The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1863-10-31
sc Bitters "---Worse than q Humbug.

The land is full OF bitts.aess. We speak
not now of the woe and anguish caused by
war but of what promises to be scarcely less
disastrous in its results upon individuals and
families During the present year We have
travelled four or five thousand miles, through
different parts of the country. In all that
route there has hardly been point where the
eye did not meet an advertisement of some
body's "Bitters." Upon every available
space, on the walls of buildings, on the
fences, on the surface of rock ana stones,
upon the bridges and telegraph poles, indeed
every where "Bitters,' Strengthening
Bitters," Healing Biters," Invigorating
Bitters," Life Saving Bitters," or some
other Bitters stare one in the face
This is most strikingly the case in some por-
tons of Illinois. So, too, the newspapers
abound in advertisements of these various
bitters; and in every hotel, tavern, and down
to TIE smallest 5 by drinking shop, attrac-
tive rows Of bottles labeled Bitters" are
every wh.re to be seen. We know of large
glass manufactures run almost exclusively
in 'he g:anaiacfnre oi hctt.es for Bitters.
Now all this costs mint of MONEY!" and
lis money has already come and is coring
from those who bny and drink these Bitiers
showing an immense consumption.
But what are these Bitters with
Scarcely An exception, they are essentially q
cheap form of alcohol-Shisky, gin, or rum.
Nos; contain a little bitter extract-soms
more. some l.ss-added as blind, or as q
slight tonic. Take out The alcohol, and all
that remains would not amount to much
good or bad. Whisky. or gin, that under Its
own proper name would 10. sell for fifty
cents gallon, is put into bottles costing
iron, 4 to cents each, FIVE to eight bottles
to the gallon, labeled at the cost Of penny,
and sold at a dollar hottie, or at least FIVE
dollars 4 gallon. The attractive label, the
great stor:ss told of the healing and strength
ening properties, lead people 70 pay these
prices. This much is sheer humbug. Bat
there is a worse feature. We stopped at the
house of a western farmer who would not
for the world ineite in his children a taste
for and Eore of alcoholic drinks. Yet infuenc-
ed by the advertisement in his family paper,
and 2 religious one at hat, he had bought
and used ssvsral bottles of these bitters,
and supposing us wearied with d long DAYS
travel, be profered Us glass of strength
eniag b.tters." Two of his little hoys
were given a spoonful each before breakfast
-" to keep OF the chiIls." We told him he
was feeding them with gin and LAYING the
foundation for drunkard's life and drunk
ards grave.
We constantly meei with persons who
daily use these bitters.r The temporary
sliu,ulant afforded by the .lcoi ol. deceives
them into the belief that tt.y are inrigora-
ting or Strengthening" When the ex-
citement subsidies, and the natural reaction
and lassiiude follow, they take another dose,
and SO go on. We say in all seriousness,
that the enormous sale and use of these
% pitters is doing more to produce wide
spread dissipation and drunkenness, BY be-
getting a taste for alchohol, than can be
counteracted by the efforts of all the Tenn
perance Societies that have vet been organ
lied. Let US beg Of every man who would
no; bring up his family 10 be drunkards, and
Who would keep out of temptation himself,
to Danish these bitters Of crc,y kind from
the house, and discourage their sale in the
community. We have had column after
column of advertisements of them offered
for the IgricuitWist, bu: We would as soon
admit advertisements Of sugar pellets which
ere knew 20 contain concealed arsenic or
strychnine.- IyriculturiSt.