Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1859-06-04
A Wine Drinking Nation.

Hon. James O. Putnam, now in Europe
writes from Spain to the Buffalo Adrertiser
an interesting letter in regard to grape-raising
and winemaking. In regard to intoxication
he says:
A few cents everywhere buys bottle of
wine-its use is universal, there is never a
meal without it.
What is the effect of this abundance and
this universal use upon the habits of the
people
| can only answer that | have sought the
most intelligent sources of information, and
have had one reply, and that has been con-
| tirmed by my own observation, which has not
been uninquisitive. that drunkenness is not
vice of the county, that excessive drink
ing of Intoxicating liquors is not it's habit !:
that while there are exceptional cases, as a
nation it is one of sobriety. 1t is not true
that there is no drunkenness; but it is rare,
not habitual, even in individuals, and is not
felt as q public evil. Nor is it true that the
wines drank in great excess will not intoxi-
cate. You will think my curiosity little
impertinent-but have visited hospitals both
in Portugal and Spain, and inquired of their
physicians if they ever had cases deliriuna
tremens,-the scourge which in our country
opens the gateway to death to so many gifted
and noble natures-and their universal reply
has been, that it was a disease unknown to
the country. Private practitioners told me
the same.
| During the three months l have spent in
Spain, [ have seen but single instance of
intoXication this was on a "bul fight day
at Granada Another thing have observed
! there is in Spain, no constant dram drinking.
| First let me say that the hotels in this coun-
| try have no bar or saloon. The loungers, and
| the country swarms with them, visit the
Cafes and Club Houses. The Hotels are as
, quiet as private dwelling. But if you were
! to visit those evening resorts of the people to
see their life, you might find them all drink
| ing, but most of them would be drinking
nothing stronger than coffee or lemonade, with.
out spirits of any sort. Not to particularise
any further, | will give you a single expert
ence. 1t is representative fact, and there
fore more significant
| made the passage on the kerengger, a
| Spanish steamer, from Cadiz to Havana
| voyage of twenty days. There were fifty
! four first cabin, and fifty-seven second cabin
passengers, among them half dozen young
army officers, on the way to their regiments
in Havana. There were but eight or ten la
dies, and all the passengers but two, Span
iards There was no bar or saloon, or any
thing answering to them on the steamers. -
The common wine of the country was furnish
ed as part Of the breakfast and dinner, of
which all drank-but very m0derately-and
so far as | observed, of nothing else. The
| only exceptions were a Frenchman, and O.
Spaniard who had spent his early days in
England.
never saw passenger drinking spirits of
any sort, with those two exceptions, ,and those
not to any excess, except at their meals
There could hardly have been more sobriety
of conduct II it had been a body of delegates
to a temperance convention. It was so nov
ell a steamboat experience to me, that on my
arrival at Havana [ asked the steward what
amount OF liquors of all sorts had been sold
during the voyage. And what result do YOU
suppose the examination of his books gave uss
1t revealed an aggregate sale of sixteen bot
ties OF brandy, and twenty-four bottles of ex-
ira wines to the whole one hundred and eleven
passengers, all told, during the entire voyage
Of twenty days,
Every evening would find fifteen or twen-
ty passengers playing the usual steamboat
games, but without spirits of any sort to drink.
think score of men passing three hours of
an evening in those steamboat amusements,
with no beverage but tea and coffe is a spec
tace you must 60 beyond the States to see.
| was so impressed with this, to me entirely
new observation in steamboat life, that in
quired of the commanding officer if this So
briefly We're usual. He assured me it re
marking that the Spaniard was very mod
crate drinker Ct the stronger liquor, but that
men. women and chldseg drank the wines of
their country at their meals.