OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Tidbits of Ohio -- Part 66 ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgenwebarchives.org ************************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 August 10, 2005 ************************************************************************** +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Historical Collections of Ohio And Then They Went West Know your Ohio Tid Bits - Part 66. by Darlene E. Kelley notes by S. Kelly ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tid Bits- Part 66 Old Time Drinking Habits Drunkenness and desertion were prevelent evils of the Revolution. The punishment for drunkeness and other triffling offences was not infrequently flogging to the extent of one hundred or even two hundred lashes, and the death penalty, without the process of court-martial, was inflicted on deserters. Buell relates that three men, the finest solders of the company, deserted at Mc Intosh, and being captured were shot by order of Major Wyllis, who commandd the fort-- an act which he chronicled as the most inhuman that he ever saw. Drunkenness was common in that day among all classes. A large proportion of the soldiers of the Revolution died drunkards. Early in that century if a beggar appeared at one's door, and they often did, and clothed in rags, it was common to charaterize him as an " old soldier," It was from tis fact arose tetime doggerel; " Who comes here?" A grenadier. " What do you want ?" A pot of beer. " Where is your money?" I forgot. " Get you gone you drunken sot." A chaplain of a regiment of the Continental Army complained that the men were not punctual at morning prayers. " Oh, I"ll fix that," said the colnel, so he issued an order that the liquor ration would hereafter be given out at the close of morning prayers. It worked lke a miracle; not a man was missing. It is impossible for this generation to conceive of the position of society when the drinking habit was universal among the American people. Alcoholic liquids were considered a necessity of life; a sort of panacea for all ills, a crowning sheaf to all blessings; good in sickness and in health; good in summer to dispel the heat, and good in winter to dispel the cold; good to keep on work and more than good to help on a frolic. So good were they considered, that their attributed merits were fixed by pleasant names. The first dram of the morning was an " eye-opener;" duly folowed by the " eleven-o'clocker " and the "four-o'clocker"; whilst the very last was a " night cap;" after which one was supposed to take no more drinks that day, unless he was unexpectedly called up at night, when, as people generally slept in rooms without fires, he prudently fortified himself against taking cold. Don't imagine these were all the drinks of the day-- by no means. the decanter was at the dinner table and stood ready at all times on the sideboard of every well to do family. If a friend had called, he would be welcomed by the" social glass;" if one had departed, a pleasant journey was tendered in a flowing bumper; if a bargain was made, it was rounded by a liquid "Clincher"; if a wedding had come off, a long and prosperous life was drunk to the happy pair; if one died, the watchers with the dead ( as was the custom of the time ) were provided wit refreshments through the long solemn hours of the night; ardent spirits were always included, while the bearers at the funeral had set out for them the decanter and glass. Drinking, all the way from the cradle to the grave, seemed the grand rule. Dinah, the black nurse, as she swaddled the new born infant, took her dram; and Uncle Sam, the aged, grey haired sexton, with the weak and watery eyes and bent, rheumatic body, soon as he had thrown tha last spadeful of earth upon the little mound he had raised over the remains of fellow mortal, turned to the neighboring bush on which hung his green baize jacket, for a swig of the bottle; after which, and smacking his lips the while, he gathered up his tools and slowly and painfully hobbled homeward to attend to his duties to the lving-- one to ring the town bell at noon, the dinner hour, and again at nine at night, to warn the people to close the stores, stop work and prepare to retire. This was in accord with a favorite couplet of the day; " Early to bed and early to rise, Makes people healthy, wealthy, and wise." An hour later, almost the entire population of the little town, after burying up their fires and blowing out their miserable, dim, little lights, would be laid out around in horizontal positions in their various dwellings-- some with " night caps" and some without " night caps," and some with two " night caps" -- one outside and the in-- sometimes more than that in. ++++++++++++++++++ Blissful Sleep Poets and philosophers have written much in praise of sleep. It is an early habit of the race. The first man of us all, only on awaking from a sound nap, found " his affinity." and after she was by his side. There is GOOD in sleep. "Blissful sleep! This death while yet living-- mysterious, transient death -- the body still holding the soul within its portals while the mind, helpless and helmless, may be wafted by the varying currents of spiritual power through limitless regions of the unknown: but memory gone, it returns no report save that, in some mysterious way, it has noted the passing of time -- can tell whether it has been wandering one hour or ten." ++++++++++++++++++ In those ancient and somewhat melancoly days, church deacons not only frequently ran distilleries, but sold rum, whiskey and gin over the counter at two cents a dram (the price of the time ); while the parson, that good old man, after finishing a round of social visits, not unfrequently returned to is own dwelling so mellowed by the soothing influence of the cordial welcomes of his parishioners, as to feel that this was not such a very bad world after all. This may seem as an exaggeration as to the habits of the people an old-time clergy; but none can gainsay the evidence of Lyman Beecher. In his autobiography, Mr. Beecher describes a scene at a meeting of the Consociation of Congregational ministers and laity at the house of Rev. Mr. Heart, in Plymouth, which took place in the year 1811, on the ordination of Mr. Heart. He says; " In the sitting room of Mr. Heart's house, besides food, was a broad sideboard covered with decanters and bottles and sugar and pitchers of water. There we found all the various kinds of liquor then in vogue. The drinking was apparently universal. This prepartion was made by the society as a matter of course. When the Consociatin arrived they always took something to drink round; also before public services, and always on their return. As they could not all drink at once, they were obliged each to stand and wait for his turn, as people do when they go to mill. There was also a decanter of spirits on the dinner table to hepl digestion, and a gentleman partook of it through the afternoon and evening as they felt te need, somemore and some less. the sideboard, with the spillings of water and sugar and liquor, looked and smelled like the bar of a very active grog shop. None of the Consociation were drunk; but that there was not at times a considerable amount of exhilaration I cannot affirm. When they had all done drinking, and taken pipes and tobacco, in less than fifteen minutes there was such a smoke you could not see. And the noise I cannot describe; it was the maximum of hilarity. They told their stories and were at the height of jocose talk. They were not old-fashioned Puritans. They had been run down. Great deal of spirituallity on the Sabbath, and not much when they got where there was something good to drink. When things are at there worst they began to mend. The terrible evils arising from temperance finally startled the land. The first point in the reform was gained when as one entered a friend's house tha latter felt it a breach of hospitality not to give a sidewise toss of the head and an angular glance of an eye to the sideboard, and then with a smile of tender soitude ask. " What will you have to drink?" And then farther along in the progress of the Temperance idea, when a stranger guest was present, the old, course, digusting question," What will you hve to drink?" was not put at all, and so when a invitation was extended it came from some od fossil of antiquated habits, moved by the spirit of sociality, who, in a hesitating, timid sort of manner, would inquire-- " Do you ev-ever in-Indulge?" The Temperace reform act began in 1832, and soon there came such a moral resurrection of the old-style American people as history has not seen-- the banishing of intoxicating liquors as a common beverage from the homes of respectable families. Such a use had become disgraceful, for public opinion sustained what the enlightened moral sence could only contemplate with a loathing and a shudder. This was a wonderful point gained and it came to stay, great blessing society. But then in some few cases an unlooked for extreme was reached; not only did uch people banish alcoholic drinks from their homes but all sorts of stimulents, as tea and coffee; and then came a crusade against meat, inaugurated by Sylvester Graham, who advocated a purely vegetable diet as a preservative against a desire for stimulents. he had many followers; and among his captives was Horace Greeley, who for a while lived in a vegetarian boarding house, and when there in a lady boarder met the lady who captured him. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tid Bits continued in part 67.