Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1888-06-02
SIERRA COUNTY:
COFFEE IN THE coNFEDERACY.
Tic Various Substitutes Tried in Tu-n-Cos.
ton Seed MS "a Beverage.

Coffee had been almost the sole table
beverage OF the south, and no privltion
caused more actual discomfort among the
paoplc at large than the want OF it.
There was nothing for which they stroye
80 eagerly and Increasingly to procure
substitute. Few, indeed were the sub.
stances which did not, first and last, find
their way into the coffee pot Wheat,
rye, corn, sweet potatoes, peanuts, dlnGo.
lion seed, okra seed, persimmon seed
melon seed are but few OF the subs l.
tutes which had their turn and their day.
"A fg for the difference between Ri-o
and rye" said the wits. Eureka !"
cried an enthusiastic newspaper corrc-
spondcnt. "Another OF shakes which
holds the south to the comm rcial thal
OF the world is severed. Let South
America keep its Rio and the antipodes IL
Java. 1t is discovered to be true beyond
peradyenture that as beverage the seed
uf the sea island cotton cannot be di5tn-
guishcd from the best Java, unlcs, by its
superiority while the seed Of the oril-
nary variety is found to BE- not whit
behind the best Rio What a flutter oi
excitement and Joy it raisej in maay Il
bousehold-and doubtless the scene in
ours was typical-to find that the great
national plant, the very symbol OF the
Confederacy, was indeed 50 many sided
1t gave us greater confidence, il it were
possible to have greater, in the power
and possibilities OF the south, now that
cotton, the great king, had had another
crown laid on his brow.
So opportuno was the discovery, ioo,
that it struck US as almost divine rev
elation, indicating the interposition OF
Providence in our favor. 70 eager warc
we 10 test it--or rather to confirm it, for
Il was too good not to be true--that We
could not await meal time. Residing i'll
North Carolina and up the country, we
hal never seen any sea island cotton, but
the prospect OF being confined to Rio was
by no means appalling. A pickanninny
was forthwith hurried oil to the cotton
patch, then sparsely fecked with newly
opened balls. The aprontul OF precious
stuff, row vcritable mama, was hard
ly indoors before dozen hands OF all
sizes and colors were tearing, picking at
the discredited fiber, in quest oil the more
priceless seed The Rio was made AMI
crank. Despite the sorghum sWeetening
the verdict was unanimous in its favor.
| hope that the communication oil this
stupendous discovery TO our neighbors-
aided as immensely TO our happiness as
to our sclf-importance. But ii III the last
respect we sinned, retribution could nos
have been laggard for although, owing
to the fact that happily the recollection
OF disappointments and hamiliations Is
less abiding than the nppasite ieellngrs /
am unable-to rett exactly. why and when
we returned to patched bran, II is never
thelass true that we did
Recipes for making "coifec without
coffee"--when the real article was al
luded to, strong emphasis on tho word
| It no doubt Us to which kind was meant
were extensively advertised in the
newspapers, and In some instances sos'l
hy canvassng agents. But rye, okra secs!
and meal or bran held in the long run
the popular favor. Those who could al
ford an infinitesimal quantity OF the rell
article, counted out by the grain to 1avor
the substitute, were the envy OF the
neighborhood. A cup OF pure, genuine
coffee would in the eyes OF many have