The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1868-07-01
The Di-slller-. cenrension.


Mr.. Greeley Of the n Y Tribune thus dis
coursed about the Distiilers' Convention:
When our friends, the whisky distillers,
met in convention, the other day, they
strangely neglected to present the details
and statistics of their business. On the
contrary, when the dentists, iron-workers,
manufacturers and master artisans and work
ers meet in convention, they always give US
accounts of the progress made In their sew
eral departments, and they point with pride
to the increased demand for their produc-
tion3, and the advantages which the human
race derives from their endeavors. Now, the
distillers gave us no other fact than that
their working capital Is S100, 900. How
ever, as il Is our duty TO keep the great public
informed on all matters Of current interest,
we will do something to supply the dehcien-
cy; and the reader will imagine n we'll
dressed, rosy-faced Secretary reading to an
intelligent and equally rosy-faced audience
a summary OF what the liquor business has
been able to accomplish on the basis Of the
aboye-named capital.
The whole cost of liquors annually made
and sold In the United States, that Is, whisky
either in pure or deriyative state, is about
$500, 900, 900. In the consumption Of this
liquor, 60,000 lives are yearly destroyed,
100000 men and women are sent to prison,
and 900 600 children are bequeathed to poor
houses and charitable institutions. In addi-
llOus cOQ LuuIQCIc anu 1l0 hUlClUtc 8Lt ClAl-
mitted, and the expense connected with
these events is 100000. In our noble State
of New York, of course including the city,
one person in Is Is substantially made 4
pauper. Meanwhile, large sums are dis
bursed in erecting and supervising those
imposing establishments, the common jails,
and the penitentiaries, for SO far-reaching are
the effects of the drinking Of spirituous
liquors that our citizens are enabled to vio-
late every law Of the land Ii will not be
necessary to go into the details Of the man
ufacture Of whisky as now conducted; and
1t will be sufficient to say that, since strych-
nine, red pepper, sulphuric acid, and some
other Ingredients have become common, the
cure Of delirium tremens is impossible. OF
course, the same effects, though in a modified
degree, characterize the various beverages
which are derived from whisky. In the
mild drinks 1t Is gratifying to state that the
progress recently made In the Sciences aud,
In particular, in chemical affinity, enables
the expert manufacturer to produce remark
able results
For instance, we furnssh SOO.O 900 more bas-
kets of Champagne than are produced In all
the Champagne districts of Europe By
passing the oil of whisky through carbon,
Madeira is made at a profit Of 500 per cent,
which few can tell from the e-auine, and
with good reason With neutrat5pirits, or
even with whisky, vinegar, sulphuric acid,
beet-root and copperas, which is to produce
the proper astringency, we are enabled to
turn out more port wine than all the rest of
the world beside; and Of these and other
wines, New York City annually manufac-
lures to the value of 5000, 600, all Of which
are admirably adapted to Timothy's weak
stomach. Il Is scarcely possible to oyerrate
the importance Of this branch of manufac-
ture, since, BY enlisting the wealthy and the
fashionable, the lower classes are led with
less difficulty to the use Of the more common
beverage. To show the fruit OF wine drink
ing on the upper crust Of our society, the
following statement Is significant: By last
accounts Of the State Inebriate Asylum at
Binghamton, there had been applications for
admission from 80 clergymen, 8 judges, $40
merchants, 225 physicians, 30 gentlemen,
and what Is more cheering than all the rest,
], 800 rich mems daughters.
Aside from these little exploits, the distil-
lery business receives great support from
genteel billiard tables, which are always seen
In connection with bars. It is not too much
to say that these tables, by enlisting our
most promising young men, enable Us 20
pour out from our distilleries an amount Of
whisky, II collected 10 one stream, sufficient
TO run grist mill Of ten pairs Of burrs the
year round, Sunday included Il Is to be
hoped that these tables may continue to re-
ceive the patronage Of our young men, and
II Is also TO be hoped that the supplies Of
black walnut and mahogany may be undi-
minished, since EhateveT may not be needed
for the manufacture Of tables, will be sure
to be in demand for coffins. As 10 the gam
bling establishments, little need be said, for
they viii always require large supplies.
There Is one bnlneh however, which needs
encouragement, sBd 1t might be well to con-
slider whether legislative action should not
be invoked to the end that the number
Of houses Of prostitution be Increased, for
n Il rraU rfuAorefr.<.A - h. 4 II
relation between them and our distilleries-
On the contrary, we may reflect that the
prevailing fashions and the habit Of living
beyond our means, viii sufficiently make mar
rage unpopular, and In the end the houses
Of ill-fame viii be crowded Or the whole,
then, the distillery business never was more
prosperous As q consequences, the Asphai-
tam Kingdom must be receiving large addi-
tioHs to its population