The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-12
HARD DRINKS EASY TO GET.
ANYBODY THAT LIKES CAN READILY
MAKE gHEM ron HIMSELF

| tlilcrt-Ccrn Bccr, Chenp ana Strong
Peppermint aud Lemon Essences In Dry
Towns-A Look at wbiskey Making.
| II you want to see some queer things"
said secret service officer. whose specially is
| internal revenue cases. you ought to travel
| with me for a few weeks. You would soon
| make up your mind to one thing. that whom q
mnn wants drink ho will have 1t. No law In
the world can prevent him. It's all very well
to say. Suppose tho man is locked UP In iail ?
| but that won't stop him II he is man OF In
| telliGencc and wants u drink very badly.
| 81 ran across n case down South last sum
mer that illustrates the simplest and crudest
way OF producing alcohol. I had been spend
| ing some weeks In central Tennessee. and
| had run down the Eli Maverick gang Of moon
| sinners. and landed them all In jail-sS OF
| them. They were very smart lot, and for
! safekeeping they were put in separate coils.
| About two weeks after the arrest, when I had
to return to testify in the case. went into the
jail. and the Sheriff said to me. Henderson
THAT was tho name I was going by at the
timol there's whiskov in tho jail. l believe
your moonshiners nre making it,
Like enough l told him; they know how.
Just SHIFT them into new quarters ut dinner.
and see what we can find in their cells
while my prisoners we're kept in another
part OF the iail we examined their cells thor
oughly. but there was not a sign OF n stl. nor
OF any whiskcy stored away. SO we had to find
q fresh clue. 1t is a wel-mnnaged iail. and I
was reasonably sure that the liquor was not
smugg led init was most likely made on the
premises. / found by making inquiries that
tho prisoner who oftenest showed the effects
of drinking was nn Intelligent colored man
who had been put in charge OF the stororoom.
His business was to serve out tho raw food to
the cooks. and keep the storeroom in order
That's my man l said to myself and I had
him locked in his coll. and went into the store
room. 1t was lust as expected He had a
dozen fruit Jars full OF corn beer, so strong
that about two glasses Of 1t would 70 to an old
drinkers head. II was very easily made: he
had only TO make n mixture OF moasses and
water. start it fermenting by adding little
yeast. and then throw in few handouts Of
corn. Any PENNSYLVANIA farmer will tell you
how to make corn beer. After fermenting
few days. it contained from II to 20 per cent
of alcohol He had been doing fine business
selling this to the prisoners. and had kept
himself well primed The remedy hero was
to appoint n new storekeeper who was not
quito so smart.
There was nothing remarkable about this
case" the officer continued. II mention it
merely to show You how easily alcohol may be
produced. This corn beer was alcohol and
water because it hal not been distilled. II
the man had known how to distil It, he would
have produced proof spirit or course the
spirit, or. as we commonly call it, tho alcohol Ia
the basis Of all strong drinks. This comes in
evitably from all vegetable fermentation: by
distiirg We only separate the alcohol from
the water.
1T has been part OF my work to investigate
all the possible ways OF producing alcohol and
alcoholic drinks. and 1 am satisfied that any
man who wants drink can easily make it.
The only materials necessary are grape sugar.
water. and something to start the fern entation.
How TO get the grape sugar? you ask. The
easiest thing in the world. Tho grape sugar
OF science and OF commerce is not actually
sugar made from the grape: it is glucose. or
ordinary cane sugar or molasses chemically |
changed by fermentation. Anybody can get q |
handful OF sugar and II glass Of water. even In |
prison. Perhaps he cannot get the yeast: but |
there are dozen substitutes for yeast. Tho |
white OF an egg will answer the same purpose.
or flour paste, or q slice Of bread squeezed into
stitute that is always available: this Is putrid
blood. scratch in the arm produces the |
blood. and in day or two it answers every
This alcohol. as the direct result Of fer
Tni,I IS very wax. being mixed with
The old TOPPER wants y drink that bites and
to produce this he distils the fermented liluor
u
1t is not unusual foran Illicit still to be- dis.
6 covered ~ IN prison | had = beautiful case of
OF the prisoners there was Charles WellDorn
a very shrewd swndlcr. but not. as far as is
snomn dst!I!sr He knsw fomethine about
that he had all tho LIQUOR he wanted in his
sell :: and cnonEh to supply h's friends in iai;
gallon Of spirtSS day. In bis water pail
make the WdrH three Os tin Cans SI Sere tho ,S
r rnto and iermrnters. and metallic spit!oon
s and R as sry proud Of his
where he was held for illicit dstllinc. =,
IL prlsoners in inil can do these things.
Or course. the free man has no such induce
ments to mako his own alcohol. for few things
drink by asking for It than lie will get a meal
MR9 Il IS t ssT Be- F2 e
prived OF drink. 1t is safe to say that th.ro
buy drink OF sprlts.-not one. Our prohib.
hon friends may he disposed to deny this; /
vii! !, tGh YOU What mean.
" or state. where tho sule Of liquor is rrohib-
, stranger in the town. he is looked upon with
suspicion by the bartenders. When | see my
a S" drug rue s"re vary Eey the
rggss VIC Is wo s9G4 n1t pe nt prohibit
nan does not ask for liquor he simply asks
or two ounces OF essence OF peppermint which |
10 druggist will decline to soil.
= III appearances give him encouragement, |
ny man VII ask 70 have his peppermint in a
;Ia as, w!hn little n!nin soda, please. More
With plain water. IN either ease he has a 8 much
slc"hol as he would get in two moderate drinks
II whisky, or two ounces Tor essence OF mem |
'ermint Is nearly all strong alcohol, | hava
lad occasion to study the formula OF nearly all !
he medicinal essences, and they ARE all com |
,osed principally Of alcohol. To make essence
y peppermint you simply add one ounce Of oil
u nepperHtm,nt and i2O grain: Of peppermint
lol. let it stand ono day. and Alter. The favor-
ng y not Injurious. nor the taste unr pleasant.
md the old topper has n drink that will sizzle |
I his throat and ilre up his brain, and yet one
hat can be- bought under tho shadow OF a
hurch steep o any Sunday morning.
Peppermint Is only one OF q dozen essences
hat drinkeg fall bnck upon In emergencies
essence Of spearmint Is precisely the same
hing win spearmlnt substituted for pepper
uint So Ia essence Of lemon. which contains |
lothinG bit oil OF lemon. lemon peel, and
prit Of anise. spirit OF cinnamon. or spirit OF
avcnder. These are all made o. alcohol and
hnr ia nothing INJURIOUS q nbIauunp, AZ, | ,