New-York tribune., 1896-10-25
NO MONEY ~ CHAMPAGNE.
so SAYS \ DEALER EXPLAINING THE INcREAsE
IL ITS RETAIL PRICE.

SO SAYS \ DEALER fNfl.Ni-Ni+H' '''r '-N'''
IL IT'S RETAIL PRICE.
Two men were carefully examining. several
n,ghts ago Il book. the cover OF which was much
torn I'm ,ne OF the stewards rooms OF the windsor
Hotel This book contained the bill OF rare Tor eac
dav OF 1850. OF the old METROPOLITAN Hotel al
prInc.-s, and Broadway formerly kept by the
GLAND Erofhers but now torn down. one Of the
mon was u w Lace. who for over twenty years
has served az steward IN hotels managed anu
owned by Warren +. Leland.
The wine LIST was scanned with special interest
as important differences could be noteo pet"ech
II and one OF the present day.
"s,nce the war" said Mr.. Lace TO his companion
"tbcre has been steady rise In the retall price
,or Unmarried champagne. ON September y. lSW
,,o host An imperial could be purchased at retail
,or s. 20 n quart and 81 80 Il pint; the same nrh''"
Inn, ~ an inferior quality, at - quart wines o'
the same quality cannot now be purchased at 'esS
than 81 80 TO IS a quart. The average cost 10 III.
man about town II S'"'' ''
snccial vintages"
,,,,dr.ds of thousands more quarts or chan'
n,cne are imported TO this country az present 'nan
,hore were quarter OF century u.s. ~
~ so vcore imported: in 1876 1898 cases; In
,ssc oqc 7e cases and in lSs', TBS" cases inc
,,ohost number OF cases ever imported 10 this
'~'9 ~ ,,bir a twelvcmonth was In $780, when
,,n,,or, House returns showed An importation
~ ,,s rbe figures since then have been as FOL
~ ,so 2,; 027 cases. 1892. 355?'5 cases: 1898 2eo-
A., and 1894. 257tN,. H.
ono of the leading importers or WINE III the CITY
80, IA, reporter that under existing conditions
,,o ,ronis in the trade were small Wheh the Peo-
- su6ering from the effects OF hard times
Pc W., w. business extraordinarily dulL Inc
'ile nnne wa he said did not seek 20 grown meir
.,nass troubles in champagne as rrcnch'hrn "iu
nusil'aS recourse TO cheaper beverages. such as
hes I'D n% uhiskey At present many men, VINO ire
ouenty drank champagne IN oru,'iny a., cos,
duc.m ~ ~" "rirk In 1890 the depression began, ana
Ing >" - ~ a has grown gradually worse The I'M
porter said . ~. a,,, nm chemnaeno Of 81 on
The incrvd r,,nder the Mckinley law and OF 81 on
each CO., case oxarted by the producer are chiefly 10
IT,, We ~ Tor the larger cost 10 the consumer. 70
,ua, good French vintage SOLO AT "nolesae az
.s'rs .s 70 o,art which was marked UP Dy ,ne re-
taller 10 s men asked $50 case or more than
the "hoJ' nor hefnr. This increase OF T. was not
tneyr " n,, The retailers. In turn the retaiI man
wholly ~ ,,s old lists and on his new sheet wrote
nss, ,,nnrted r brand. 81 30 to quart fis oid
pe-t @ IN mp, ppr,ce had been g. Americans spend money
average p,i'he have II. more literally than any other
when tn.s ' tu, they readily resent being imposed
ao, When they paid from - 10 y - a po.tie tol
upon nhamnagne they said NOT a WORD, but the
W. -, ~ NOR. made them coHlplaiIl ......,.
The dealer added that ,,nru b.. An,.srican n
Ill moi hurt the importers uh'h 'he H"ei''"
r"mr nrodnced "A better article, ,... u.a. u,,io
retail dealer declared thtfe VIZ - 49,,
a 1T. 81 present the sale OF cha ampteic
aS comnared with the sale OF citre, ss, n Ls.n a
ar uo"'I IL ne dealt In champagnes. ne must KEEP &
winSs VIII ~ hrands on hand. some OF whicn "se a.
,,,1' rnoxyn and for which there was 49, ,na
n,an, Should one two bottles ne q. hrs "a.
"roats on a case were lost. Few Auie''Ss" ''~
had even q fair sale.