The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-05-25
Hints For Coffee Drinkers.
Erom the New YORK Tribune.


otis a curious fact, said one of the
veterans of the coffee trade, "that prices of
all coffees sold in this country are based
upon the prices given for coffee which is
never even mentioned by retail houses.
That is Brazilian. All the coffee grown
in that empire is called Rio or Santos,
after Rio Janeiro and neishboring port.
With other coffees we make speciality of
stating where each is grown, but not with
Rios. These coffees are graded by num-
bers from to 10 according to their excel
lence, and the prices of other coffees are
regulated by what these fetch. The other
coffees may be roughly classified as Javas
and Central Americas, and the consump-
ton of each in this country may be set
down as Rios 5, Javas l IL, Central
Americas l in relative proportion.
Chow is it, asked the reporter, ''that
Rio is never named by retailers
There is a prejudice against 1t, and
millions of people are drinking 1t in igno-
rance who have in their imaginations for
sworn it. How can it be otherwise when
they insist upon cheap coffee? Most of
it is sold, perhaps nearly all of 1t is sold,
by roasters under firm brand The
northwestern states, Wisconsin, Minnesota
and far off Colorado, are peculiar. They
will not touch poor or medium Rios, and
there is no trade there save IN high priced
Central Americas and Javas and the very
best specialties of Rios.
"What do you mean by Government
Javas?"
"Why, the Dutch government holds four
public auction sales of coffee at Batavia,
in the island Of Java, during each year,
and the coffee is sold in piculs or bags
weighing l36 pounds. At these sales the
coffee is classified according to the locality
where it is raised, and we wholesalers buy
! it as interior or Ankola, or Aver Bangles,
or Mandeliug, and on each of these occa-
sions from 1000 to 5000 piculs are dis
posed of. This system makes the Dutch
/ government responsible for the quality OF
! the coffee, and the title Government Java
is therefore good and significant one.
/ Java coffee improves on the voyage. L
can show YOU samples Of some which were
( shipped as green as so many aquamarine
stones. and when we received them the
berries were of golden color and had
ripeued beautifully. That enhanced the
value three cents pound.
Chow do You get your Java here? DO
YOU own the ships that bring it to this
port?"
"No: and isn't it a dreadful commentary
upon our system that though the eonsump-
ton Is so large of Java it all comes to Us
in Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian or English
sailing vessels? There Is not single
American vessel engaged in transporting
Java coffee to this country Ceylon coffee
We don't use, for the bad kind Is not worth
having and the good kind Is monopohzed
By the English, aud very costly it is
What Mocha we use comes TO US through
English sources. Our flag Is hardly
known in eastern waters today. may
tell YOU that we who are in the business
have not a very high opinion Of Mocha.
Some people are crazy about It, but We
think that matter of pure sentiment, aud
I believe that Mocha obtained is reputation
/ by being the frst Coffee brought to
/ Europe. Il has all the appearance Of
being wild berry, aud our experts say
( that it cannot be distinguished from the
wild coffee Of Hayti This, no doubt, Is
awful heresy, but that's the way coffee
men look at it. In the northwestern
states now. where there seems to be a
singular appreciation Of really good coffee,
there is no demand for Mocha
(Which do you prefer
a. As a general thing like the favor Of
Java, which is very pleasing and full Of
aroma and Is soft and smooth to the palate,
leaving no after taste in the mouth, Rios
are strong aud coarse aud bitter, and
leave somewhat muddy after taste
which no doubt CONES from the Brazilian
coffee plantations being on low lands.
Costa Rica Is fine 10 favor and excellent
in aroma. but it leaves an acid favor ia the
mouth. The Guatemala eoifces are very
superior and are making their way among
connoisseurs. They are about en- par
with the Laguayra coffee from the neigh
borhood Of Caracas. There IS a grade OF
Lsguayra which comes from the neighbor-
hood Of Puerto Cabello aud Is by no means
SO fine The great expectation Of NeneEue-
Ian coffee. however, Is from the Maraeaibo
region and this i full Of aroma bat rougheT
than Caracas, and it leaves somewhat Of a
/ disasreeable after taste, Al least some does,
that probably which Is raised upon low
lands. You may lay this down as q law,
that the higher the elevation at which eof-
fee Is grown, the finer it is in every way.
~Whieh Is the coffee that Is grown at
the highest elevation
Il should not wonder ii the highest
coffee plantations were found to be on the
slopes Of the Himalayas in India, bat that
very fne grade of English coffee does not
eome to US. We have, however, some
grown in the neighborhood Of Bogota in
Ecuador at an elevation Of 5000 feet
above the level Of the sea, and il IS ex-
quisite to look at, exquisite to smell and
exquisite to drink. The berries are 4
bright green, transparent and Waxy, and Of
remarkable uniformity OF size. Some of
I this coffee goes down river near Bogota
and comes to Panama BIZ sea, bat some Of
/ it is packed on the backs Of burros on small
hardy donkeys, not mules, and is carried
over the mountains By land to Panama
Each burro carries two bags weighing fifty
pounds each, and pursues its path through
awfully precipituOus roads with cheerful
ness and diligence. | was down in that
part Of the world. and il seemed TO ne that
the donkey was far ahead Of the mEle for