The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1868-06-16
The LiquOr-Traffic.

The n Y. Examiner, in an interesting article,
collates some striking facts and figures about the
liquor traffic in the United States. The Revenue
| report to the Treasury, January 1868, says !:
Il he present productions Of distilled spirits in
the United States, theoretically available tor as
| sessment and revenue, Is undoubtedly about
fifty millions OF proof gallons per annuuI."
1 he total number OF licensed establishments
for the sale OF liquor in the United States, is 100,
600, that is one establishment for every 266 per-
sons or for every ftty-three families his state
ment cannot be an exaegerat on, for the more
carefully prepared statistics OF New York State
give grog shop every 1873 OF the inhabitants.
these 49,, 900 licensed liquor establishments
occupy more buildings than there are in the city
and county of Philadelphia, accol riding to the re-
turns of January 1868
If frontage of twenty feet were allowed each
liquor establishment, they would form solid row
| OF buildings more than four hundred and ninety
two miles long-longer than the railroad route
from Boston, by way of New York and fhila-
delphia, to Washington city. The number OF
persons required to carry on this profitable traf-
| fc, assigning three to each place, Gin New Y ork
City the average is five eaeh,) is $50 900, more
than the population of Baltimore or Boston.
| In the State Of New York, the number of IL
censed grog-shops is Fl ,242, and of employees in
them, 63726. The number of schools and church
es is 1892, and that of teachers and ministers,
1921.
The sum ofmoney expended for liquor through
out the country, is still more startling The to-
tai value of retail liquor sales for year, in
the different States and Territories, is ST ,4S3,-
491 ,S65. The total value of railroads and their
equipments is but little more than this, viz
! 81 .653, O50799. This enormous amount spent
for intoxicating drink, is equivalent TO S43 for
every man. woman and child in the country. 1t
is more than 1.-The entire product of the precious
metals" from all the States and Territories west
of the Rocky Mountains. for twenty years, from
1913 to January 1868 which MrJ Ross Browne.
in his recent report to the Secretary ofthe Treas
ury. estimates at s1165 100000. It is more
than ten times the total value Of all the church
property in the United States, given by the cen
| sus of 1860 as Sl71 1898, 532. 1t is more than
one half our entire national debt. [not deducting
the cash in the treasury. which was s., 625,-
SOP e4s on November / 1867:
HA1LsToRMs We read of furious hailstorms
in all parts of the country, from the Northern
portion of the Union down to Texas. We have
seen an account of storm that occurred in
Washington city last Sunday. that did great
deal of damage The hail fell furiously, break
| ing immense numbers of window panes. The
stones were very large-some of the size of pig
cons eggs. This we can believe. But what
shall we say of an account which we read of a
storm that passed over San Antonio, Texas, in
which one of the hailstones was weighed, and
its weight was five pounds and half! But this
was not equal to one that passed over 1ndanola
in the same wonderful country in which there
fell stones that weighed eight pounds
These heavenly shots are said to have riddled
the strongest roofs like cannon balls; and they
must have done-if they ever fell-but this ii
: exactly what we doubt.