Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-08-02
TIE WISCONSIN ?nE.EI ..,
Association Enjoys It's Annual
Qu.ing.
A Continual Round OF Pleasure from
Beginning to the End.


Ye editor and wife embarked
last Monday evening into the c.
M. & St. Paul passenger train go
ing south bound for a pleasure
trip Of few days duration in com
pany with brother editors and
their wives. The central point Of
meeting was Milwaukee, where
one day would be given for sight
seeing and pleasure. We arrived
safely in the Cream City Tuesday
morning and put up at the Kirby
House where it was our good
fortune to fall in company with an
old time friend-C. S. Taylor and
wife, of the Barron County Shield.
Being the only two representatives
from the Northern part ofthe State
we mutually agreed to stand by
each other i'll the pleasures or mis-
fortunes of the trip. The forenoon
of Tuesday was passed in visiting
different mercantile establish
mcnts such as James Morgan's,
Chapman's, etc. We also called
on the Ellis sisters who were viSi-
tors In this city last Summer.
After dinner we found our way
TO the Academy of Music-thc
appointed place of mceting-whcre
we found about 200 editors and
their wives and swecthearts with
faces cleaning bright in anticipa-
ton of the weeks enjoyment.
President Hicks, of Oshkosh,
called the assembly to order and
introduced Mayor Brown, Of Mil
waukee, who babe the visitors
welcome in the name of the city.
He was followed by Mr.. d. L.
Coe, of the Whitewater Register,
In behalf of the Press Association.
Other short speeches were deliv-
cred by members of the Assoc;a-
tfon and President Hicks delivered
his annual address which was
marked with its many fine quail
ties. 1t was an excellent address
and heartily received. This closed
the business of the afternoon SEES
sion.
At four o'clock p. m. the whole
party were taken by street cars to
that mammoth establishment
known as-Best's Empire Brewery
one of the largest manufactur-
ing establishments of its kind in
the world On our arrival we
divided up into companies of fifteen
or twenty and placed in charge of
guides who took great pains III
showing us through the entire
structure. Our company were
fortunate in being placed under
Mr. Fred Brosg, who has been in
the employ of the Philip Best
Brewing Co, for the past fourteen
years. lis useless for US to at
tempt to give you an elaborate
account OF this establishment for !.
would require more space than a
weekly newspaper has at lis dis
po5al. But, let us say that the
buildings occupy over three blocks
and most Of them are eight stories
in hight say nothing Of the im-
mense under ground cellars for
the storage Of beer while fermcat-
ing. they employ from 5 to 8
hundred men none Of whom get
less than $40 per month. They
use and own over 100 large draft
horses. The capacity Of the brew
cry is 100000 barrels a year. The
gross sales for 1887 were 400, 200
barrels. To manufacture this
amount of beer it requires 10000
pounds or over 38s tons of hops,
and I,II5,I6S bushels of matt.
Eighteen thousand tons of coal
per year are used, and the brewery
requires 100000 kegs, barrels ana
half barrels. The machinery is
immense III its proportions and re-
quires great power to propei It.
Everything iii this establishment
is done b. machinery except the
drinking Of /. c beer which IS done
il the natural way. We noticed
III every department from the eel
lar to the drying rooms that the
help had beer on tap for their use.
They make fave distinct varieties
known as Export" Bohemian"
''Select, 'Bavarian" and Stand
ard" these are shipped all over
the civilized world We were