The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-22
West 23d St.
FAT YEARS OF THE BREWERS.
Long Prosperity That Preceded tho Pas
sage OF the Raiaes Bill.

-"s
Saloon keepers say that the Drawers will
suffer through The operation of the Raines
bill, not only by reason Of direct injury to their
property interest In the small saloons. many
of which will be closed. but also by the falling
or In the grOwler trade consequent upon the
thinning out Of saloons. Some small saloons
that have little custom at the bar do a very
large growler business. In order thas the
arowler business shall flourish. IL Is necessary
that saloons shall be numerous, for II Is only
the thirstiest souls that will send half a dozen
blocks for a can Of beer. The heaviest immedi-
ate loss to the brewers. however. will come
from the wiping out In large part Of their in
terest in small saloons. This loss WAS partly
anticipated by the recent judicial ruling that
the license is to the individual. and not TO the
house. One small brewer says that with tho
Raines law In operation he will lose $50, 900,
and II is believed that some of the larger brew
es will lose al least a quarter OF a million. AL
ready tho fixtures OF many vanished saloons are
slowed away in the breweries, and under the
operation of the prospective new law these
things will DO almost unsuitable.
The recent judicial ruling as to licenses was
the first severe blow hat the brewers Of New
York have had in a long time. Most Of the
brewers can stand II. for they are usually well
OF. The prosperity OF the New York brewers
for the past twenty five years has been an as
s spRss IN ana sSsv sSSepe Ssw Y MSSt 81 ha ssH BEEN ass IN Ok.
istence less, than thirty-hve years. There are
among The o brewers Se6 some supposed to be worth
600. 900. Some OF these fortunes have been
made In less than twenty years. Many, Of the
with little or no education. Some left mechan-
teal trades, or small shops TO begin the manu-
iiS aSesi e Several SseI a on t SS,'hi large sm Srswar lsrS began Ien-
making their beer IN, washtubs, You may see
3 ',rS.a n ,z Ay wsr. ha "a ihs s, siSSs where T. t GHs o. sa the
days he was not only a brewer. hut as well a
saloon keeper. and he even drove his own de-
IN n small way as a butcher. saved q few thou
tand dollars at that business, and then bought.
600. a half interest In a brewery.
llooool e eoo than Tns sweR FtnS.S Sars ne Sss "9 95ut
cough! to buy mp brewrrles hers some ysars ago
Is said TO have offered SIC, 900. Oon for a single
brewery; aud the offer was declined. II was
brewery on a few thousand, dollars capital,
Now the mRehineTy Of a large brewery may cost
ness have seen their fortunes pile up I'M way
yei6pment Of the brewing business has been
the conversion OF the large concerns into com
SsSHd Of III ner cent, The constantly incSsss.
Ing Amount or the capital necessary To start
the, brewing business helps OBSCURE the whole
lea saiooa k5sper's estimate that the
rs some brewers sell 1000 barrels a day. the
profits arc handsome, The foreign beer Is not
q serious competitor with the domestic, as the
iormer retalls at double the price al the latter.
Rnd even at that yields much less profit Tn the
salo0n keeper. The fortunes Of the New York
brewers have been made much moro rapidly
than those 81 their brethren in Germany, One
thing that takes from the quality of New York
beer. but swells the profits OF the brewers, Ia
the short time that elapsos between the brew
ing OF the beeF and Its consumption. Ale brew
Ing IL less profitable here than beer brewing,
partly for tho reason that In the case Of ale, the
capital inveAtsd In the finished product must
lie waiting 6til the ale ripens and Is ready foI
consumption, and that In some cases Ii q mat
~ Of lnOnths-