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Story
November 8, 1893
The Dawson News
Dawson, Terrell County, Georgia
What is this article about?
In Wilkesbarre, Pa., miner Thomas Meredith's four-month drinking spree impoverishes his family. Devoted wife Maggie supports them by washing and retrieving him nightly despite abuse. After a brief sobriety, he relapses; in desperation, Maggie sells their stove, buys whiskey, and is found dead from it in the mountains.
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OCR Quality
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Excellent
Full Text
A Temperance Story.
How will this do for a temperance story?
It comes from Wilkesbarre, Pa., under date of the 22nd:
Thomas Meredith, a miner of Keystone, a suburb, has been on a spree for four months. His wife Maggie took in washing to keep herself and three children alive.
Maggie loved her husband so dearly that every night she went out to find him and often carry him to her humble home. Sometimes Thomas became abusive at his cups and struck her. No matter; that night she would bring him home as usual.
Last Monday Thomas got sober enough to realize the poverty of his home, the misery of his wife and the half-starved condition of his little ones; then he declared he would never touch liquor again.
The wife set about making the home pleasant and nursed Thomas back to health. The family was happy until Thursday, when Thomas fell. That night the wife had to carry him home once more.
"Thomas will never get sober again," said she to a neighbor Friday, "unless I do something desperate, for he still loves me. I haven't strength left to care for my children."
A peddler came along and she sold him her stove. With the money she bought a quart of whisky and started to the mountains. Last night her dead body was found, and beside it the empty whisky bottle.
How will this do for a temperance story?
It comes from Wilkesbarre, Pa., under date of the 22nd:
Thomas Meredith, a miner of Keystone, a suburb, has been on a spree for four months. His wife Maggie took in washing to keep herself and three children alive.
Maggie loved her husband so dearly that every night she went out to find him and often carry him to her humble home. Sometimes Thomas became abusive at his cups and struck her. No matter; that night she would bring him home as usual.
Last Monday Thomas got sober enough to realize the poverty of his home, the misery of his wife and the half-starved condition of his little ones; then he declared he would never touch liquor again.
The wife set about making the home pleasant and nursed Thomas back to health. The family was happy until Thursday, when Thomas fell. That night the wife had to carry him home once more.
"Thomas will never get sober again," said she to a neighbor Friday, "unless I do something desperate, for he still loves me. I haven't strength left to care for my children."
A peddler came along and she sold him her stove. With the money she bought a quart of whisky and started to the mountains. Last night her dead body was found, and beside it the empty whisky bottle.
What sub-type of article is it?
Family Drama
Tragedy
Biography
What themes does it cover?
Family
Misfortune
Tragedy
What keywords are associated?
Temperance Story
Alcoholism
Family Poverty
Wife Suicide
Miner Spree
What entities or persons were involved?
Thomas Meredith
Maggie
Where did it happen?
Wilkesbarre, Pa., Keystone Suburb, Mountains
Story Details
Key Persons
Thomas Meredith
Maggie
Location
Wilkesbarre, Pa., Keystone Suburb, Mountains
Event Date
22nd
Story Details
Thomas Meredith's alcoholism causes family poverty; wife Maggie endures abuse and supports them until, after his relapse, she sells stove for whiskey and dies by suicide in mountains to shock him sober.