Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-04
DRINKING MORE BEER.
The Twenty-Third District Shows a
Great Increase in the Quantity
of the Home Brew Sold.
OVER 122, 1000 MORE BARRELS MADE
During the Fiscal Year Just Closed Than
There We're for the Twelve
Month Preceding.
SOME OF THE SUPPOSED CAUSES FOR IT.
HOue Drinking Reported to Have Become Quite Fash
ionable of Late.

HOme Drinking Reported to Have Become Quite Fash
iOnable of Late.
II put to vote. not only among saloon
keepe IS, but many other people as well, the
verdict would be that the Brooks high
license law is a conspicuous failure as a
temperance measure. The only man found
yesterday who wasn't dissatisfied with it
that is, among men whose knowledge on the
subject gives them a basis on which to
reason-is a brewer, and it isn't to be ex-
pected that he will find fault with measure
that increased beer sales in the Twenty-third
district OF Pennsylvania more than 122, 900
barrels last year. The appended figures
were gotten from the United States Internal
Revenue Office of this district, and are
official:
Tax paid on fermented liquors for the
fiscal year ending June 80 1889 .s4S2, 1874 IS
Tax paid on fermented liquors for the
fiscal year ending June 80, lS90...... 604 20S So
Increase. .sl22O74 p
As each dollar paid there means barrel
of beer sold in the district, the figures show
an increased consumption of 122, 074 % bar
rels of beer. Whether or not the consump-
tion of other kinds of booze increased in this
vicinity cannot be learned in the Internal
Revenue Office, as they are shipped not only
all over the Union, but to other countries as
we'll
Nearly the same increase in the sale of
beer, according to population, is noted in
Philadelphia, the increase in that internal
revenue district being 217, ,273 65 barrels.
AN IDEA OF HIS OWN.
Samuel Wainwright was not disposed to
admit that the increase was abnormal, but
he was the only man found who did not.
He attributed it to the growth of popula-
tion, stating that the increased consump-
tion of beer in the United States was 2,000,-
600 barrels for the year, but this would make
the increase for this district over 20 per cent
of the whole. A more plausible reason assign
e9 by Mr.. Wainwright was that the consump-
tion of foreign beer in this section has been
diminished, but saloon keepers and many
others are not disposed to accept this expla-
nation. A great many people express the
conviction that Judge White, in thinning
out the saloons last year, contributed to the
increased consumption, and Mr.. Vain
wright buttressed this position by stating
that Judge Whites action had not hurt
home brewers.
Matt Weiss agrees with the opinion ex-
pressed in Philadelphia, that the increased
consumption is mainly attributed to the
liberal ruling of the Supreme Court in the
construction of the law bearing on whole
salers and bottlers. While he does not
think the thinning-out of saloons, to de-
gree, injurious. be holds that wholesalers
should not be allowed to sell in packages Of
less than five gallons. As it is now, they
have introduced drinking into families
where it was never known before.
AS IT Is DONE NOW.
Formerly the head of the family took
glass or two in saloon, and that was the
end of II, but when he could get three times
as much stimulant for the same money he
had it sent to his house. The women found
it rather refreshing, and began to take "a
little for the stomach's sake" and other in
frmities, and in many houses the habit has
grown, even the children discovering that a
little was useful in cutting away cobwebs.
The head of the house finding that he could
drink three times as much for the same
money, gradually gave more rein to his
appetite, and what was once occasionally a
social and convivial habit, has now beco me
q fixed one. Mr.. Weiss doesn't appear to
think that household drinking will inure to
the benefit of either the families where it |
prevails or to the public at large
Mr.. II. Maloney thought there was no |
mystery about the increase. He said it was
potent to all that drinking had increased.
and that the saloons were not getting the |
benefit Of it. Mr.. Maloney alluded to the
fact that the Sheriff had a number of
saloons on his list, and was smacking his
lips in anticipation of devouring them. Mr..
MaIoney says the solution of the entire
matter is that people have learned that they
can get beer for a little more than cent a
glass. They can get it by the bottle, if they
do not have money to get more. boys club
together and get some adult to buy for them;
/ have seen them do it." concluded Mr.. |
Maloney.
An official, who refused to allow the use |
of his name, ststes that he predicted the |
present state OF affairs a long time ago. |
Said he: 81 know the habits of the mill |
men, having been one of them myself, once. |
When their work is done in the afternoon |
they went into a saloon and played three or |
four games for the beer. Now they cannot |
play cards in saloons, and they will do it |
somewhere; so they have established clubs. |
They order their beer In quantity.
BEER AT ITS CHEAPEST.
An eighth keg will fill 19 bottles, and |
they buy them and have become bottlers. |
They thus get 10 bottles Tor 90 cents. There
are three and a fraction glasses in a bottle,
so you see they can get comfortably full for
s small amount OF money, more than three
glasses for cents. Club drinking, added |
to family boozing, explains the increase
quite satisfactorily"
Darlington & Co. said they were not
affected by the increase. They make few
thousand barrels of "swanky'' each year,
but the rest OF their brew is ale, and though |
twenty-five years ago it was the chief drink |
in this section, Darlington & Co. can now I
make many times the amount consumed in |
the whole county. All other ale breweries |
have been converted into beer breweries, |
and some people say the change has not |
been for the public good, as beer can be |
concocted out OF divers ingredients, |
whereas ale, to pass the inspection of |
drinkers, must be made by malt hops.
1t might be well to add that there was |
decline in beer consumption in this district |
last year, from that ending June 80, 1888, |
when the amount sold was 505, 949. 10 |
barrels.
Brushton Indeed a BorOugh.