Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-11-01
Making Alcohol.


There are many topics coming up in an
ordinary temperance school which could be
made both popular and profitable to the
general public If rightly managed. This
was the case in the little town Of Norris
vile, the locality Of the temperance school
described in the current numbers of the
Youths Temperance Banner. The discus
sion about cider in the school has created 80
much interest that many Of the parents and
friends of the children came in TO listen.
Mr.. Gale, the superintendent, then gave
little more time to the subject, for he
thought If adults were willing to learn they
should have the privilege as well as the
children. Perhaps he could do good SER
vice TO the cause Of temperance by clearing
up some of the many popular fallacies
about the nature and effects of alcohol.
After the experiment of distilling the rotten
apples and not finding any alcohol in them,
there was great inquiry as to where the
alcohol did come from, and Mr.. Gale had
very kindly given quite number of expert
ments in the different sessions of the school
in order to answer that question fully. Some
people said "There must be alcohol in the
apples, for there is alcohol in cider, and
cider is only applejuice." Mr. Gale said
Show me the alcohol in the apples" But
they did not know how to take the first step
towards showing it they only kept saying
II it was not in the apples you could not
get it out of them" Mr.. Gale replied "If
there is alcohol in the apples distillation
will bring it out" So he distilled the ap-
pies, but no alcohol came. Then he pressed
out some of the juice and distilled that
still no alcohol. Besides that" he said
eve know there is no alcohol in the apples
for we may eat as many as we like without
becoming tipsy or feeling any other effects
of alcohol"
ain all this" he said, I" we have not found
where the alcohol comes FROM now we will
find it. We will take some of the same
fresh spple-juice from which we have failed
to distil alcohol and let it stand in warm
place till our next meeting, and then SEE
what we can do" So he put the juice il
an open jar and locked it up in glass case
so that no one should tamper with it, ant
let it stand in warm place, where the ther
mometer stood about seventy degrees.
| But before the time for the next meeting
so much interest was shown on the subject
that he consented to devote an entire eve
ming to it in the academy chapel. The
audience was not large, but he felt sure il
would increase; and, besides, if few Of
the more intelligent should become &C
quainted with the subject the knowledge
would soon become dffused throughout the
community. He entered at once upon the
subject, making only little previous expla
nation about the preparation of the apple
juice.
Then he unlocked it and showed that il
was fermenting rapidly. He put it into the
| distilling apparatus, and when he had dis
titled little he poured it out and touched a
match to it, and it was Immediately covered
with lightbluish flame.
"Now," said he, "you will wonder where
the alcohol came from. There was none in
it when we put it there and nobody has put
any in it since; but here it is. l will tell
| you how it came there. / made it,
squeezed out the apple juice and put it into
jar, and put it in the right heat and | did
it purposely to make the alcohol If any OF
you had asked me what was doing should
have replied that was making alcohol. !
| did tell you that should show you where il
came from, and have done SO. 1t came
from the decay of sugar that was in the
fluid juice under certain conditions of heat
and air which 1 gave it, and in other re.
spects took advantage of chemical laws
and made the alcohol. 1t is believed that
| alcohol is never found in nature, but is al.
ways made by human beings. Women
make it great many times without know.
ing it, when they manufacture homemade
wine, to say nothing of what goes on in their
vinegar barrels. But please notice that it is
no argument against the use of it, for we
rightfully use many things not found in ma
ture, such as bread, cloth, boiled BEANS and
thousands of other things. speak of its
not being found in nature merely as a scien.
tific fact, and also because many plead that
we ought to use it because it is good
creature of Cod when the fact is that it is
one of the many inventions of man.
Julia Colmar, in temperance Advocate.