WOODLAND HEALTH AND TEMPERANCE CLUB.
By J. G. Overshiner
Saturday evening, Dec. 18, the Woodland Health and Temperance Club held its last public meeting for this year in the Adventist church. The leader of the Club called the meeting to order, and gave out the song "For God and the Right," from "Temperance and Gospel Songs," which was sung by the congregation, and was followed by a fervent prayer by Eld. J. L. Wood. The Secretary being absent, the minutes of the last meeting, held Aug. 31, 1880, were read by the leader. Next followed that popular and stirring temperance piece entitled "Dare to be a Daniel," which was sung with spirit by the congregation. A short but impressive temperance discourse was then delivered by Eld. Wood, who took as the basis of his remarks Prov. 23:2: "Put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite." He spoke of the power that perverted appetite has over a great portion of mankind, not only for liquor and tobacco but also for other substances which have an injurious and often fatal effect upon those who indulge in their use. He also showed how filthy and disgusting persons become who indulge in such poisons, and also stated that tea was often prepared in such a way as to contain filthy and even poisonous substances. Many good points were made showing the value of temperance in all wholesome foods and beverages, and the destructive consequences of intemperance, but we have neither time nor space to mention them. After the discourse a beautiful piece entitled "Heaven's Pearls," from the temperance song book, was sung as a duet, making a pleasing feature of the evening's entertainment. Then temperance recitatives were given by two little boys who did credit to themselves, followed by the temperance song, "Little Drops," the last verse of which is, "Little drops of brandy,
Little drops of rye,
Make the mighty toper
And the rummy eye,"
Containing sober facts clothed in humorous language. The Constitution and By-laws of the club were then read and explained by Bro. Wm. Saunders, at the conclusion of which the leader called upon persons in the audience for general remarks, to which M. C. Winchester, of Knights Landing, responded by showing the alarming extent to which the evils of the liquor traffic had progressed in the State, but assured us that the temperance people of California were making progress in their efforts to eradicate those evils, and that in the near future California would fall into line with Iowa, Kansas and other States that had recently expressed at the ballot-box in favor of prohibition. Rev. E. M. Stuart also responded, and in his remarks stated that some newspapers in this State had become alarmed at the progress of the temperance cause, and feared that she would become as bad as Maine with her severe prohibitory laws, which the speaker hoped would soon be the case. He stated that he resided eighteen years in a large town in that State, during which time he never saw a saloon nor a place where liquor was advertised for sale, and only two or three drunken men. At the conclusion of the interesting remarks by these gentlemen, the solicitors obtained four signers to the Teetotal Pledge and two to the Anti-Whisky. One dollar was received for certificates, and 350 pages of temperance tracts were distributed among the audience. There are now 112 persons enrolled as members of the club, 64 of whom are full members, having signed the Teetotal Pledge. During this year four have broken their pledges. The next meeting was announced to take place on the 15th of next January. The closing piece, "Work," was sung and the audience dismissed with the benediction. The meeting was pronounced a success by many who were present, the chief regret expressed being in regard to the inclemency of the weather, which prevented a full attendance.
J. G. OVERSHINER, Sec. pro tem.