Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-04-19
BGgnuDA.
its Peculiar Importance to the
American whisky Trade.
CorrospOpdcnco New York Time,,


Bermuda vegetables are beginning Il
ripen, and when they bring the high
est prices in the New York market
before our native vegetables are ever
planted. 1t is nothing for the Grin
oeo to bring up a few thousand boxel
OF onions and few thousand barrels
of potatoes. 1t could hardly have
been onions and potatoes that loaded
the steamer down to draught OF II
or Is feet on this voyage, however, fol
these vegetables are just beginning tC
ripen, even in Bermuda. II was q
most valuable cargo. Anyone who
had visited the Orinoce's pier on
Monday, would have seen an
srmy of longshoremen at work
rolling barrels out of her hold
These barrels did not contain potatoes
but whisky. When the vessel went
down to Bermuda few weeks ago she
carried out lew hundred barrels Of
whisky. When she returned she
brought them back. 1t is matter Of
surprise to passengers on the Bermuda
steamer to see hundreds and thousands
barrels OF American whisky going
to these islands, where, in the absence
OF any considerable duty, the best
whisky can be bought at retail
for about so cents quart. The
curiosity OF the passengers usually
prompts them to ask Capt. Erayser
what it means, and he tells them that
this is whisky that has been in bond
for several years, and that its term Of
free bondage has nearly expired.
To avoid the payment OF heavy tax
its owners send it to foreign port,
land it, obtain certificate from the
American Consul to, show that it has
been landed, aud have it brought back
to New York in the same ship. When it
again reaches New York it is, of
course, foreign whisky, and is entitled
to remain in bond for another term Of
years without paying any tax. When
this second term expires the whisky
can be got out of the country once
more and come back with renewed
health and vigor. The brands one x,
two KS, and three Ks on the barrels
do not, as some persons might suppose,
refer to the number of times the
whisky has been imported"
Bermuda is the nearest foreign port
at which this American whisky can
legally be landed and taken away
again without the payment of duty.
Ouriously enough, one of the chief
items of business done by the Quebec
Steamship Company, the owners of the
OrinoCo, is carrying whisky to Ber-
muda and bringing it back to New
York. The vegetable trade is only
side issue, compared with the
whisky trade. Sometimes, on her
downward trip, the Orinoco's hold
is entirely filled with barrels of Amer
lean whisky. None of this choice
imported liquor is ever drank in Rer-
muda. Bermudians have not edu-
Gated their tastes sufficiently to appre-
ciate American whisky; they prefer to
inciperate their interiors with Scotch
and Irish WHISTLES, brandy and soda
and Demerara rum. The barrels are
not tapped, and the steamship people
laughingly complain that great deal
of labor is wasted in taking the barrels
out Of the hold, putting them on shore,
and then rolling them back again,
when it would answer every purpose
TO leave them in the ship and save
this double handling. But the law
requires the Consul to certify that the
whisky has been landed, and merely
tying the vessel to the pier and letting
the barrels remain on board does not
answer. The Orinoco's officers seem
TO think that suitable arrangements
might possibly be made with Consul
Allen to let the whisky stay in the ship
aud still get the landing certificate, if
not for the fact that there are a
number OF patriotic Americans in
Bermuda anxious to serve their coun-
try in the Consulate, and any little
venture Of this kind would be sure to
be reciprocated in Washington. The
steamship company, the Consul and
owUers Of the whisky thus divided
among themselves the money that
wou d otherwise be handed over to
the government. They, however, are
not the only persons who benefit by
this little speculation. There is one
ship pier in Hamilton, the Bermuda
landing place, and this is covered with
an iron shed that is all roof, with no
sides. It is not to be expected that
the two Hamilton policemen can spend
their entire time watching the pier,
and when few hundred barrels of
whisky are landed in the afternoon,
they are left unguarded all
night. Among the 5000 or more
colored persons in Bermuda there
are several who have q liking
for strong drink, and who are partic.
ulsrly fond of American whisky.
When the officer on duty is at the
other end Of the town such upright.
eous persons have only TO conceal
themselves among the barrels Of
whisky, produce a gimlet and straw,
and operate. In this way Bermuda
darkies have been known to intoxi-
cate themselves so thoroughly in ten
minutes that it took them a fortnight
TO straighten out. Whisky sucked
out Of a barrel through straw would
not ordinarily be considered an entic~
ing beverge, but, to the Bermuda
colored mind, it just touches the
right spot This gimlet and straw
act has come to be so well understood
on the balmy islands, that when one
Of the dusky bacchanals remains sober
longer than seems natural it is said Of
him that hes lost his gihlet." This
little drain is set down to evaporation,
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