The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-09-23
PROFESSIONAL TEA TASTING.
II Is Hard Work and Trying TO the Nerves,
hut IL Pays Pretty Well.
From the san trancisco Examiner.

A tall. slim man with a black moustache, dark
eyes, and closely cropped black hair registered
since been going and coming In II nervous sort
Of way. He registered as g.. {. Smyth OF New
business on hand. but what il was no one knew.
Last, night he was dining, in the cafe at the
fully of the wine. though not SO much rs to
make the effect noticeable.
lido this, he said. TO, get my nerves into
and this profession is very hard on me physi-
eally. have been following II for several years.
since there arc only ten tea tastcrs in the United
states. We are engaged by large merchants
several times to taste teas. and have often WIS.,
tied Vancouver for that purpose.
Since the Canadian Pacific Railroad was
completed and n line OF steamers established
from the Orient, immense cargOes Of tea have
been going there from China, Japan, and other
and taste various samples from these cargoes.
nave also visited Ceylon and nearly all Of the
te~a-growing countries of the Orient to observe
the mode OF putting up the TEA.
1t Is astonishing the way they manage TO
sHiifni thst i they ever Sin t iS a rrc pho dpp aifS Sf in frr s2
makes the merchants who afterward handle 1t
will be found all that could be desired. while
other packages bearing the same brand and in
the same cargo will be highly adulterated.
AS this tea il very costly there is need of ex-
pcrts to examine 1t. They must he good ones,
for everything depends for the time being on
hours at time. when he Is weakened and has to
take a rest. Besides this, when he begins u job
OF tasting he must take special pains to get him
self in shape for It,. | was about six weeks get
ting myself ready for examining some cargOes
In the warehouses here for the Government.
Before | began | did not taste intOxicants in
any form. and did not even smoke. At the
same time | was careful not to eat strong pep
pers or spices, or, in fact, anything that could
distort the taste. One must be in rs perfect
condition in order TO properly judge OF the teas
he tastes AS a horse is when prepared for the
Derby or COrbett or Jackson when about to be-
gin a fight for the championship. He must be
at his best, and must feel that he Is.
This afternoon in six hours | made $4,000
tasting tea, so you see from this how valua-
Bile the time of q tea faster is and how care
full he must he of his condition. On each of two
or three previous days ! made almost as much.
nous sums considering the time employed;
$4,000 a year is a low sum, and often
times from $50 ,OOO TO $40 600 H. made, ard even
more. | know a man In the business who made
$4,000. IL all depends on his standing, the
number OF times he Is called as u faster, and
what he can endure.
In my case this time tho Government has
sent me to examine teas In order To collect GER
tain statistics about the deliberations. You
know there Is now u very large number of men
collecting statistics throughout this country and
products, and other things. II has desired To
learn all IL can about the adulteratiOnO OF foods and
drink, and this Is why have been engaged here.
" am substantially through with my tea
tasting in san Francisco for the present, and
this Is why | have been drinking wine, which. as
] said, Is the best restorative for the weakness
after a long strain at tasting"