The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1879-02-11
TIE SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY
Eassday, February IL. 1870
SAM SNYDER.
TAA Facts About His Capacities In
DistlllatiOn.
MAX Adeler.)

We were all sitting ont on the piazza
In front OF Blyler's store, and Al'ner
Nyng was there, with his legs cooked up
sgainst post and his chair tilted back
DR.. Murray was running his eye down s
column OF the county paper. when he
suddenly said:
"Halioa! This is queer! Why, 1t
says that an 4 ,glish chemis, has sue
cssded In dis,illing whisky from saw
dustp
"That's nothing" said Abner Byng
GIpping his .humb
"How do you mean, nothir gf" asked
the doctor.
"0h, its old; awful old knew that
years ago. Did you ever meet Sam
Snyder !"
'No. never met him."
"Well, Sam was q hard drinker-mnst
Have rum by one means or another. He
had NO money and nobody to trust him
OF treat him. So Sam somehow ascer
talned that whisky could be made out OF
sawdust,an do you know what he'd do =
sWhatf'
.ne'd get 30 drunk of fence rail
and 4 cross cut saw that be couldn't tell
Gov from . sugar cured ham Put him
near 70 q woodpile and sawbuck, and
ies him alone, and before ii o'clock he d
tara out the most delicious mint juleps
you ever tasted"
"Essily done, was Il p
"Easilys Why, one time his family
tried to keep him sober by putting him
ont on the roof and keeping him there ;
and do you know what Sam did1 Got
boy to tie 3 wash boiler and four feet
Of lead pipe to string, and Sam fshed
'n up,and in three days he turned every
shipele into cock tails, and he fell through
into the garret in such frightful condi
non of intoxication that they had to
give him electric shocks from a forty
TWO cell battery to bring him back to
eonsciousness.
"You know this 10 be fact do you z
"Certainly; was there. Why, that
man acquired preference for liquor
made from wood. and three times to my
certsin knowledge he got mania a pots
rom consumption OF distilled pie board
aud potato masheis. He drank up four
nets OF chair legs, and, one Fourth o
July, when his wife stopped his destroc
lion of the furniture, he celebrated the
day BY calling in three or four friends
TO drink q new kind Of energetic brandy
that he'd just made out OF . window sil
and q clothes prop. Why, cir, l pledge
you my word, Snyder, in single winter
drank up smoke house, three washtubs
and front door. Nothing could stoE
Him when he got going"
"why did he prefer domestic uten
silst",
-He didn't. There was q wood ou
back Of his house that belonged to BIZ
aunt Sand 90 out there with mea
saw. or any kind Of . saw lie could get
and In two years he had stimulated biz
sys.em with eight chestnut trees. fon
persimmons, ,onc oak and fifteen sapling
ar various kinds. Thinned that grow
% shat bis aunt couldn't rent it TO picni
parties. Nearly broke The old lady
heart, too"
"Did be kill himself drinking?"
sWell, not exactly. I'll tell you ho'
u vas. II seems that he was hauntet
for . long time with the idea that II b
could dislill the Presbyterian Churc
sseeple be could turn out an article that
bear resemblance, somehow, to old ar
pie brandy. Queer, wasn't itP But th
man Was not exactly right; bis mind wa
diseased So one night he got on tn
root Of the church with q ladder 10 stes
thc steeple. When be got there Il dunn
how it was, but the idea seemed to strik
him to taste the thing, maybe to see
be WAS right about the favor, and-h
must have been wild when he did it--h
actually swallowe the weather cock, ,an
there be stuck, whirlng around all nigt
% the wind struck him. Dead q
vas deader'n Martin Van Buren whe
they come to take him down"
'sHe swallowed the weather-cock, di
hsY"
"Yes, cir; swallowed IT,"
swell, that wasn't half 40 hard
suallow as your whole yarn" said Bl,
iss.
.You don't doubt my veracty,
hope p said Abner "You do2 We
II you have quarter about you, it "
soothe my wounded feelings. ! on
want A."
Just at this juncture Blyler kicked N
Byng on the porch, and Abner walk
away 10 the next tavern with faint ho
thsl the bartender might give him cre'
for one more chance.