Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-08
THE SUBJECT OF LIQUORS,
How It Was Discussed in Capitol Com.
mittee Room.
Regrets at Lost Opportunities - How
They Are DOctored-A Queer
Bill of Ladfng.

| Ihcy were tHe III q
| committee room at the Capitol the other
| day, and the subject of liquors came up.
They had started by talking about good
| and bad whisky, and the decadence of the
| palmy days of old when all whisky was
good. only some WHISTLES were better than
| others.
Il had some whisky once that was 100
years DID," said one man. Every one was
silent and all looked at him with envy unut-
| terable in their faces. But it was when
was boy" he added sadly land 1 didn't
| appreciate it as l should have done"
1T was in the old country" he said, land
| one branch of our family owned a distil-
| iery. 1t was their custom to keep one bar
| rel OF whisky every year and store ii away.
| 1t came about. therefore, that one barrel had
| remained in the cellar for 100 years. and
| when 1t was opened they sent my father a
keg. 1 got some of It, and remember II
was mighty good; but, oh, if just had a
| chance at that keg now"
| Regret at the Lost Opportunity.
The audience groaned in sympathy with
him at the regret of the lost opportunity,
and thought what blessed thing it would
! be If Time could but turn backward in its
! flight and give them all that boys oppor-
| tunity with their present thirst and powers
! Of appreciation.
Then came pause, in which they sat
| gazing pensively into the fire with that far
away look in their eyes suitable to such
an occasion.
You don't get even pure whisky now"
one Of the experts finally said, 'iet alone
| talking about good whisky. Why, these
manufacturers can take a barrel of raw
stuff, and. by the aid of their essential oils,
uaVOr1nR nd
turn out, in a short time, a barrel of ap-
parently nve-year-old whisky. It's perfect
~ scandalous. man don't know what
ne Is drinking these days. Why, they've
80. SO now mat they can age whisky by the
use OF electricity, and you can't tell the dif-
ference TO save your life. They can manu-
facture their whisky out of these ingre-
dents and will turn you out rye, bourbon,
sour smash, or anything you want all out
Oh the same barrel
How Liquors Are DoctOred,
Why yes. they can make port wine out
Vi rhoparp, put in another of the sharps,
and II makes good WINE, too. As for log
WOOD that's a common thing in making
port wine"
L guess the greatest deception is used in
the manufacture of sherry" remarked the
hrst man. You know they used to say
that all of the gardens in England were
fenced with the slaves of claret casks. You
can hardly find a stave now, for the people
use sherry instead OF claret. The province
In Spain which Is credited with furnishing
the pulk OF the sherry of the world is not
large enough to produce the sherry used in
Spain alone. The sherry consumed in Eng
land is made at London. There on the
docks are immense wine houses where they
produce sherry. 1t is put in casks, loaded
ABOARD steamers and carried away to the
Islands, whence, after a brief stay and with
out even unloading, it is brought back
properly branded Spanish sherry, and
gulped down by the Britons in the firm be-
lief that they are getting genuine Anon
tillado.
That's the same way with these Hun
garlan wines You never get drop of the
best Hungarian wines in this country,
simply because the rich people over there
know good thing when they see it, and
they drink the whole output of the dis
trict themselves. The alleged royal wines
that we get are only good brands of claret
or Burgundy"
Il don't see what a man wants to drink
those foreign connections for, anyhow"
said the second man. when he can get the
native American wines. that are surely
pure so cheaply. New York Virginia Cal
ifornia. Ohio and North Carolina are all
producing excellent red and white wines
that are both tasteful and healthful."
Some Old Madeira.
Il read an interesting consular report the
other day about Madeira wine" said one of
the men. THE Island of Madeira produced
nearly 100000 gallons of wine in 1891. The
consul says that wine can be bought in Ma
deira from so cents per gallon to $50 He
says there is some wine there of the win tage
of 1855, the year that Lisbon was DESTROYED
by earthquake. but the wine is in possess
sion of several Portuguese gentlemen who
would not part with 1t for love or money"
Il don't blame EN-" said the chorus
Just think, put in the first man "of
Madeira 1873 years DID," and he cast his eyes
heavenward with a rapturous glance.
Queer Bill Of Lndins.
They used to export something else
besides wine from Madeira in those
DAVIS" continued the first man, and he
reached down from shelf the consular re-
port. Here is a bill of ladng dated Ma
deira, September IL, 1851: Shipped by the
Grace of God. in good Order and well Con-
diton'd by: Newton & Gordon in and upon
the good Ship called the: Fame-whereof is
Master. under God, for this present Voy-
age: Viner Leaycraft and now riding at
Anchor in the Road of Funchal and by
Gods Grace bound for: New York-to say:
One negro man named York, consigned to
VIM. Thos. Newton Merchant in New York
being mark'd and Numbered in the Mar
gin "a negro Man named York; and to be
delivered in the like good Order. and well
Conditional. at the aforesaid Port of New
York--(the danger of the Seas only except
ed unto, the said VIM. Thomas Newton or
to his Assigns, he or they paying Freight
for the said goods with Primage and Aver
age accustond d.
In witness whereof the Master or Purser
of the said Ship hath afiirm'd to three Bills
of Lading. all of this Tenor and Date; the
one of which three Bills being accompGsh'd
the other two to stand void. And so God
send the good Ship to her desir'd Port in
Safety. Amen.
cd IN, lad ir hnr
NINER LEAYCRAFT
This was changing the subject, however
and after they had all read it they separ-
ateI. going each his way upon his business
But, by some strange unanimity of purpose
their paths converged at the same point a
few minutes afterward, and this point was
the restaurant In the basement And when
they met they looked at each other in the
greatest surprise. though they had not
seen each other for a long time.