Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-01-09
COFFEE IN THE coNFEDERAcY.
The Various Substitutes Tried In Turn-Coe-
ton Seed a Beverage.


Coffee had been almost the sole table
beverage of thu soi-h, aai no privatioa
eausel more actual discomfort among the
people at lsrga than the WAIT OF it.
There was nothing Tor which they stroye
60 eagerly and increasingly to procure q
substitute Few, indeed, were the sub
stances which did not first AMI last, find
their way into the coffee pot Wheat,
rye, corn, sweet potatoes, PEANUTS, dande-
lion seed, okra seed, p ers3mmon seed,
melon seed are but fea of the suhsi-
tutes which had their turn and their day.
a fig TOR the difference between Rio
and rye" said the sits. Eureka :"
cried an enthusiastic newspaper CORE
spondent. another OF shakes which
holds the south u the comm reial thail
OF the world is severed. Let South
America keep its Rio and the antipodes its
Java. II Is discovered u he true beyond
oeradventurc that as beverage the > ed
Of the SEA island cotton cannot be di.t.n-
guished from the b st Java, unless By its
superiority while the seed OF the orii-
nary variety il found 10 b. not a whit
behind the best Rio" What tiutter OF
excitement and joy it raisei in many a
houscholl-and doubtless. the scene in
ours Wa typical-to ind that the great
national plant, tn very symbol OF the
Coafederacy. was INDEED ~ many sided
1t gave u greater conf lsnce, II 1t were
possible 10 have great r in the power
and possibilities OF the 9TH, now that
cotton, the great king had had another
crown laid on his brow.
So opportune was the discovery, too,
that 1t struck US as almost d divine rev.
citation, indicating the interpJsltion OF
Providence in our favor 80 eager were
we to test tor rather TO confirm it, Tor
it was too good not u be true-that We
could not await meal time. Resi- ting in
North Carolina and up the country, We
had never seen any sea island cotton, but
the prospect OF being confined 10 Rio was
by no means appalling. A plckannlnny
was forthwith hurried oil 10 the cotton
patch, then spars ly feck, i with newly
opened balls. The aproniul OF precious
stuff, now a veritable manna, was hard
ly indoors before dozen hands OF all
sizes and colors were tearing, picking at
the discrcdited fiber ia quest OF the more
priceless seed. The Rio was made and
drank. Despite the sorghum sweetening
the verdict was unanimous III It's favor.
1 nope tIlal the com uluLitdtlDu Ol liIlS
stupendous discovery to our neighboIs
added a. immensely to our happiness as
to our seli-inportauce. But ii IN the last
respect we sinned, rctribution could not
have been laggard for although, owing
to the fact that happily the recollection
OF disappointments and huniHatlons is
less abiding than the opposite feelings
am unable to tell exactly why an when
we returned to parched bran, it is never
theless true that We did
Recipes fo- making coffee without
coffee when the real article was al
luded to, strong emphasis on tn word
lett no doubt as to which kind was meant
were Extensively advertised in the
newspapers, and IN some ins. inccs soil
by can asSlng agents. But re, ul,rd seed
and meal or bran Md in thr lon. ran
the popular favor. Those who ,uutl al
ford an infnit, sinai quantity OF the n.Ii
article, counted oul by tn, grain To flavor
the substitute, were the envy cd tn
neighborhood. A cup oil pure, genuine
coffee would III ne eyes vi many have
been an eItravag-iu- nRtp % { opatra's
famous draught It-.'i!. Tne go ttrntS ii
small gourd, winch he'1 our cntir took
OF the genuine arlrl Tor MA moAihs
before the close oi the war, iust nave
gone towards the diaking oi all lncredlu.e
AXE OF col.ce.