The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-13
JAMAICA GINGER DRINKS.
Massachusetts Women Who Indulge
in the Luxury.

West Newton Cor Boston Advertiser.
What Is true of West Newton is true of
the whole country, so those who know
say. The particular truth referred to is
that Jamaica ginger is the best selling
stuff in no-license towns. Those who have
the price and wish 1t, boldly buy it. The
reading public knows well that a short
time since Marshal Richardson, of West
Newton, issued an order to all druggists
and grocerymen not to sell any more
Jamaica ginger. OF course, this refresh
ed the memory of the public with the fact
that there is law prohibiting the selling
OF any beverage containing three per cent.
of alcohol. AS 1t ia generally known that
Jamaica ginger contains quite a good deal
of alcohol it was by many supposed that
| this was the reason OF the marshaPs sud
den action. The order so astounded one
policeman that he teleDhoned a druggist
to cease dispensing ginger ale. This COM
mand created a great hubbub when an
nounced by the druggist to his customers.
In endeavoring to give reasons for this
strange state OF affairs the druggist tele-
phoned to the marshal, and thus ascer-
tanned that ginger ale was in the list, and
Jamaica ginger was out.
Perhaps West Newton would not have
| realized the full extent of what Jamaica
ginger was doing as soon as II did had 1t
not been brought to the notice of the
oYerseerS of the poor.
It came about this way: One Of the OFF,
| GERS, Samuel Whitney, has charge of CIV
ing out the 81 grocery orders to the deserv-
ing poor, who can exist no other way. On
| these orders the bearer can get 81 worth
of necessary groceries. The grocer pre-
sents bill of the articles ordered to the
overseers of the poor and receives his -.
Not long ago Mr.. Whitney received q bill
which stated that the bearer had bought
two bottles of Jamaica ginger in two sue
trouble and as 1t was not in green apple
time Mr.. Whitney thought 1t best to find
out the reason for laying in such supply.
The much-abased woman, for 1t was
woman, pleaded illness, but when made
to understand that the most difficult case
usually required but a couple Of spoon
tuls at the most, she scarcely knew what
to say, and so she spluttered: what did
the grocer set 1t down for anyway"
That threw new light on the subject,
and in due course of time IL was revealed
that there have been grocers who have
heard an 'order customer" call for pork
and beans" but as the knowing look ac-
companied the order, he knew the proper
translation was Jamaica ginger. So he
handed out the bottle, and neatly wrote on
the bill 1.-TWO pounds of pork and four
quarts of BEANS Soc" That sort of deal
ing would naturally go Undecided for
some time. Investigation has also re-
grocer's business lay in the Jamaica gin
ger traffic. One small store was unearth-
ed where five and six cases were ordered
each week. This was out OF all proper
ton to the amount of other things order
ed. AS there is a great profit on all bot
tied goods, it Is easy enough to under
stand that few grocers are unkindly dis
posed toward cultivating that part of the
business.
Jamaica ginger drunkards are the most
| hardened of all. They are the desperately
confirmed drunkards. In order to get
enough alcohol to make one feel conscious
of it, one must of necessity take a stiff
amount of the ginger, which, of course
goes with it, and by the time the alcohol
acts the ginger burns like a furnace. The
Indian name fire water" is far more ap-
plicable to Jamaica ginger than to whis-
ky. AS ginger of all makes contains fully
| per cent. of alcohol. one gill Of 1t is as
good as a pint of whisky.
Women are more addicted to Jamaica
| ginger. than men, 1t is; more respectable
to drink ginger, than whisky, they think
and it sounds all right to ask for bottle
You have got, however, to acquire a taste
for 1t, but having become addicted 70 It,
! one does not care for ordinary intoxicants
When asked what they take the stuff for
many women Of the uncombed variety
say: "Oh. for melancholy"
Now that this fiery driver-away- dull
care cannot be purchased at Newton,
many go shopping out of town, and return
with a supply. The suppression of it in
Newton Is therefore, only mourned by
the charity folks who want It, and the
grocers. A jamaica ginger Jag is one
of the worst kind.
Lemon extract will next be called in.
There is a cook In a certain famous girls
school who gets on foot for days on
just plain lemon extract. Not a bit of
this havoring can be kept in the institu-
ton, which is a sorrow to the girls who
are fond of lemon-fiavored pies, buildings
and things.