The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-07-18
DECLINE In DRINKING.

| FALLING OFF OF ONE-HALF IN sPIRITUoUs
DRINKS NOTABLE INCREASE, HOWEVER,
IN PH1LADELPHIA's CONSUMPTION OF
MALT LIQUORS.
Philadelphia Record.J
Six hundred and fifty lone thousand three
hundred and twenty-four casks of beer, ale
and porter were brewed in Philadelphia
from July l, 1877, to June 80, 1878, so say
the records at the office of the collector of
internal revenue. Each cask contains about
twenty gallons. Calculating Philadelphia's
population on the basis of eight hundred
| thousand, these figures would give an aver
| age of four hundred and eight glasses to
| every man, woman and child for the year.
The consumption of malt liquor in Phila-
| delphia is rapidly on the increase. In the
fiscal year ending June, 1876, the number
| of casks upon which duty was paid was $780,
IA. In the next fiscal year, which included
the Centennial season, when the city was
crowded with strangers, and an increased
demand for all classes of liquors was in or
der, this number had advanced to 643, SAL
an increase of 61,633 barrels for the year
which ended on the first of the present
| month. The brewers thought that with the
disappearance OF the Centennial throng, the
demand for malt liquors would recede to
old-time figures. How far they were mis-
taken is shown by the fact that not only has
the extra Centennial consumption been
| maintained, but that it has been exceeded
by no less than 7,476 casks. The highest
consumption in any one month was in July
last, when duty was paid upon GO, 4s2 bar
rels, February standing at the bottom of the
list with a total Of IS, 050.
While, however, the consumption of beer
is on the increase, that of spurious liquors is
on the downward path. The duty paid on
distilled liquors during the last year AMOUNT
ed to $l52, 1910 against 1886, 465 for the
year before, falling off of more than one
half; and in the total consumption of malt
| and spirituous drinks there has been de-
cline during the year decreasing the revenue
over S12G, O0O
| The brewers busiest time is In the winter
months. Then it is that he makes what in
| the trade is known as the stock aes, which
| keep up their tone and quality all the year
round The heated term is not favorable
for brewing, and the liquor produced in the
summer months must be drank quickly if it
is to be consumed at all. On this account,
| also, the summer ales are rather inferior to
the winter brew, although they are prefer
red by some folks. Tastes differ among
| ale-drinkers, some preferring fresh and light
drinks, while others have preference for
the old and heavy.
Those in the trade say that the drinking
public are just beginning to favor ales. En-
glish experts pronounce the ales in the Phil
adelphia market to be equal, if not superior,
to those to be had in their country, although
it is a recognized fact that for flavor, delica-
cy and aroma American hops bear no COM
parison to those grown on British soil. Ale
brewers say that this superiority, as well as
| the increased patronage which ale and por-
ter are obtaining, is mainly due to the care
which is taken in their manufacture. Their
| aim is to make the drink as pure as possible,
| and with this object all foreign Ingredients,
| such as bicarbonate of soda and tartaric acid,
which enter largely into the manufacture of
lager, are eschewed. Even grape sugar,
which is used more or less by English brew
ers, does not count among the ingredients
of which Philadelphia ales are Composed
The amount of malt used to barrel aver
ages from two and a fourth to three and
half bushels, according to the quality of the
article needed. The more malt the better
l tbo boor oe rronoco1 r,,Io C.,.o a..
New York brewers use corn meal as SUBJ
stitute for grape sugar, but neither of these
ingredients enter into the manufacture of
the Philadelphia article.
| Philadelphia ales have large sale in ev-
cry State in the Union. OF late fair ex-
port trade has sprung up between Cuba and
Mexico, and an effort is to be made to intro
duce them into South America.
The first romance of the season in a love-
ly Vermont village has curled up at the edg-
es and been torn to shreds like an old circus
bill on country fence. A few weeks ago a
young man, we'll educated, beautiful, rich
at least he said he was-and the son of an
English baron, arrived in the village in
search Of quiet resort where his parents
and their numerous attendants might spend
the summer. The hotel pleased him. and he
engaged large number of rooms for his
fathers family. Now there Glanced to board
| and lodge at that hotel widow with a
charming daughter of nineteen summers,
also beautiful, graceful, accomplished and
romantic. correspondent of the Troy
| Psocc fo11c win honD
willingly accepted the young mans invita-
tions to ride, and walk, to visit the hillside,
the grove, to linger by the brook-side, as
the water came fresh and cool and ran
among the leaves and moses. The young
lady became the allianced of the baron's
son. The young man went to the pastor of
one of the churches and said the baron would
be there on a certain Sabbath, and was fond
OF good preaching. The son engaged band
OF music to escort the baron from the depot to
the hotel. borrowed considerable money of
the landlord, which with the livery and board
bill made pretty penny. ae received
telegram stating that his father would ar
rive on certain day. On the day before
the great event he drove to a neighboring
town to be absent for few hours, in order
to leave two gold watches at jewellers to be
repaired. Those timepieces belonged to his
prospective mother-in-law and the bride
elect, whom he had kissed with particular
J fervor when he had started on his ride, He
j Id not return. The baron did not arrive.
Who will pay the little -bills-bills ?
Some other man.
!, The army commission, of which A. E
Burnside is President, will hold it's first ses-
sion at 'the White Sulphur Springs, during