History of Ipswich, Essex, and Hamilton |
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Author:
| Felt, Joseph Barlow |
ISBN: | 978-0-217-22135-1 |
Publication Date: | Aug 2009 |
Publisher: | General Books LLC
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Book Format: | Paperback |
List Price: | USD $19.94 |
Book Description:
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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: DRINKS. Ardent Spirit. There is mournful proof, that this found its serpentine way among the first inhabitants of Ipswich, as well as among those of other communities. Still, such firewater, as rightly it was called by Indians, was very far from being so common, as it has been in our age. A gentleman, over...
More DescriptionPurchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: DRINKS. Ardent Spirit. There is mournful proof, that this found its serpentine way among the first inhabitants of Ipswich, as well as among those of other communities. Still, such firewater, as rightly it was called by Indians, was very far from being so common, as it has been in our age. A gentleman, over ninety, informs us, that much less of it was consumed here in 1760, for the same number of people, than there is now, even since the temperance reformation. Then, a pint was made to go as far among workmen, as a gallon in latter years. Other poisons have slain their thousands, but this its tens of thousands. Happy the people, who shall cast it from among them, and consign it to the care of judicious apothecaries. Wine. This was drunk sparingly by a small proportion of the primitive emigrants. It was taken, as well as spirits, for many years, from a cup. Like every thing of the kind, which produces excitement, though it endangers and debases, it grew upon the appetite of the people, even faster than their growth. In 1639, the legislature forbid healths to be drunk, undoubtedly with wine; and, in 1672, they require it not to be given to workmen. Such enactments, however, neither caged nor bound the abuse of this liquid. Multitudes, now living, can remember when tyrant fashion would obtrude it upon their taste, by night and by day, whenever making a call upon others either for business or pleasure. There is indeed matter for unfeigned thankfulness to our Maker, that He has caused the threatening tide of this custom to be turned back. It is vain for us to expect, that ever total abstinence from spirits will hold its own, and make great advances, until the use of wine, for those in health, is banished from society. Beer. For the first half century, families in general had...