Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-11-30
NEW YORK LETTER.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

leflOr. ION can get drunk on Ctndy.
With yonr chocolate creams and gum
drops, You can buy whiskey or brandy
and from box of sweets you can i'm.
blbe enough spiritus frumenti to make
you merry and give you head next
morning. AS the innocent.looking
confection dissolves on your tongue u
liquid trickles out that has the unmis.
taxable flavor Of the good old stuff.
"That's whiskey," you say. Whis-
key 1t is, and as 1t mixes
with the sugar coating that has
held it Il prisoner, the combination is
agreeable to the taste. The steady
drinking man who is not on good
terms with the bartender on the
corner finds in these whiskeyized
candies the next best method of get
ting around the Roosevelt restrictions.
He gives the wink to his druggist, re-
ceives little box and goes hope
, equipped against dry Sunday. The
confectionery stores are reaping a rich
harvest. Although they have no Ii
cense to sell liquor, they do not fear
any trouble from what, at first glance,
may seem to be harmless iutrnction
of the law. But rs young girls aud
boys, as well MS grown men and women
ure buying the drops, the Excise Board
| will have every excuse for interference
as soon as they have read this article.
The chocolates put up with whiskey
in them were not put on sale in this
city until two weeks ngo. Since then
the demand for the article has been
great. Brandy drops were made years
and years ago on small scule, but
not until the screws were put on Sun
day drinking did the whiskey drop
make its appearance. Tue whis-
key drop is not different in ap-
, pearance from the old-time chocO-
late or brandy drop, and is
about the same size. AT some of the
shops it is covered with plain choco-
late, while ut the more stylish places
it is wrapped in tin and gold foil. In
some of its forms it il composed of u
little Jug made of crystulized sugar,
into which the liquor is squirted with
syringe Then the small opening is
plugged with sugar and dipped in
boiling chocolate and laid out on
boards to dry. The foil is put on to
hold the compound together in case
it is exposed to damp atmosphere.
People who have not bought whis-
key drops, and who have no idea Of
amount OF the Juice Of the rye con-
tanned in them, will be surprised from
I'M analysis: In pound of chocolate
drops there are eighty pieces. Each
piece weighs 95 grains, Troy weight.
After a drop is broken and the whis.
key is poured out there are found So
grains of sugar and chocolate and 40
grains OF whiskey. Counting 80 drops
to the pound, there are 5000 grains
OF whiskey in each pound box of new
mixture. A half-pint of good whiskey
weighs 1886 grains. Thus in each
pound OF chocolnte whiskey drops there
is half pint OF whiskey, less fifty
five grains. Bartenders say the aver
age New Yorker does not pour out
more than one-sixth of half pint
for drink. According to this there
are about six average drinks of whiS.
key in every pound Of the new candy.
There is gallon of whiskey, accord
ing to the statement OF manufact-
urer, in every sixteen and half
pounds of this candy. The price of
the candy, of course, depends on the
quality of the brandy. Some pound
boxes cost 80 cents, others cost 60
cents. Diluted opium is mixed with
chocolate drops in China, and in New
Orleans factory has been making
absiutLe drops for the past five years.
"Sassing a policeman" though not
a violation OF any known law or city
ordinance, has long been common
cause for the arrest of citizens in New
York. 1t appears that under the pres
ent regime this immunity from un-
pleasant criticism has been extended
to the wives, the families and even the
residences of officers OH the force. A
longshoreman named Kehoe had his
life nearly dubbed out of him by
seven burly policemen the other night
for the olfense Of standing opposite to
the house of Acting Captain O'Keefe
Of the Macdougal street station and
saying unpleasant things which were
almost inuudible, as he had pipo in
his mouth.
"Drunk aud disc orderly" and ere.
sisting IL policeman in discharge of his
duty" ure the two technical charges
preferred against the poor fellow, who
is nursing a broken head. That he
had been drinking goes without say
ing. That does not constitute crime.
In what did his 'disorderly conduct
consist? Hg was standing on public
highway, which the courts have re-
peatedly decided person has n right
to do. He was talking. That is not
an offence against any law or ordi-
nance. Resisting policeman is the
duty OF any self-respecting citizen
when policeman, in fragrant viola
ton of the law interferes with the citi.
zen's rights.
1t appears that there has been q
quarrel between Kehoe's family and
O'Keefe's family, aud that the arrest
was attempted in response to de.
maud sent to the station by the acting
captains wife. The man was actually
clubbed till by-standers had to inter.
fere to prevent him from being
murdered. 1t would seem to
the mere layman that this cnse
demands prompt and thorough
investigation by the commissioners.
Spite arrests and clubbings ought not
to disgrace the force under reform
nlmi inistrution. A little more atten.
ton to the suppression of felonics
and good deal less to petty cases il
which arrests ure never made except
for reasons which do notappeur in the
records. would he a wise policy.