The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-19
A GALLON OF WHISKY
For Every Man, Woman and Child in
This Country Last Year.
From the NelU York Graphic.

This Country Last ear.
From the NeiU York Graphic.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15-The annual re-
port of the commissioner of internal reve
nue., portions of which were given to the
press some weeks ago, has just come In COM
pleted form from the public printer. 1t
contains some interesting facts, many OF
which would probably surprise the average
reader not especially familiar with the mys-
terles of whisky and tobacco manipulation.
The opponent of the use of intoXicants Will
be interested to know, for instance, that the
amount of spirits manufactured IN the
| United States last year was only little
over half of that manufactured in the year
1881.
A GALLON OF WHISKY PER HEAD.
He will not be particularly happy, how
ever, to know that the total was consider
ably over n, OOO, OO0 gallons, or considerably
more than gallon apiece for every man,
woman and child in the United States.
Under this head of ''spirits" are included
grape brandy, bourbon whisky, rye whisky,
alcohol, rum, gin, high wines, pure, neutral
or cologne spirits and miscellaneous
column which carries l2,OO0,000 gallons.
The largest quantity of any of these varie-
ties is the pure neutral or cologne spirits,
of which there were 100000 gallons
made last year. This is pure
alcohol SO absolutely neutral and colorless
aud tasteless that it will take any sort OF
flavor, and can De made by the expert
mixer into any kind of spirit that he may
want. He can by judicious coloring and
mixing and flavorrng make gin or brandy
OF rye whisky or bourbon wnisky, or rum
cut of it. SO the production Of neutral or
cologne spirits has steadily increased in
the past decade, while that of high wines
has Just as steadily decreased. Ten years
ago the amount Of high wines made was
about double that of tho neutral or cologne
spirits. In the last year the amount of
neutral spirits was nearly thirty times as
much as the amount of high wines.
WHERE THE RUM COMES FROM.
New England is the great rum producing
field of the United States. Nearly all the
rum distilleries of the United States are To-
Gated in that great center of morality and
culture, Massachusetts. The amount of
rum produced in the United States was
nearly 1900, 900 gallons and in its manu-
facture q, 900. 600 gallons of molasses were
used 1t is largely exported, about half of
that of last year having been shipped from
the ports of Boston and New York. Cul
tured Boston sends it out mostly to the ma
tiveS of Africa, where it counteracts
largely the abors Of the missionaries sent
thither from this country. The shipments
from the port of Boston to Elmina, Africa,
last year, were $4,000 gallons; to Grand
Bassan, Africa, 10000 gallons; besides
some shipmens to Central America, Liver
pool, England; Constantinople and Alexan-
dria, Egypt.
The average Kentuckian will be saddened
to know that the taste for bourbon whisky
abroad seems to be lesseuing Last year
there were only shipped abroad about 160,-
600 gallons of this article, against cOnsid-
erably over 100000 gallons in the pr ceding
year. The large bulk of spirits shipped
abroad goes in the shape of alcohol and
neutral spirits, which can be utilized in
most any form desired after reaching its
destination.
CONSUMPTION OF THE WEED.
The average tobacco Oh ever and smoker
will perhaps be interested in some of the
disclosures of little ia BILE which covers
only a couple of pages in the voluminous
report, and which shows that Of the tobacco
worked up into chewing and smo king
material last year there were used 5000, 900
pounds of scraps, 4,5J0, 900 pounds of stems,
| q, 900, 900 pounds of licorice, g, 600, 600
pounds of sugar and over 5000, 900 pounds
of "other materials" whatever these mys-
terious articles may be. This may not be a
very pleasant thought to bring to the atten-
ton of the average smoking or chewing
individual as be is about indulging in his
favorite pastime, but if he finds it unpleas-
ant he must blame the awful commissi Dner
of internal revenue for making the facts
public.
The report shows that there are nearly
half million dealers in manufactured to-
bacco, and at 100, 5S7 persons paid special
taxes as retail liquor dealers LAST year.