New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-12
KENTUCKY.
".
THE COUNTY WHERE BOURBON WHISKEY
ORIGINATED.
PROPORTIONS OF TIE MANUFACTURE AND
TRAFFIC IN THE sTATE-THE PROCESS ~
SMALL STILLS AND GREAT DIsTILLER-
IEs-MoRALIrY or TIE BUSINESS
FROM 4 KENTUCKIANS
POINT OF VIEW
POINT or VIEW.
IRON STAFF CORRESPONDENT or THE TrinCyr.l

rrRov A STAFF CORRESPONDENT or THE TEBCSE.l
Paris. Ky, Feb. 14.-Kentucly produces every
vcor cpouq6 whisFey 70 float the entire United
States Navy torpedo-boatS and all she employs
more men in the dis,illation Of rye and bourbon
tbou ii,arp are in the United States Army. There
is more money invested in distIling than in any
Other siD-lc Industry. At Louisville more fire
wafer is sold than in any other market III the
world. and double the yearly product IS retained
an hand Under the internal revenue laws. The
manufacture is confined to no town or district.
All olou- the Konticky and Ohio are huge brick
BUILDINGS, with high chimncys and yards luIl OF
barrels and grain and baby" stills are scattered
in all the plains and valleys Paris has now only
two distillerics. and cuts small figure beside
Louisville, Frankfort or COvingion. But this
county eavc its name TO the famous Bourbon
brand and enjoys corresponding distinction.
Understanding is decidedly part OF the New
South Before Sumter fell, only few hundred
thousand gallons a year were extracted Even
twelve years AGO the yield was Insignificant, and
the present boom is due to the states financial
recovery and a series Of lucky accidents.
Tradition says that the first whlskcy-makcrs
were driven here by the whiskcy rebellion III
Pennsylvania. History Las il that they were
born here. For generations nearly every noun
tain spring has had It's little log hut, mash-tuhs
and worm" Since stocks and corporations were
invented, the number has greatly dwindlcd, but
tlcrc are still few in operation. lhcir method
is neither elaborate nor costly. The shock headed
inmates Gather the corn in their own patch, strip
il from the cob, mash il into a fine meal. soak II
in water for a day. add little rye or barley malt
and after three or four days fermentation, pour
it into big copper kettle with q tube on whose
neck plays a stream Of cold water. The con
drU,ed vapor runs of into n tub. One taste Of
this raw product should cure the most confirmed
craving for alcohol. but the country distilcrs
thrive on it, For the market it is redistlied.
City operators" consider the yearly run Of one
Of these primitive establishments a small item N
their purchases, ana tie makers are content TO
earn their money easily. In the mountains, they
pass the time hunting fighting and distilling.
They are lazy illitcatc and Of low morality, Tie
descendants of refugees from North Carolina and
Tennessee. As railroads approach. instead Of
welcoming tie opportunity (, educate their chill
drcn, they retreat with their stills into tie higher
ridges. and there they drink and keep up tie low
quarrcls that are dIrnilcd with tie name of icuds
Some of them neglect 10 take out licenses. only
last week the officers had an exciting chase after
a gang Of mOonshiucr, i'm uclrhborin- county.
Tie abandoned Still W, found in the break Of
,.I ..,.iI 49,, ,.o .,, ,r,,r Ella so,rol.,rs
were close upon il. The worm was large one
and had been in use only n few hours before.
To prevent further breaches of the law, the officers
thoughtluly chopped II IN pieces. cmptcd the
tubs and fred tie distlicry roof In a lo@
cabin near by they discovered several kegs OF
whiskcy that had been run on The night before.
4 tWO-quart cup and Il funnel showed that the
louor has been sold AT retail. and the Grass was
worn away outside. where the customers had
1ctLcrcd their horses while they went in t. enjoy
Themselves
Tie biz dis,illcrics. that employ the population
Of small towns are conducted by some Of tie ablcs'
men i'm Kentucky. we have to bc sharp one
Of them confessed f. me, "to DE- able t. make tie
business INV NOW that Hero are 81, many law,
AGAINST Us 1 f,y years aao an Eastern firm
tried ia t,,fcrf an i,urov.d p,rflod of ina, tI,
sion 4 uaiustaldu. scientist. who wasn't in
tcrcst.d il uatenf, bat thought he knew u thin
or TWO about ,yIi,kcy. discovered an Old French
hook in which the discovery had been an,cipa'cd
.bv about 200 wears I'm TINT book Tie same
formula was set down tia, j, now followed 10y
the ~moouslincr7 ana the Louisville and Frank
fort rua,ufi.iIrrr H. lie llr.c houses ihc main
difference. f., o,. Of Jo.,c. III. Iuiliu.-. and
yards cover acres Of ground The cora i, bsoa-at
i'm by the c1rlo1d and ground ~ Tremendous ell
zines If ever so many horsepower. ana sDoyr.lcd
INFO iuuicl,. yats of water heated bog cYppcf steam
coils The ,a.i is aftcrvaH pumucd up into
round tYbS in au uu,rr ,forv mixed with rye ~, /
rot and olI,,ccJ =, knot and wfithc and simmer.
while tie carho.ic acld 20, escape. in such quan.
1jt.c, tLat a lighted match held lear Tie surface
Is cNtiuoushcd. Sometimes dead rats aIc found