Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-10-15
How Teas Come to America.

The tea-drinker who comfortably sips her
cup of Oolong seldom ponders upon the great
maritime struggle which has long been going
on and the overland competitor which Is just
now in its infancy to supply her with this
soothing beverage at reduced rates. lime
was when tea made greater inroads on the
packet book than now: and competition in
carving il from China and Japan TO Eastern
ports in this country 10 one of the important
factors in the reduction. The sailing vessel,
technically known as the sailer, was once the
sole medium of transportation. Now the
Union, Northern and Canadian Paclnc rali-
ways almost annihilate the slow coming and
gDing of the white wings on the ocean as tea
carriers. Tea, like other things, IS rushing
across continents now in the mad competition
of modern traffic
The sailer took cargoes OF goods from New
York and Boston and brought back teas in
exchange II required from twelve to four
teen months to make the round trip. When
the weather was particularly fine, the voyage
this way might be made in four months.
When the California fever broke out, the de-
mand for Freight from this port thither in
duced the building of clipper ships, which
made rapid passage, with attendant hlgn
freights out but no freights returning so the
clippers crossed the Pacific and took in cargoes
of teas; the time of tea transit to this port
was thus reduced to from ninety to one
hundred days Then the Panama railroad
was built and steamers from China by the
way of San Francisco to the Isthmus OF
Panama, come citing by rail with steamers on
this side, once more made a reduction In tea
time to from forty to fifty days The CON-
pletion Of the Union Pacific Railroad, with
the establishment of the Pacific Mail Line
from California to China made from thirty to
thirty five DAYS the limit The Suez Canal
route made the time from China to this port
from sixty to seventy days. The Northern
Pacific Railroad next wheeled into competl-
lion. Sailing vessels were still used as well
as steamships to convey tn tea TO San fran
cisco. Now sailers were put on to connect
also with the Northern Pacific at Portland,
Oregon. The completion of the Canadian
Pacific Railway with its saiiers from japan
now affords three lines of overland competi-
ton, all of which are in -ivalry with the Suez
Canal route
These four lines of competition have re-
duced The price of bringing tea here largely.
Until lately the rate within five years was
rarely below 4 cents (gross) a pound, and by
the Pacific railroad route is varied from 9 to
4 cents for the entire distance from Japan.
Now the first one OF two fast steamers when
bring in the first new teas make the carving
price cents, but after that it falls to II cents
or it did last year, while this year 1t was 4
cents. The cost by the Suez Canal is a
little less, but thu time is about twice as much.
The sailing vessels connecting with the Pa
cifc railroad run only to Japan, where they
receive their cargo of green tea from other
vessels which are from four to five days in
sailing from Chinese ports.
The consumption of the Japan teas here is
more than one-hslt of all teas consumed;
last year the number of pounds brought here
was 4O, 000, 900, while the importation of
green teas am ,unted to 1900 900 and that
of Oolong a. l6 900 900 -Nsle York Tribune.