Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1886-07-13

tllllnR WIN tilib btlll W bit pibhthh
time in fact, IL could-not be made
larger, for it was made for that par
ticular still, and, il larger, would
MAKE. il useless. as. it iAa- inll- charge
and in proportion TO the chambers IN
the still IL could not be filled and
afterwards partly filed and run into
| II with any degree Of economy Of
working, for il would require a mans
attention to impracticable details.
| This being fact, you can easily see
that thete can be no mistake an that
p.nlifSlar btill; thh had Die charg-
n .tbep " how, and That charger was
uhkaahsd and the capacity Of the
still founded upon that measurement,
and il must be the same now as then.
| MI Webb does not make any specific
charge as against me, or against me
alone. II Is a general charge against
almost every distiller in California.
It is principle Of general deficit in
the survey of all stills in California
and, as am much the largest
grape distillcr in California, my
deficit il correspondingly large.
II is not claimed that have
made any more brandy than has
been returned bv me nor that have
ever sold in my long life Of disliller
barrel Of brandy that did not pay
tax and had tax paid stamp at
| tached nor lave | ever sold barrel
Of brandy with a wholesale liquor or
rectiiying stamp attached. don't
know that there il even charge that
have filed my still beyond the
mark as indicated should have been
done, in fact | don't believe IL has
been done, and II done, il has been
done without knowing that il could
be done to gain an advantage. We
have filed our stills in such way as
to work with the greatest economy
and bring about the best results and
a still can not be filed above a GER
tain line and produce good brandy;
for, when too full, II will bring over
the substance of which il is filled.
In view Of all these facts II seems
great hardship 10 be assessed with
what was never made, when you con-
slider that there was no notice given,
that we worked in the dark, and as
| yet 1t is the find Of but one gentleman
| (who may be correct) and only after
| the lapse of ten years or more. II
Mr.. Webb, when he discovered this
now fact, had told us we could then
have had the matter inquired into,
and, II found that such was fact we
could have adapted ourselves to these
new conditions, for il will suggest IT,
self to you that this Is possible, for
YOU may be aware that the spirit-pro.
ducing capacity Of different materials
10, x,t.lal.s .taI In.
Take wash which, (besides the
great Diversity Of the ma
turity and different varieties OF
grapes making one Of double
the strength of the other that forms
its base) Is product much varied
and can be 30 varied by the quantity
Of water added. IL is generally an
advantage to add much water in or
der 10 get all the sugar quickly con-
verted into alcohol yet when il In re-
CURED to make given quantity OF
spirit in u given boiling space, We
would waive the smaller good for the
greater necessity, for no one can af-
ford TO pay tax on what is not pro-
duced.
Again, take sour wine, which may
have spirit capacity Of IA per cent OF
alcohol, and again an ascetic fermen-
tation may have used up so much OF
the alcohol in another lot that it |
would not pay TO distill il II IL were
required to make II given quantity |
of brandy in given time, and it would |
be better to make it into vinegar.
For these reasons we think that this |
assessment is very unjust enc, for |
IL gave us no opportunity to guard |
against il, which we could have done |
had we been notified that il was re-
CURED. think that it will be taken
that we had to take the survey made
by the government agent as our guide
until that same power told us that
there was "a change,
Besides, it must be remembered
that our capacity to make u given
amount of brandy from a given
amount of material was based upon
| the survey so made. In the begin
ming all was conjecture, and various
experiments could only make rules
| for the guidance of the future how
much given material could make.
Our capacity 10 produce the capacity
of given material, when converted
by distilling to brandy, is the out
growth OF these experiments, and if
a greater number of gallons could be
boiled than figures in the survey,
then IT was the result of such filling.
There is another fact MOTTO be over
looked, Take still which is sur
veyed as holding 400 gallons as a
working capacity; let it be assured
| that il can hold or be filled with 500
gallons, and it would take as five is
| to four longer time to fill and to run
| out, for ii will not do to say that it
can be hurried, for the 400 gallons
can be hurried as much as the larger
quantity, in fact more, for every dis
tiller will tell you that by reason of a
still becoming overfull that it requires
at first very careful and slow fire
| for liquor to be produced at all, as the
substance itself is apt to cough over,
as it is termed by distillers. II tax
ing longer time TO run over, conse-
quently a less number of boilings |
would be made in twenty-four hours,
and the one would equalize the other. |
trust that have shown by sever
al reasons why this assessment |
should not prevail; but, as l said in
the beginning, Mr.. Webb is absent,
and l have no facts before me, as
none have been made against me be-
yond the fact OF the assessment. |
Then, too, am away from home, and
consequently cannot make inquiries
OF my distillers as to how they have
filled the stills; whether they have
filed them very full or otherwise,
and hope you will give me reason
able time to meet any charges that
may be made against me, if what |
have written does not fully meet such
charges. In such case request
that be notified of that fact, and
the Collector be directed to postpone
the proposed assessment until can
enter more into details.