Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1867-03-14
The Whisky and Bread
Question.

interesting subject in the following
MANNER:
There is no subject Of such vital
Interest 10 the people a. the quality
Of their foods and drinks. If the
community is feeding upon q slow
! poison, 1t should be Informed ofthe
fact, iethose who distill liquors
manufacture them out of the worst
materials which it is possible TO and
10 the market, this fact, too, should
be put upon record. That both Of
the postulates are facts is well
: known to those who deal in corn
and what, for they haye an excel
lent opportunity Of acquainting
themselyeS with the actual condition
Of these graiGs :%Shcn they reach the
! New York market, and they also
know who it is that purchases them
and to what uses they are after
wards put.
"A crop Of corn is often of very
poor quality when it comes from
the field Perhaps 1t is cut before
the ear is fully matured, and il may
be sent to the granery in a green
and damp condition. If the harvest
season proves to be wet one, then
it almost invariably follows that
seyen-eights of the corn by the time
it reaches New York City is in a
damaged condition. After the corn
has been cut it needs several days
Of good sunshine to dry and harden
the grain, it is not really fit for
shipment until it has been in the
farmers granery all winter. The
same is true Of wheat, as we'll as In
dian corn.
Chicago is the great grain depot
Of the world, and the point of which
most Of the western corn is sent for
shipment 1t is usually in a good
condition when it arrives at Chica-
go, but while there, and during its
transit to this city, the bulk Of it be-
comes damaged. Much Of it gets
heated while in the immense eleya-
tors, and a process of slow fermen-
tation, or decay, commences which
does not end even after it has ar
rived in the metropolis The corn
is thrown into the holds Of vessels,
when it makes the voyage of the
lakes to Buffalo; it is then trans
ferred to canal boats, and after sew
eral weeks slow travel, reacher its
destination. The corn leaves Chi.
cago in the spring, arriving here in
the heat of summer; much of it has
been wet, through various causes ;
while nearly all is overheated. The
vitality Of the grain is exausted,
vegetation has actually commenced,
and in many instances sprouts ap-
pear, and vast masses present moth
but a scene of growth and decay
Uuder such conditions all vegeta-
BILE matter is exceedingly injurious
to the human system.
When corn gets into such rot
ten condition that neigter man nor
beast can or will eat it, one might
suppose it was in a fit state to throw
away. Not SO, it is then called
"distillery corn" and such is the
competition among those who man
ufacture whisky to obtain this dam
aged grain, that the price runs up
within six or seven cents of that
which is asked for prime corn. For
the sake Of obtaining better quail |
ty ofwhisky the distiller is not will |
ling to pay even six cents more a |
bushel for his corn. Avarice con
trolls the whole matter-the health |
Of the people is never taken into
the account. |
Distillery corn is horrible stuff to
look at--black, rotten, ofensiye--it
disgusts all living animals. Some
times a canal boat load I'd with corn
sinks, going to the bottom of the
river; this is known in the
market as "sunk corn" Wheat may
meet with a similar accident, but the L
distillers are lust as anxious to get Il
it. k
Those people who distill whisky {
seem to be a sort of vegetable or
grain scavengers, who keep the
market clear of all those things
which are apt to breed cholera pes
.ilence, and sickness generally. The
question may be very naturally ask
ID, and with some degree Of concern
by those who are in the habit of
the fluid, what quality of
whisky it is possible to distill from
such grain. 4
Rye makes the best whisky, corn
he poorest, always In selecting ;
grains for thepurpose of distillation, !
hose should be obtained which con- !
ain the least fusile oil. Corn is
particularly rich in these oils, espe-
,ially in the fat known as oleine.-l..
The swelling and bursting Of these 4
oleine glObules is what causes corn
% parch when heated. Now these .
ats or oils produce a very inferior !,
quality of whisky, and when the 4
,orn is in the rotten condition men
ioned, the product of disiIlation l.
must partake somewhat of the inju-
'ious properties of the grain, as !
veil as of the fats which are always !,
'ound in sound corn. The whisky =
made from this decayed stuff is not
t for any kind of use, and is +
1nown by distillers as Jersey whisky 4
which will lill round the corner. -
n order to give the whisky a color
- Hovre,. ial v.as..se J, l., Al ., ,,,,,.,