Gazette Of The United States

The "Worcester Speculator" is an excellent writer in Mr. Thomas' Massachusetts Spy.—We have frequently enriched the Miscellany of the Gazette, by extracts from his publications—and we doubt not the following observations and facts from his 63d number will be generally acceptable.

"THE times are truly hard, and so will they ever be when intemperance prevails—when the people prefer the dissipation of a tavern to the cultivation of their fields. But happily for the community these habits seem now to be fast growing into disrepute; and temperance, economy, and industry seem now to be esteemed objects of importance: And experience will probably soon convince us, that we can labor as well, and enjoy our health better without inflammable spirits than with them. Probably not a quarter part of much rum has been drank in this part of the country the last year as was in the space of a year at the close of the war. Some of our principal retailers have not, if we can believe their assertions, old so many pints of rum the last year as they did gallons the year before; and then the quantity was much diminished from that which was sold a few years earlier. Our taverns too are generally still and quiet, and rarely do we find people of the vicinity resorting to them, but on business of some public occasion. Many of our principal farmers, in different parts of the country, have nobly broke through the pernicious custom of treating their laborers with rum; and they will not employ those who will not serve them without spirituous liquors. And they have found their account in it the present year—for it has been very observable in the course of the past summer, that those who have hired without supplying with spirits have had the best workmen and a plenty of them, and their work has been done the most neatly and with the greatest dispatch.

The mechanics also in many places, and especially the most reputable of them, have almost forsaken their cups. And men of business of all kinds appear to be convinced that they can conduct their affairs better without spirituous liquors than with them. In this way a great saving has been made the last year by the citizens in general: And let any one judge if any inconveniences have resulted from these savings."