The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1891-02-26

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sasss3,ss.,s.5sssssS Anne RIGA
THE REIGN OF ALCOHOL. ~
Eleven Million Gallons Consumed In this
Country In One Year. 81 -
The Census Office has issued census
bulletin No. %, which embodies the
preliminary report on the quantity of
distilled spirits consumed in the arts,
manufactures and medicines in the
United States during the year ended
Dec. 81, 1889.
The report shows that the total
amount of all forms of distilled spirits
consumed by wholesale druggists and
manufacturers, eleemosynary institu-
tions and retail apothecaries amounted
to 10,976, s43 proof gallons. This report
is the first ever made that was at all
trustworthy, as previous reports of the
same nature were merely estimates
made by various persons, based upon
such miscellaneous information on the
subject as could easily be secured.
Census schedules to the number of
400, 900 were sent to all the druggists,
wholesale and retail, manufacturing
concerns using distilled spirits, hos
pitfalls, dispensatories, asylums and
other institutions of like nature in the
United States, so that the vast mum Der
of detailed statements returned to the
census Office enabled the special agents
to secure accurate and interesting in
formation.
OF the total number of gallons of dis
titled spirits consumed in the United
States in 1889, 6.745,152 gallons were of
alcohol, 2,o29,9O0 gallons of whisky,
1,453,o4s gallons of cologne spirits,
266,S74 gallons of brandy, 222.295 gall
Ions of gin, 1s9,5s1 gallons of rum and
1892 gallons of highwines, making the
total consumption 1o.976,s4 gallons.
Cologne spirits is used for many pur-
poses for which alcohol, on account of
containing certain impurities, would be
unsuitable. This is particularly true in
relation to the preparation of large
number of fine chemicals. Whisky,
brandy, rum and gin are likewise used
in the manufacture of proprietary med
icines and contain pharmaceutical
preparations, tinctures and medicinal
wines.
Acc ording to the report of the Com
missioner of Internal Revenue for the
twelve months ended June 80, 1889, 49,
739, 734 proof gallons of alcohol were
withdrawn from bond on the payment
of the tax. Inasmuch as only 6,745, 1872
proof gallons are accounted for as the
result Of census inquiries there is an
unexplained balance of 3,994, 5s2 proof
gallons left. This discrepancy may be
due to certain quantity used in the
arts which has not been reported to the
census office and another quantity used
for drinking purposes.
It appears that alcohol, as such lin
some cases diluted with water), is used
by certain foreign elements. 1t is
drunk to great extent by Poles, Nor
wegians, Swedes, Films, Hungarians
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 Sec
ton is drunk as favorite beverage by
these foreigners. Competent authori-
ties in New York City estimate that
about fifteen barrels of pure alcohol
are daily consumed for drinking pur-
poses alone in that city, and d consider
able amount is used for the same pur-
poses in the coal regions of Pennsyl-
vania and other sections, and very
considerable quantity finds it's way to
the low grogshops of the country,
where it is compounded into low-grade
whisky and retailed over the bar
The returns sent in from all the vari-
Gus sources of information sought by
the census office have been compiled
into various tables, and show that out
of the aggregate 10,976,S4 gallons of
distilled spirits consumed during 1889,
the wholesale druggists and manufac-
turers used 7,966,64O gallons, the elee-
mosynary institutions used 1O2, 100 gal
Ions and the retail druggists used 2,9O7,-
412 gallons.
In all the interests and spirits com
bined New York led the States with
1,760,343 gallons, closely followed by
Illinois, which is credited with using
1905, 322 gallons; Pennsylvania is third
on the list with 1, 1+2, 941 gallons; Missou-
ri comes fourth with 1,O71 ,O6s gallons,
barely leading Massachusetts, which
took care of LOIS, $50 gallons, all these
figures representing proof gallons.
The eleemosynary institutions of the
country consumed 1897 ordinary gal
Ions of cologne spirits, and of this
amount the District of Columbia used
1,433 gallons.
In view of the fact that the retail
druggists are often accused of selling
whisky, brandy, rum and gin as bever-
ages, the table devoted to the retail
apothecaries is especially interesting.
New York druggists used and sold 143,
$50 gallons of whisky in 1889; Missouri,
IS, 1856; Massachusetts,, 93,95S; Indiana,
s4,364; Illinois, $1,000; Kansas, 25,517;
Iowa, 17,227, and Maine, 1O,O47. Massa-
chusetts' druggists used and sold As, 2;3Ss
gallons of rum in 1889, which was Is
per cent. of all the rum used and sold
by the retail 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 1858 gallons.
In making up this report the census
Office used the factors furnished by the
Internal Revenue Department in con-
verting ordinary to proof gallons. The
average strength of alcohol and of
b. A.
other words, at 8s per cent. above proof;
that of highwines at 1.5O, or 50 per cent
above proof. Whisky, brandy, rum and
gin were taken as at proof. Chicago
News.