The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-02-25
CENSUS FIGURES CONCERNING ALCOHOL.


The census Office has issued census bulletin
No. %, which embodies the preliminary re-
port on the quantity of distilled spirits con-
sumed in the arts, manufactures and med:-
cines in the United States during the year
ended December 81, 1889.
The report shows that the total amount of
all forms of distilled spirits consumed by
wholesale druggists and manufacturers, elee-
mosynsry institutions and retail apothecaries
amounted to 10.976, ,s42 proof gallons. This
report is the first ever made which was at all
trustworthy, as previous reports of the same
nature were merely estimates made by
various persons, based upon such miscet-
laneous information on the subject us could
easily be secured.
OF the total number of gallons OF distilled
spirits consumed in the United States in 1889,
gas, 152 gallons of alcohol, 2,02a, 900 gallons
of whisky, 1,453, ,04S gallons of cologne spirits,
266,S74 gallons of brandy. 222, 295 gallons of
gin, 1S9, 5S1 gallons of rum and IS, 992 gallons
Of highwines, making the total consumption
1886. S42 gallons.
Cologne spirit is used for many purposes
for which alcohol, On account of containing
certain impurities, would be unsuitable. This
is particularly true in relation to the prepara-
tion of a large number of fine chemicals.
Whisky, brandy, rum and gin are likewise
used in the manufacture OF proprietary nledl'
ciues and certain pharmaceutical prepara-
tions tinctures and medicinal wines.
1t appears that alcohol, as such lin soma
cases diluted with water), is used by certain
foreign elements. 1t is drunk to great ex-
tent by Poles, Norwegians SwedeS, Firms,
Huugarians and Russians. Large dealers in
the Northwest familiar with this particular
trade furnish the information that fully
one-half of the alcohol sold in that section
is drank as q favorite beverage by those
foreigners. Competent authorities in New
York City estimate that about fifteen bar
rels of pure alcohol are daily consumed for
drinking purposes alone in that city, and
considerable amount is used for the same
purposes in the coal regions of Pennsylvania
and other sections, and q very considerable
quantity finds its way to the low grogshops
of the country, where it is compounded into
low-SraGe whisky and retailed over the bar.
The returns sent in from all the variou
sources of information sought by the censul
is:ice have been compiled into variou
tables and show tnat out of the aggregate
1926, SAP gallons Of distilled spirits con-
sumed during 1889, the wholesale druggists
and manufacturers used 1856, G4O gallons, the
eieemosynary institutions used 102, 100 gal
Ions and the retail druggists used 2,90I, ,4l2
gallons.
In all the interests and spirits combined
New York led the States with ], ,76J, 343 gal
Ions. closely followed by Illinois, which is
credited with using ,30G 322 gallons; Penn.
syIvania is third ON the list with !, 142, 94l
gallons; Missouri comes fourth with l,O7l ,O6S
gallons, barely leading Massachusetts,, which
took care of lois, ,0So all taese figures repre-
sent proof gallons.
The eleemosynary institutions of the coun.
try consumed 1927 ordinary gallons of
cologne spirits, and of this amount the Dis
trict of Columbia used 1433 gallons.
In view of the fact that the retail drug
gsts are often accused of selling whisky,
brandy, rum and gin as beverages, the table
devoted to the retail apothecareies is esps-
cially interesting New York druggists used
and sold l42, 1870 gallons of whisky in 1889;
Missouri, 95, l56; Massachusetts, 93,95S; Ind-
ana, S4,364: Illinois, 5l,56o; Kansas 25, 5S1;
Iowa, 1927, and Maine, 10,047. Massacnu-
sets druggists used and sold 1928 gallons
OF rum in 1SS9 which was forty-fve per
cent of all the rum used and sold by the re-
tail druggists of the country, and her retail
apothecaries also lead in the amount of gin
they consumed-27, 405 gallons, as against
New York's score of 19, ,5S3 gallons.
NeuS.