Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-10-30
TINDrnnY JACK.
A New Jersey Drink That Eniivens tn,
iog-kiiing Time.

New Jersey Drink That Eniivcns the
nog-kiiiing Time.
Just at this season of the year the in
habitants of Burlington county, n. j.,
are winding up their big hog and tea
berry season, and it is the most joyous
of the year. Next to the prize hog,
''teaberry jack" fills a long-felt want,
says an eastern exchange. 1t is bev-
erage indigenous to this part of the
state, and rarely if ever, found else
where. 1t is combination of native
ingredients, all of which are raised ON
the soil where the jack is made. The
formula is not furnished with each
bottle, ut, judged from it's effects, it
must have proof rs high as brandy
and be q near relative to the alcohol Of
commerce. "Teaberry jack" Is made
out of apple jack, which is kept in n
secluded spot until it becomes brown
ish amber and has the odor Of age.
In the distillation and afterward the
apple jack is mixed with crushed tea
berries, sometimes called wintergreen
plums, or checl:crbcrrics. They have
the same flavor as wintcrgreen chew
ing gum. The odor is combination of
apple blossoms and mountain tea
berries, which is so fascinating that
the amount of alcohol in the drink is
forgotten. There is no burning or
harsh taste while the teaberry jack is
triclSling down the throat; there is
none of the rasping which whisky often
causes when it is unmixcd with water.
Water is not needed with tcaberry jack
to make it palatable; it needs no dilu-
ton. The natives drink it without
water, and its strength is indicated to
the eye or the taste only in the size of
the glass, which is the ordinary glass
of country barroom-smaller in size.
The teabcrry drinker is expected to fill
his glass, close both eyes and gulp 1t
down.
The season for teabcrry jack is the
hog-l;illing time in the winter, when
all the outdoor work is done on the
farm and the hogs are fat. Old tea
berry is valued most, but it is hard "a
keep it year after ycar-its taste is sc
good, and the inhabitants require sc
much of it during the winter
Tcabcrry jack affects a man cumu
lativcly. 1t begins with his toes, which
if he has had eight or ten drinks, bcgir
to be lively and somewhat intoxicated
He feels as if the toes belong TO sont
other human being, and he Is some
what surprised at the cxhilarated con
dition il which he notices they are
The tcaberry jack gives him the ncnta
power to disasSociatc himself from hi
toes, and to be spectator of the wa,
in which the effects of the tipplc star
from his toes to his feet, then up to hi
knees. This is the danger signal, an,
5hould not be disrcgardcd. The nativ
Jcrscyman is accustomed to the effect
of this drink, but to visitor they ar
fascinating and insidious. The effect
IS it gradually extends upward,
cumulative and sudden. The last thin
to be affected Is the brain, which rS
mains entirely sober after the throa
and tongue have started on q ma
career of ilcbricty. The tongue ma
be running On ct a great rate, Will
the brain, in sorry sobriety, stands o
in mental attitude by itself, wonderin
what is the matter with the tongu
that it is carrying on and making a
kinds of speeches. The legs may
dancing, while the rest of the body
sober and amused ut the antics of Il
intoxicated legs.