The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-28

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Loursv11r, Dec. a7.-The biggest manufec-
turing business in Kentucky is threatened with
ruin. Tho d~istillors Of Bourbon whiskoy find
themselves facing O market overloaded with
stocks which arc more than doubled by the use
Of ndulterants. In addition, they must pay a
tax so heavy that Il Is driving tho finer brands
out Of consumption, since by tho mixing OF cheap
trust spirits with Bourbon In the proportion OF
four or Ave to ono an article can be produced
which can be sold at Il cost Of 90 to 70 cents n
gallon and cannot be told from the genuine by
nine drinkers out OF ten. As the internal reve-
nue. tax alone Is clio, and as the good brands
cost all the way from 80 to 90 cents o gallon in
addition. IL is easy to see what the average re-
tail liquor sellor will buy. The consequence is
that the whole industry is threatened with
ruin, with the result not Of lessened drinking.
but Of increased consumption of unhealthy and
fiery liquor.
Tho assignment Of Richard J. Monarch at
Owenpborough last week was the biggest failure
of the year in tho Bourbon whiskey business,
and the biggest since the assignment OF his
brother, M. ". Monarch, a year ago; but 1t Is
only one Of many such. The two failures carry
liabilities of over a million dollars, only partly
covered by real estate securities and warehouse
receipts for whiskey stored. These receipts
were once regarded as the most desirable collat-
ersl that could be offered a bank in Kentucky.
but there have been a number OF cases of fraud
and forgery, which have caused them to be
looked upon with less favor. The Monarchs
are men of high commercial standing, and their
paper is not questioned as to genuineness.
The failure OF the Monarchs, coming at this
j~uncture, is q further reminder of the desper-
ate condition into which the fine whiskey bust.
ness has been brought. Ten years ago 1t was
on q boom and millions were made in this
| Ck.A. Tl~-~ -r.,~ &n,nn A1-a.oh hratharo-
Richard, M. ". and Dutch" They had been
d~istIlling twenty years and were well to do.
The boom made ell rich. and, like distillers
elsewhere in the State, they began erecting new
and larger plants an increasing their produc-
ton enormously. 1t was tho Same spirit that
made a noted wh1skey king Of fifteen years agI
increase his capacity from 10000 or 10000
barrels per annum to $4,000, and then at
tempt to reach 100000 He failed, but the
business survived and his magnificent plant
was taken in hand by his bookkeeper, to whom
It yielded a fortune of Sl5o.Ooo a year for sev-
eral years. Other distilleries did almost as
well. The Allen. Bradley plant. located here
but owned In New York, returned a clear rev.
enue of $4,000 q year: the Wathens made
$4,000 per annum. and 30 with may others.
Distillers went wild, and in 1893 the produc-
ton reached 4o,s35.s 1913 gallons, which was
nearly double the average annual consumption.
When the panic came there were many who
went down at once, but the extension Of the
bonded period enabled the Monarchs, T. B.
Ripy. W, L. Crabb and others to tide over O
while. They tax.paid immense stocks in Au-
gust. 1894, in order to take advantage Of the 20
cents q gallon increase In tax, but they reck-
oned too confidently. The panic and the in.
creased cost this necessitated made fearful In
roads upon the sales Of Bourbon whiskey. OF
the genuine article only the cheapest brands
were In demand. and the "rectifers" who mix
one gallon of Kentucky whiskey with we gal
Ions of cheap Peoria spirits began to flourish.
Tho crippled jobbers and distillers struggled
along under the load for q year or so, and then
began to fall One Of the largest failures was
est stock of old and fine oTwhhisksy IN the world
Co. msnutaoturers Of one of the most celebrated
s sssndf Il In w Rsni tSSnS t tSPs u sRe sn man aSSat e B. yea 3.
BARLEY, had been forging and hypothecatinl
Of over a quarter OF q million and very few as
SETS, T.,P. Ripy Of Lawrenceourg went up fol
IN nnG Sis ass S,s sa%i 0q IL sR Rss m Mss no a os1spDnesiss
is once more in control Of bis great business
Many others were ruined. but the failure Of W
I Crabb was the last notable one before that q
Blackburn. His liabilities were large, but die
not TS SDp sissstid sn1 is S Sf the t M9 dissil1srs now fine
kentucky. whiskey is not esteemed at to drini
thereafter IL that It is Kept in the WOOD. e., II
f reason the distiiii HaD Sometimes make enorm aoa
s far no ss t fSl1Yha e eoa ma e ReSrI in legitimate sfTsnst y @sn
ufacturing products and immediate sales
. though these were large enough In good years
But SINCE the hard times have set in the price
experienced o remarkable decline. Take the
crops Of 1892 and 1893. which were respec
much more was produced these years thar
there was any demand for that these crops are
actually selling for less now than they brought
more valuable ali the time. For instance. nc
one thinks of asking more than 80 cents a gal
> e eSn; be- s5 SoaeEt for 81 81! sa5s e cent asS snd ThI IN soSe e ease !,
as low as 25 cents. 1t is worth less than 1891
or 1895 ~whiskey. AS a barrel of liquor loses
? four years, with this loss and the depreciation
Of values, 1t is. the estimate OF Mr.. John NJ
Anterior, the leading MANUFACTURER of thu
sunk $3, Q. 600 In carrying the crops. Of thest
two years since their production. II the de
cline keeps on they win soon be selling below
, The present stock of whiskey in bond II
, Kentucky is estimated by the best authority il
the ira 10 at 70. 1858. 067 gallons. which is dis
! tributed as follows in gallons:
Srop OF 1i4a'3o'
] crop OF ,2l6.iS.
Crop OF a.bS5,a2'
Srop OF io'sst .oO
crop OF isso...
:. Crop or lhp1 6.1S0.87
I To this must be added the production for No
yember, and December. 1897, which belong
to the ascal year 1893 8 and will increase II,
] Is there is no prospect Of over ~, 900, 900 gal
Ions being produced next. year, even II there 1