappy, vont you go to de temperance voman’s mit de table, and sign de

pledge, and den you will look shoost like dat nice man mit de cane,

and Helwig he will look shoost like dis baby vot tries to jump out of

his mudder’s arms and is so glad to see his pappy?’ Mine old man he

gets so mad, and he says, ‘I eat no dinner, I hates de temperance, I

hates de temperance,’ and my children dey cry, dey be so scared. My old

man he slams de door, and he goes off. He comes home to supper and he

say de first ting, ‘I hates de temperance, I hates de temperance,’ and

he no speak to de children, and dey be so skeered.

“After supper mine old man he makes de children go to ped, and he

smokes, and he scolds, and he gets so mad he no goes to de saloon, like

he always does all his life mid me.

“Ven it vas bed-time mine old man he lay down his pipe and he says:

‘Old woman, I’s no been good to you; I gets drunk no more; I goes no

more to saloons; mine heart is sick mit what mine children say. I loves

mine wife, I loves mine children ven I gets no drunk.’ Den I put mine

apron to mine eyes, and I cries, and mine old man he cries. Den we

stand by de childer’s bed, and mine old man he kiss me, and he kiss de

children, and he says, ‘Mine heart is so sick all de day mit vat de

children says to me.’

“I tells you I loves dat leetle paper, mine heart is so glad dat

you gives it to me. I folds it up shust so nice and I puts it mit a

handkerchief round, and I puts it in mine under-drawer in mine bureau

mit mine children’s tings what died.”

CLYDE, OHIO.

The women worked and prayed faithfully for five weeks. During the first

two weeks, two saloons closed, one dealer disposing of his liquors, the

other giving them up to the ladies to be emptied into the street. They

were poured into the gutter amid great rejoicings, and the singing of

the doxology.

While one of the women was pleading with Carroll, a saloon-keeper, she

referred to the fact that her boys were becoming drunkards. “Oh!” said

he, “I do not think I ever sold your boys any.” “But,” said the noble

woman, with tearful emphasis, “you sell to somebody’s boys.”

One Saturday evening, as the ladies approached one of the most

prominent saloons, the proprietor came out and informed them that

they could not hold services in front of his house; that he would

spill his last drop of blood before they should do it. He had his back

yard and saloon full of help. The ladies immediately commenced their

exercises, and he called his rabble out to hoot; a pail of cold water

was splashed into the face of the one who was praying. She never broke

a sentence, but said: “O Lord, we are now baptized for the work.” The

effect was good, it was a most complete victory. All became quiet, and

the saloon-keeper accompanied them to the church, and oh, such earnest

prayers as were offered in the church for that man. Mass-meetings were

held every Wednesday evening, and the pressure of public sentiment

became so great, that the saloon-keepers closed for an indefinite time.

CEDARVILLE, OHIO.

In 1873, the ever-memorable time, in the history of the women Crusaders

of Ohio, we in Cedarville were aroused to work by the call from our

Father in heaven.

It seemed as though a few of the sisters here, were called out for the

work, even before the sisters in Hillsboro’. We had our first meeting

announced, and a speaker engaged, and had of ourselves determined to

organize for work. But by a providence of God we were kept back to let

the sisters at Hillsboro’ and Washington Court-House commence first.

January 2d, our first meeting was held, and we were fully equipped

for visiting the saloons. We did not need to wait, and hold our

prayer-meetings in the church; the Lord had prepared us before, in our

homes, so we went at once to the saloons to hold prayer-meetings; we

felt the Lord had made such a distinct call for us to go, that we had

no fears: we knew that He would lead us. Our mouths were filled with

song and prayer; our sympathies were awakened to such a degree, it

seemed nothing on earth could have stopped us from going on in the path

the Lord had laid out for us. Thanks be to the Lord for the faith He

gave us.

We felt that we must do something; that if we did not, our homes would

be made desolate, our hearts would be broken, our sons would all

perish. The words, “What wilt thou have me do?” were spoken so plainly

that we felt we _must_ do something to help the wretched souls out of

their bondage. My husband being a zealous temperance man, was easily

aroused to action; he sent for a lecturer, Dr. Watt: he came, and

spoke earnestly for the cause; the next day we made our first visit to

the saloons, through the snow and bitter cold, but we were not cold; we

went early and late until all our saloons were closed.

We had three saloons and two drug stores--one of the drug stores was

as bad as any of the saloons, and we thought worse, for there our

best young men went to drink, when they would not have been seen at

a saloon. One of the druggists signed the pledge, but one would not,

notwithstanding we prayed and plead earnestly with him. He had a

suit pending in the Supreme Court at that time, and he was very much

embittered against us. A lady of our town had sued him for selling

liquor to her husband, and had gained it in the county court; but he

had appealed it to a higher court, so we did not expect him to give up

very soon, but we made him a special object of prayer; he was not an

ignorant foreigner, but a native of this place, and had been taught

better things, and knew the power of prayer, and knew too, that we were

praying earnestly for him, that his wicked business might be stopped.

We think he wanted to be clear of the whiskey, but he didn’t want to

lose a dollar, so he sold it all in a lump; and for a short time we

were clear of the traffic.

But as the whiskey men found their cause was in great danger, they put

forward a man and sustained him. We made a powerful effort to stop him,

got out a petition and tried to get all we could to sign it, but some

we had depended on as being firm friends of temperance, failed us,

said there was no use trying: if the people couldn’t get whiskey here

they would go to “Xenia” to get it.

Notwithstanding all our efforts, the saloon was opened, and in a short

time another one. Then we were in great trouble, but concluded we had

better hold prayer-meetings again at the saloons. Some thought the

time was past for that, but a few of us felt we _must_ pray for their

removal, and it was not long until one of these men took fits: he was

taken sick about four o’clock in the afternoon, and died at two o’clock

that night. In our meeting that day we had prayed especially for him.

As we watched these saloons every evening from dusk of evening until

about ten o’clock, (that being the time when most of the drinking was

done,) and prayed they might be removed, it did seem as though the

Lord answered our prayer in a marvellous manner. Nor was this all:

just about that time the other saloonist had some sort of a strange

spell which was pronounced fits; he took them just when the women were

praying for him, he got frightened, closed his saloon, and went into

the grocery business. He thought that would save him, but he still has

fits. In answer to our prayers both saloons were closed.

We still have our prayer-meetings; they have been kept up regularly

ever since the Crusade. We still have one saloon, but there is not

one-third the quantity of whiskey sold now. Many have reformed; it has

become unpopular to be seen going to a saloon, and none will go, except

those who care nothing for their reputation.

We see great results from our temperance work here, but still we expect

to work on, while there is a saloon in operation.

We have a temperance fund; some have subscribed as much as $500: I

think over twenty have subscribed that much. There is about $38,000

in the bank; ten per cent. of that money can be drawn to defray any

expense the association may have in law suits, etc.; the men have a

business committee to look up cases for prosecution, and to watch the

saloons to see whether they sell according to law. Thus it will be

noticed we have public sentiment in our favor.

I am indebted to Mrs. R. O. Stewart for the facts in this account.

MARIETTA, OHIO.

I am indebted to Mrs. J. M. Eells for the following account of the work

in Marietta: It has been my privilege to be engaged in the cause of

temperance for many years, but never have I seen the power of God so

manifested as in the Crusade, and the recent reform movement. Previous

to the work here in Marietta, many groaned under the heavy burden of

the sin of intemperance. Feeling that something must be done, and that

prayer would avail, yet we did not lay hold on the means of grace as

we should have done until stimulated by the persevering efforts of our

sisters in Washington and Hillsboro’.

Thanks be to our Heavenly Father for the great good that has been

accomplished by our feeble efforts. When our work commenced, if I am

rightly informed, the number of saloons amounted to about sixty in

this place and vicinity--kept mostly by Germans. Our sympathy embraced

all classes of drinking men; but our efforts were more closely drawn to

the saloonist for a time.

With prayers, tears, songs, and entreaties we went from the house of

God to the doors of the saloons, and we trust to the hearts of the

saloonists, though few surrendered, until affliction laid them low: six

have gone to their final account.

There is one remarkable incident connected with our work. A young man,

of upright character in society, was engaged in dealing out to others

_that_ which he would not drink himself, though from childhood he had

been employed in a saloon. During all this time he was never known

to touch a drop of intoxicating drinks. The ladies labored with him,

endeavoring to show the inconsistency of such a course, pressing the

question: “Are you doing by others as you would that others should do

to you?”

The answer would invariably be: “This is my way of getting a living.

People will drink. I might as well sell it as any one else. I know what

I am about. I read my Bible--attend church with a hope of heaven.”

We left, saying we feared he was deceiving himself. He kept on and

on until, in the stillness of night, his house was wrapt in flames.

We thought he had lost his all, but a few days later we were invited

to call at his new establishment, fitted up in fascinating style, to

allure the weak. At this crisis he was attacked with a disease which,

in a few days, numbered him with the dead. In his ravings he was heard

to cry, “_I cannot, I will not die._”

Our encouragement in laboring with drinking men has been great,

especially when we hear them in our gospel meetings testifying to the

goodness of God in reclaiming them from a life of sin, and taking away

their appetite for strong drink.

Through the efforts of the ladies, and the recent Reform movement,

many, very many families have been made happy and provided for well,

by the reclaiming of a father, husband, son, and brother. Yes! we have

seen the tattered, reeling, profane man clothed and in his right mind;

also the weeping mother and half-starved children with their tears

wiped away, and fed and clothed; and the rough, defiant saloonist

bathed in tears.

Something like two thousand signed the pledge during these movements.

Words of cheer often come to us in these late days, from one and

another who were blest during the Crusade. One man said he wished the

ladies had thought of the poor drunkard long before; it would have

saved _him_ ten years of wretchedness. He never met with anything that

went to his heart as their appeals did.

We are encouraged more, by seeing in our walks, places where a bar had

been kept changed to a neatly furnished sitting-room. We like to enter

and converse with the occupants. They always invite us to call again,

saying, “Doesn’t this room look better than when the bar was in it?”

Our work is still going on, under the influence of the Good Templars,

gospel meetings, and the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. The work

has gone on here very much as in other places.

We still hold it to be God’s work, and pray that He will bless all

efforts put forth by His people for the overthrow of the monster vice,

Intemperance.

XENIA, OHIO.

This city, beautiful for situation, is the pride of southern Ohio,

and contains a population of about ten thousand inhabitants. At the

commencement of the Crusade there were one hundred and twenty places

where liquor was sold--one saloon to eighty-three inhabitants.

Dr. Dio Lewis assisted in organizing the movement in this city.

Temperance soon became the all-absorbing topic of conversation among

all classes. The women organized under the leadership of Mrs. Colonel

Lowe. The women of wealth and culture came at once to the front, to

take their share of the burden of the work. Denominational lines were

broken down, and women accustomed to psalm-singing joined heartily in

gospel songs.

One of the worst saloons in the place was the “Shades of Death,” kept

by a young man named Phillips, who kept a liquor shop and gambling den

of the worst character, although he had been well brought up.

A special correspondent of the _Cincinnati Gazette_ gives us the

following graphic account of the work at this saloon:

“XENIA, OHIO, February 13th.

“At the close of my letter yesterday the women held the ‘Shades of

Death’ in close investment. It was agreed by the ladies to adjourn

for dinner, and so I announced; but there was no adjournment. The

determined women could not find it in their hearts to leave, and they

did not until near five o’clock. Such as found it necessary to go home

to their families did so, but were early back to the place of prayer.

“This saloon is a brick house on the corner of Whiteman and Second

streets, having one door on each. Under the back room there is a deep

cellar, where much of the gambling is carried on, quite out of sight.

At first the women held their station on the two sidewalks, but at

length discovered a third door in the rear, through which some of those

caught in the saloon had already made good their escape. This outlet

was quickly occupied by the women, and so the place was surrounded. The

keeper, Phillips, was not prepared for this, and came to the door and

remonstrated vigorously; but the response came in spiritual song:

“‘A charge to keep I have.’

“In vain Stephen assured the women that their praying would do no good.

They only sang the more fervently,

“‘To patient faith the prize is sure.’

“A fiddle was played inside, and some dancing attempted, but this did

not last long. Through a broken window the services outside were

distinctly heard inside. The proprietor sent for a glazier, and had

the missing glass replaced. The faces of bloated white and colored men

appeared at the windows side by side.

“The representatives of six wholesale liquor-houses were here

yesterday, offering the saloonists all the liquors they can make use

of, while the campaign lasts, free of charge.

“One of these gentlemen was in the ‘Shades of Death’ when it was

invested. About two o’clock he came to the front door to tell the women

that they were helpless, and could do nothing; that they did not know

where their own sons and husbands might be at that moment. His own wife

had no idea he went to such places. An estimable woman of God began to

pray for him, and, as he retreated through the door, they followed him

in. Phillips came out about three o’clock, accompanied by his brother,

to draw the crowd away. A part followed him across the street, but the

siege was not lifted.”

* * * * *

“XENIA, OHIO, February 19th, 1874.

“Just as I sealed my letter, I heard a great shout in the street,

and soon after all the church-bells in the city commenced ringing.

At the same time there arose a prolonged cheering from the Grangers’

Convention, just across the street from the hotel, and it was evident

that something unusual had happened. Going on the street for the news,

I saw crowds of people thronging towards Whiteman street, and heard on

every hand in joyful accent, ‘The “Shades of Death” has unconditionally

surrendered.’ The good news, as the temperance people considered it,

proved true, and I found Whiteman street thronged with people. At a

little before three o’clock, as it appeared from the general account,

Mr. Steve Phillips, proprietor of the ‘Shades of Death,’ invited the

ladies to enter, and announced that he gave up everything to them, and

would never sell anything intoxicating in Xenia again. Then the ladies,

joined by the spectators, sang,

“‘Praise God, from whom all blessings flow,’

while the liquors were rolled into the street. A half-barrel

of blackberry brandy, the same of highwines, a few kegs of beer, and

some bottles of ale and whiskey, were soon emptied into the street,

amid the shouts of an enthusiastic multitude. The leading lady then

announced that if Mr. Phillips went into any other business in Xenia,

they should feel it a duty to support him. A despatch was sent to the

Grangers, eliciting three cheers, and all the bells were set ringing

in honor of the first great victory. When I arrived, the liquor had

mostly collected in one depression in the street, and such a stench

went up--‘a rank offence, that smelt to heaven’--as made me think it a

very fortunate thing for somebody’s insides that the liquor had been

poured out. Of the women around, some were crying, some laughing, a

few alternately singing and returning thanks. One elderly lady in the

edge of the crowd was almost in hysterics, but still shouting in a

hoarse whisper such as one often hears at camp-meeting: ‘Bless the

Lord! O-o-o, bless the Lord!’ She had the appearance of a lady in

good circumstances, and a citizen informed me that she is ordinarily

one of the quietest, most placid of women. One of her sons died

of intemperance, and another is much addicted to liquor. On every

side nothing was witnessed but smiles, laughter, tears, prayers,

hand-shaking, and congratulations.”

* * * * *

Phillips opened a meat-market at his old stand, and was most liberally

patronized.

The good work went on. At the close of the second week, twenty-five out

of the forty-seven saloons were closed, some permanently, others during

the war. The street prayer-meetings were kept up without intermission

for over a month, when the ladies decided to try the picket work, which

proved quite effectual.

But at the municipal election, the whiskey party was triumphant; not

because there was a lack of temperance sentiment, but for lack of

unity, and earnest effort on the part of moral and temperance men.

The liquor element became defiant and insulting. While Mrs. Monroe’s

band was at Hollencamp’s brewery, a man came out with a mug of beer in

his hands, and stopping a woman in the midst of her prayer, offered her

a drink; holding out the foaming beer, he told her it was Jesus.

One day, while the ladies were holding services, Bloom, Altschul, and

other liquor-dealers, with their degraded customers, surrounded them,

and the interruptions became so boisterous and threatening, that Mayor

Keever and Marshal Riley interfered for the protection of the ladies.

Notwithstanding all these discouragements, the ladies continued their

work, _and will continue till a complete victory is won_.

WAYNESVILLE, OHIO.

“Waynesville is a quiet village in Warren county, of strong Quaker

proclivities. It is situated on a gentle slope which descends to the

little Miami river. Across the stream is the little village of Corwin,

named after the illustrious governor and statesman of Ohio. Together

these two towns boast that they have a population of twelve or fifteen

hundred. The groups of white houses form a very quiet, pretty picture.”

The women of this quiet little village commenced public work January

17th, and maintained one of the most protracted and determined

campaigns of the Crusade. There were three saloons in the two towns:

two in Waynesville, and one in Corwin.

The first real work of the Crusade was the circulation of a petition,

which was largely signed, and sent to the town council, asking them to

prohibit the sale of ale and beer. The desired ordinance was passed.

In the meantime the ladies held prayer-meetings, and prepared for

street work, if that should be necessary. A report having obtained that

the women intended to commence crusading on Saturday, Timothy Liddy

printed and circulated the following notice, which I give _verbatim et

literatim_.

“NOTICE.--As it has come to my hearing that there is a rumor in

circulation that some of the ladies in and about Waynesville, O.,

are about to visit my grocery on Saturday, the 17th inst., for

the purpose of holding a prayer-meeting, I advise all the ladies

concerned in the movement to keep clear of my grocery, and keep

within the bounds of the law, as my grocery is not a place of worship.

“TIMOTHY LIDDY.

“WAYNESVILLE, O., Jan. 16th, 1874.”

The women accepted it as a challenge, and marched at once to Mr.

Liddy’s saloon for a prayer-meeting. Mr. Liddy was very obstinate, and

his wife maintained a threatening attitude.

“I’ll scald yez! I’ll scald yez!” she cried. But the women had

enlisted for the war, and were not deterred by her threats. The other

saloon in Waynesville was kept by William F. Raper; the saloons were

on diagonally opposite corners, which was a great convenience to

the ladies, as with their large band they could keep up a continual

prayer-meeting in both saloons. Mr. Liddy declared that “These wimmen

are worse than haythens.” Both saloon-keepers closed their doors

against the women, and on the 7th of February, with the ground covered

four inches deep with snow and the snow still falling, they sang and

prayed again and again in front of Raper’s saloon, and some of them

afterwards declared that it was a most delightful meeting.

As the weather continued inclement, a few of the ladies took shelter

in covered carriages drawn up in front of the saloons for their use,

while on picket duty; a vacant room on the third corner was fitted up

for the use of the band, so the siege went on with a degree of comfort.

Books were kept in which the name of every man entering either saloon

was registered; the result was a large falling off in the patronage.

The house occupied by Liddy was finally bought over his head, and he

was forced to close, and Raper soon afterwards surrendered. He wrote

Miss Esther Pugh the following letter:

“MISS PUGH:--I have thought the matter over, and have come to the

conclusion to let the ladies empty the ale.

“WILLIAM F. RAPER.”

There was great rejoicing, and immense enthusiasm, and in response to

the letter, the ladies marched through a pouring rain to the saloon.

Mr. Raper very graciously assisted the women in rolling out his liquors

on the pavement. But the enthusiasm of the women was so great, that

they didn’t wait for assistance, but seized the kegs of ale in the

cellar, and by almost superhuman effort carried them up the steep

cellar-stairs into the street; and their contents were soon poured upon

the ground.

The whole force was now concentrated upon Tom Franey’s saloon, at

Corwin. Tom was noted for his politeness. The ladies who came to pray

in his saloon were treated with great consideration, and when the

prayer-meeting was over, and he had shaken hands all around, an omnibus

was at the door to carry the ladies back to Waynesville. The ladies

were not turned from their purpose by his blandishments, but continued

their work till it began seriously to interfere with his business. His

saloon was the only one now in the centre of a large district, dotted

over with villages. But the country people ceased to come with their

jugs and bottles, and the polite Franey became ungracious, and went

so far as to threaten to sue the Society for damaging his business.

After securing legal advice, he changed his mind, and closed his doors

against the Crusaders; but they sang and prayed beside his door until

he, too, surrendered unconditionally.

The officers of the League which did such valiant work were: President,

Esther Pugh; Vice-Presidents, Mrs. Devitt, Mrs. Rebecca Randall, Mrs.

Levi Cook, Mrs. Kate Allen; Secretary, Miss Annie Fisher. Among the

workers were, Miss Phebe Bailey, Mrs. John Fetter, Miss Addie Keys,

Miss Eliza Bunting, Mrs. Israel Wright, Rachel Hopkins, Mrs. Dr. Way,

Eliza Nedry, Jane Jones, and others. It was the habit of these ladies,

when visiting a saloon, to fall at once upon their knees, and remain

kneeling most of the time during their stay. The company was made up of

all denominations, members of the Society of Friends pre-dominating,

Orthodox and Hicksites commingling, and all sang together gospel songs.

Their meetings were characterized by deep religious feeling, and were

intensely solemn. The siege, that resulted in closing all the saloons

in these two villages, was protracted _forty-nine days_.

NEW CONCORD, OHIO.

We are indebted to Mrs. E. J. Oxley for the facts in this report.

The Christian Women’s Temperance Union of New Concord, Ohio, was

organized March 18th, 1874, at a meeting held in the Presbyterian

Church. Prior to this time, a few of the Christian women of the village

had met several times in the capacity of a temperance prayer-meeting.

A temperance mass-meeting was held in the Reformed Presbyterian

Church, on the evening of the 27th. Two of the ministers were staunch

temperance men who had nobly battled against intemperance for many

years. These men, hand in hand, and shoulder to shoulder, did much to

assist the women, who pledged themselves to labor for life against

intemperance, and adopted as their watchword, “eternal vigilance and

perseverance.”

These meetings were well attended, partly because the people were

becoming excited on the temperance question, and partly because it was

the “Woman’s movement.”

The novelty of women holding public meetings, perhaps, drew out some

who would not otherwise have attended a temperance meeting.

In the latter part of May, committees were appointed to canvass the

town with copies of the _pledge_, in order to obtain all the signatures

that could be secured, and leave all without an excuse. The canvassers

met with unexpected success. In a short time our pledge-book contained

277 signatures to the citizens’ pledge, and 60 to the “Band of Promise”

pledge.

A “Band of Promise” was organized May 5th, 1874. Its pledge prohibited

the use of intoxicating liquors of any kind as a beverage, the use of

tobacco in any form, and also stipulated that the subscribers would

refrain from the use of profane language.

Some of the parents who were quite willing to have their children

become members of the Band of Promise, objected to their signing the

pledge, because they said _they_ could not keep it, but it was not

long before the children were allowed to sign it. This Band proved

a great benefit, not only to the children themselves, who were

receiving a course of thorough temperance training, but also to their

parents, many of whom could not have been induced to attend any of the

other temperance meetings, but were eager to attend the children’s

mass-meetings, to hear their own dear little boys and girls sing or

speak their particular pieces: proving that this is the _great field_

for temperance workers: the field where the seed now sown will, at some

not far distant day, yield “an hundred-fold.”

The entertainments by the Band of Promise were by far the most

Interesting temperance meetings held in the place; their music was

sweeter and more attractive than any other, and their performances were

more highly appreciated than the most eloquent speakers who could be

brought forward, simply because the people were generally interested in

children. They are the hope of both church and state.

Although there was no saloon in our village, there was one just a

little out of town, in one of the best places for that business that

could well be found--outside of the corporation, out of view from town,

and accessible by four different ways. This was kept by Wm. Wylie, who

claimed to be selling according to law, and could not be gotten rid of

until the summer of 1875, when at last he grew tired of the frequent

visits of the “preachers and temperance women,” and closed out.

Prayer-meetings and temperance visitors had made his _trade dull_, so

he concluded to give up the business and try to earn an honest living

by the “sweat of his brow.”

The last visit, and perhaps the one productive of most good, was

made about the last of July, 1875, when a procession of fourteen or

fifteen women, accompanied by five men, three of them ministers--Revs.

M’Arthur, M’Clurkin, and Murch--marched out one afternoon. On arriving

there they found the house closed, as if there was no one at home; but

they soon had evidence that the family were there, and proceeded to

hold a prayer-meeting in front of the saloon. After a while Mr. Wylie

came out, and they had an opportunity of talking with both him and his

partner. He threatened prosecution, and _did_ come to town to try to

get _law_. Soon after this he quit selling liquor, and has since signed

the pledge.

The only street or outdoor work this League ever had to do was on the

23d of May, 1874. This was Saturday, the day of an “animal and circus

show.” It was also a communion season with the people of the Reformed

Presbyterian congregation.

Early in the morning some of the League received information that a man

from a neighboring village had brought a wagon-load of liquors, and was

prepared to sell near the show grounds. He had selected a very good

place for his business, a short distance out of the corporation, by the

roadside, and was doubtlessly anticipating a _fine day’s work_; but

before he had time to make many sales the temperance women were on the

grounds, too, to _watch_, and to see, at least, that he did not sell to

any of their friends, or any others, if they could prevent.

This little band of eight or ten women, led by Mrs. Murch, first

vice-president, and accompanied by perhaps half a dozen of the _good_

old temperance men, as a kind of _escort_, at first tried to persuade

Mr. Davis to go away, but they could neither induce him to sign the

pledge, sell out to them, nor accept any proposition which they could

make. He seemed invincible, determined to _sell_, “according to law,”

as he said. Soon a large crowd of men, women, and children had gathered

to see what this little handful of temperance women would or could do

with a man who seemed to defy both them and “_their law_.”

Other women continued to come, until by afternoon the few who had gone

out in the morning were pretty strongly reinforced, and as the day wore

on Mr. Davis learned that temperance women and those restrained by

their presence, were not very good customers.

But not until late in the afternoon did he show any signs of retreat.

The law protecting persons holding religious services being found,

was read to him by Mrs. Murch; he being within the limits prescribed

by that ordinance, as the Reformed Presbyterian people were holding

religious services in their church. Soon after the law was read to him,

he began very reluctantly to pack up his kegs, boxes, and other saloon

arrangements, and turned his face homeward, followed by a large and

promiscuous crowd, some of whom followed him entirely out of town.

The shades of evening fell upon a quiet and peaceful village, and many

hearts rejoiced that there had not been one intoxicated man in town

that day.

This day’s labors strengthened the temperance women, and brought them

into favor with some who had before thought they were transcending

woman’s proper sphere. During the summer of 1874 frequent public

mass-meetings were held, at which the question of “License or No

license” was freely discussed, there being one article in the new

Constitution which was to be submitted to the vote of the people of

Ohio on the 18th of August. _Union_ temperance prayer-meetings were

held almost every week in some one of the four churches, through this

summer, fall and winter.

These meetings were called union meetings, because the different

pastors had been invited to conduct them, and a general invitation was

extended. These soon became very interesting, large numbers attending.

On the 18th of August, an all-day prayer-meeting was held, the object

of which was to plead that God would guide the voters throughout the

State, to cast their ballots in favor of “_No license_.” Their prayers

were heard--the decision was, NO LICENSE.

A most interesting entertainment by the Band of Promise was given

October 26th, in College Hall, about sixty girls and boys taking part.

In this meeting there were some from almost every family in town.

This entertainment consisted of music, temperance songs, declamations

and select essays. They were highly appreciated, some of which would

have done credit to much older boys and girls. The children were not

only benefited, but highly delighted, so much so that in a few weeks

there were many anxious “little folks,” inquiring of the committee of

arrangements, who had drilled the class, when there would be another

children’s mass-meeting.

This was the _first_ of these “Temperance Exhibitions,” but not the

_last_. They were held as often as once in three months, and sometimes

oftener.

In January and February, 1875, petitions to Congress and the

Legislature, asking for temperance legislation, and also petitions to

the Centennial Commission, asking that no brewery or distillery be

allowed on the Centennial grounds, and that the gates be closed on the

Sabbath, were circulated with unexpected success.

Again, in January, 1877, petitions to Congress and the Legislature,

asking for prohibitory laws, were again circulated with still better

success, this time securing, in the village and country neighborhoods

around, 868 signatures to one petition, and 800 to the other. The

winter before, only about 300 names were obtained.

The W. C. T. U. still hold weekly prayer-meetings, but with much

depleted numbers. Instead of forty and more members, as at first, there

are but ten or twelve of the Crusade members, and a few others. Many

do not think it is necessary to keep up a temperance organization when

there is no public work to do.

RAVENNA, OHIO.

An organization was formed in Ravenna, March 12th, 1874. It was called

the Woman’s Temperance League, Mrs. M. A. Woodbridge, President, Mrs.

R. B. Witter, Secretary. The features of the work were similar to those

throughout the State. Daily prayer-meetings were held, from which

bands of women went forth in the name of the Lord to visit saloons, a

portion of the League remaining in supplication at the church until

their return, much good resulting therefrom. These meetings were held

continuously for many weeks, with frequent mass-meetings in the evening.

After the close of the Crusade, the meetings were held regularly,

with more or less frequency, as circumstances required, until early

last year, when the League was suspended, and the commencement of the

present year a Woman’s Christian Temperance Union was formed, auxiliary

to the State Union. Most excellent temperance work has been done in the

town and county, for which we give God the glory.

MARION, OHIO.

“For weeks before we took any forward step in the temperance work in

our own place, our hearts had been fired by reading of what had been

done in other places. Hillsboro’ and Washington Court-House seemed the

scenes of miracles. Other towns and villages fell into line. But we

halted. Could we do anything?”

At last an informal meeting was held on February 23d. It was resolved

to circulate two petitions, one to our State Legislature, asking that

“no change be made in the famous Adair Liquor Law,” and one to the

Constitutional Convention, praying that our legislative bodies have

the right reserved to them of enacting prohibitory laws with regard to

the sale and manufacture of all alcoholic liquors. Twelve hundred and

twenty-five signatures were obtained to the first of these petitions,

and twelve hundred and fifty-five to the second.

A large and enthusiastic mass-meeting was held on Sabbath, P. M.,

and on Monday, March 2d, a business meeting. Most of the places of

business were closed, and the largest audience-room in the place was

packed almost to suffocation. One hundred and eighty-five women pledged

themselves to co-operate in the “Women’s Temperance Movement,” until

the sale of intoxicating liquors, as a beverage, was abolished. One

hundred and sixty men pledged themselves to sustain the women in their

work. It was decided to hold a daily prayer-meeting “during the war.”

“March 6th, Mother Stewart was with us. The following note of the day

is in the words of our Secretary at that time:

“Although the day was exceedingly inclement, we decided the

trial-moment had come, and we marched upon the street with Mother

Stewart at our front. We went with trembling, but God’s grace, which

never faileth in the hour of need, strengthened us by the way, and as

we knelt upon the muddy pavement, we felt God’s Spirit overshadowing

and leading us. Four saloons were visited, but the doors were barred

against our entrance. We prayed that the Spirit which can work, and no

man hinder, might enter there.

“At a mass-meeting on the evening of March 9th, we were cheered by

our first unconditional surrender. A stock guarantee fund of forty

thousand ($40,000) dollars, afterwards increased to fifty thousand,

was also raised at this time. The object of this fund was, so it was

stated, was to prosecute liquor-dealers, and it could only be used for

prosecutions, and for defending the women in prosecutions, should any

arise; and great as has been our need of funds at different times, not

a cent of it has ever passed into our hands.

“As the days and weeks passed by we received other promises from

liquor-dealers to stop selling. Six ceased entirely, though some

of them have since resumed the traffic. New ones have started up

within the past two years, so that we are often met with the taunting

question, ‘What good did your Crusade do? The town is worse off than

it was before.’ But looking back, we can see good that has been

accomplished. Daily the bands visited the saloons, and the voice of

prayer and praise was heard from such unaccustomed places, for a brief

while each day, though often the sounds of cursing and revelry mingled

with the prayers. One such scene the writer remembers distinctly.

It was Saturday afternoon, and the village was thronged with people

from the surrounding country, full of curiosity to see the ‘praying

women.’ One of the bands entered a saloon on the busiest part of Main

street. Coarse, rough men, others quiet, observant, and boys eager

and interested, thronged the pavement. The rear part of the saloon

was full of men, one degree coarser than those without, smoking,

drinking, swearing, scoffing. As the band entered, one of our sweet

Crusade hymns rose on the air. We were told to ‘be brief. They were

very busy, and wanted no interruption.’ A few verses of Scripture

were read, and a sister led in prayer, and _such a prayer_. The wife

of the proprietor told her to stop, but she prayed on; finally, she

shook her, but the prayer flowed calmly and earnestly on, as if the air

carried no sound but her own voice to the listening ear above. A German

sister immediately followed, and while she prayed the door was locked.

Whatever may have been the intention, the door was opened while we sang

at the close of her prayer, and we passed out. Committees of two or

three were also sent at times to talk with saloon-keepers.

“We had at this time two hundred and sixty-two women pledged to the

work.

“Early in April, pickets were stationed at the principal saloons. This

work was kept up more or less closely until the Crusade work ceased.

“April 6th, being our local election day, and the saloons closed by

law, was devoted to an all-day prayer-meeting. We began at six o’clock

in the morning, and during the hours of the day, earnest prayers went

up, that the cause of right and temperance might triumph, and the Lord

show His power in controlling the affairs of men. The liquor interest

made a desperate fight, but the victory was essentially ours, though

much of the good we hoped from it was lost by the mismanagement of men.

“Nothing daunted the ladies prepared and presented to the council a

petition, signed by three hundred and sixty-five men and four hundred

and sixty-one women, praying that a prohibitory ordinance be added to

our municipal code, but though there was a majority of the voters, the

council was divided against itself, and our petition was lost.

“May 20th, the chairman of the executive committee of the guarantee

fund requested that the ‘ladies should retire from the streets.’ After

considerable discussion, it was decided to do so for a time. We never

resumed the work in that form.

“July 9th, officers were elected, and constitution adopted for

permanent organization. Weekly prayer-meetings have been held ever

since.

“The county has been thoroughly canvassed twice; once against the

license clause of the new constitution, and once in the endeavor to

thoroughly organize it.

“After the formation of the Woman’s National Union, we changed our name

of League, to Women’s Christian Temperance Union, of Marion, Ohio.

“We feel that we have done, and can do, oh, _so_ little; but we can

pray, and ‘prayer moves the arm that moves the world.’”

WEST UNION, OHIO.

This little village, of only four hundred inhabitants, had four

saloons. For years and years they had been doing their deadly work,

paralyzing business and wasting the resources and ruining the homes of

the people.

The women of this staid old town had never thought it possible to

change this order of things. But as soon as the success of Crusaders

elsewhere became known, they rallied to the work with such zeal and

earnestness that in a very short time the whole town was ablaze with

temperance enthusiasm, and _every saloon was closed_.

FELICITY, OHIO.

Felicity, a quiet little village, a few miles back from the Ohio river,

and thirty miles by road from Cincinnati, had one saloon.

The women had watched the desolating work of that saloon, and

encouraged by the example of their sisters in other places, they

determined, if possible, to close it.

A meeting was called, and the women met and consecrated themselves for

any part of the work God might demand of them.

But while they yet prayed, He answered; and when, a few days later, the

band visited the saloon, they found that terror had taken hold of the

dealer, and that he had shipped his liquors back to Cincinnati, and the

room was being cleaned and put in order for other purposes.

LEBANON, OHIO.

Lebanon was noted for its morality.

The town contained about four thousand inhabitants, and had nine

churches, and only three saloons.

It had been, from the very beginning of its existence, a temperance

town, and a prohibitory ordinance had been passed years before by the

town council.

These men, in defiance of law, were selling liquors; but the municipal

authorities did not put a stop to the traffic.

A great deal of enthusiasm had been created by the trial of the ladies

of Morrow, which took place in this town. Many of the citizens of

Morrow had accompanied the ladies to the court, and the Lebanon ladies

provided dinner for them, and rejoiced with them when Scheide was

defeated. But the ladies were slow to begin the Crusade work.

They believed that the men, who had the law on their side, ought to

shut up all three of the saloons without their help. And perhaps the

men thought so, too, but it was not easy to get evidence.

Rev. E. B. Burrows, a young Congregational minister, went to

Cincinnati, secretly, and employed a detective.