Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-09-02
Pure Whiskeyl


Our whiskey is pure, and we warrant it
Tree from any 'Adulteratiou' whatever We
md the foregoing in the advertisement of one
OF the liquor makers of this state. Why is
II tnat 1t has become necessary for such as o..
.surances and warrants to be given /? Para
graphs like the following fully answer the
question -
The Lebanon (0hiol Star records the death
OF four men from drinking whiskey with
stryennine IN IT. and says that tens Of thou
lery have died. Two tons Of dead 6sb were
taken out of the mill race, which was liter-
ally choked with them.
Years ago such things were not known.
end it was not necessary for manufacturers
and dealers to assure their customer. that
the compounds sold by them were free from
all collaboration They were bought and
swallowed without any twinge Of fear sugges.
ting that possibly there might be a trace Of
some poisonous ingredient blended therein
that might rob them Of their allotted days.
Nobody dreamed of there being death in the
pot The fish swan in the brook Yellow the
old still house unframed by the drains from
diluted 'slops.' and men drank the half bot
doubling without writhing TO the death in
f the cow ulsive pangs produced by the fatal
: natz romica. But a great change has been
e wrought in the mysteries Of distiIlation
t double the number of gallons are now made
e from a bushel of grain-the liquor is strong
f er-tipplers look into the cup with a suspi-
cious leer-and the fish die by thousands be-
low the distilIeryi Well this is an age Of
e wonders and astonishing achievements. One
need not be surprised il tipplers perform the
II journey, already swift, from the GROCERY to
the grave in one half the usual time hence
1t forth. Progress is ever on the alert and Il
topers find that they now and then take a
tie horn that blows them up instanter and pro.
duces a certain goring sensation in the pit Of
a the stomach, with tvinges and twitchingl
o. over the system, they should, in all justice
give the credit TO their last potion as being
whiskey of extraordinary ability, capable Of
performing improved tricks such as the old
d fashioned stuff never could reach. And /
y the drnnkard finds. undor the new system
{ an ugly grave gaping its hungry avs acros
We his path full twenty years or more before h,
expected it, he need not try to shun it ba
u make a leap towards it in the dark, and civ
SC progress the thanks for speeding him oyel
9" the downward road in half the time his fatt
er did, with fewer knocks and bruises.
We Seriously: There is no telling what th
TOT eupidity and avarice of man will lead him tc
1t is the love Of gold that prompts the dist
me Ter TO mingle poisonous ingredients with hi
On compounds, in order to increase their quaint
w ty, regardless of the sacrifice of human Iii
Is be causes. Pure whiskey' kills men 500
the enough in the old fashioned way, and if Il
Ons present system Of adulteration continues, y
Tor may expect the ratio of mortality from drum
to ~enness to be largely increased. This nj
work well in the end. for all men are desps
will ately afraid Of touching anything that W
neh kill a rat, and the strychnine and other poi
ueh onous chemicals so much in vogue with ma
pro- ufacturers just now, may be the means Of d
ing more for temperance and morality thi
all the moral ~suasion, the legal s~uasion, 1
n.r preaching and printing hat has ever be-
nty employed. So mote it be