Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-15
WANTS HIS WHISKY BACK.
Donor of the Bourbon With Which
the Kentucky Was to Have Been
baptized Is Sore.

Lexington. Ky. Dec. 1i.-To-day Maior
Barak q. Thomas. tho venerable turfman
who presented the bottle OF old bourbon
to Miss Hattie l.. Richardson, with which
she was to christen the hattleship Ken
tucky. gave out the following authorized in
tcrview:
II want YOU to ask for me what has be-
come of that whisky. | did not intend that
it should he guzzled 10y politicians. Miss
Richardson. whose father was one of my
neiChhors. came to me and asked for a bot
tie of my old whisky with which to chris
ten the ship. l told her she could have tive
bottles if she wanted them. bat she replied
that one was sufficient. | gave her the bot
tie understanding that it would be broken
over the PROV of the. Kentucky. and that
its choice aroma would blend with the sea
foam as it dashed over the prov of the
vessel when she glided into the ocean.
very much fear. however, that the whisky
has met its fate long ago. and will never
he used for the purpose for which ii was
intended.
markable history. 1t was distilled in "A lit
lie old-fashioned stillhouSc erected nearly
lo0 years ago by a man named Cola, who
was a Gontempor4ry of lin CROW ;,1ar ana oid M
Kentucky The house stood on the Ken
lucky river at Frankfort and about half "a
mile from the state house. Here old Dan
Swigort distilled this whisky in 1888. and |
bought it a year or two later. While
WAS in the Confederate army it was hid
the late Madison c. Johnson. whore ii re
maned until 1870. thus making it fifteen
years old. | then bottled it and it has re-
mained in the bottle ever since and has
been in my cellar carefully guarded from
thirsty politicians.
II sometimes treat my friends on this
rare old whisky, several bottles of which
I still have left, but I make it n point
TO never allow a politician to taste it.
and it grievcs me deeply to think that the
bottle ] gave TO Miss Richardson for pa
trotic purposes has probably been con-
sumed by politicians. / think Mr.. Herbert
might at least return the bottle to me.
so that | may have some reminder of the
VCSSitudsS through which this old liquor
has passed.
Washington Dec 1.-THE hottie of for
ty-tive year old whisky which Major Bar
rack G.. Thomas gave to Miss Richardson.
to baptize th,s ba,tleshp Kentucky has
been totally consumed. 1t was a pcrluisite
of the last administration. and WAS par
taken of by President Cleveland. Secretary
Olncv. IIolle Smith, j. Sterling Morton. At
torney General Harmon, Postmaster Gen
cral Wilson and the faithful Thurbor.
whose conservation TO the interests of his
chief and whose devotion to duty required
him to consume forty-fivc year old whisky
and all other beverages that Were used
and appreciated by the president Secre-
tary Caris" and Secretary Lamont were
not guilty. III" former does not drink. He
has been n tcct"talcr ever since he went in
to the Cleveland cabinet. Colonel Lamont
does not abstain from principle. but from
preference. He does not like the taste of
whisky and is therefore entitled to no
credit for abstinence. While cX-ScCretary
Herbert was legally responsible for the
responsible for its absence on, the day
when the Kentucky is christcned. and un-
doubtediy he Is willing 10 assume that re-
spOnsiblity.