The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-12
Sweet Cider and Tipping Mike.

The great army Of American cider drink
ers, an amiable, healthy, and humorous
host, will hear with trepidatlon and perhaps,
with incredulity, Of the statements made
by our contemporary, the Union Signal, on
the authority of CLARA A. RAwoRTB of
the Women's Christian Temperance Union.
The lady Is one of the lecturers of that
organization. She declares that sweet cider
is "a much scarcer article than 1t is gener-
ally supposed to be, and. in fact. a great
part of that which Is called by that name
Is not sweet cider at all" Precisely what
the alleged sweet cider Is, or how 1t should
be correctly designated, or wherein it diff
fcrs from real sweet cider, she does not say.
According to what may be described as the
theory Of thisc champion of temperance, the
imperfection of sweet cider, so-callcd, is
due to the fact that the apples from which
it Is made are picked up from the ground
instead of being picked from the trees.
Mrs. RAwoRTH says;
.Cider contains considerable quantities Of alcohol
within three days, There 10 thus q narrow margin
for the correct application OF the name and a broad
one IN which it ventures upon the domain of q most
deceitful and insidious poison. Cider undcrgoes q
change so stealthily that ordinary persons do not de'
teCI u. nj lHlcuulttnosd II tHc ppi'SohiO Va s"S
name IL every year mastering to the ranks OF drinkers
thousands OF the best OF American MANHOOD. II sweet
cider may be drunk at home. why not abroad "
there 10 no danger In drinking II from the barrel
which STANDS IL fathers orchard, surely there 10 none
In accepting that which 10 sold abroad. Deacon
soANp-so. who keeps elder made from his own apples,
IL q greater menace TO temperance than Tipping
MIKE. who lies in the ditch"
Here Is a sad and perhaps q too highly
colored picture Of the Generalization which
follows an incipient longing for home
made cider, extending ultimately to a long
ing for distillery-made cider, that "most
deceitful and insidious poison"
The true friends Of temperance, 1t Is
quite evident, are always on guard. watch
full, alert, and even suspicious at the stealthy
and crafty approach Of the demon of drink.
Who knows who Is who or what is what,
when Deacon So.AND.So down on the farm,
an exemplar of fortitude and sobriety, has
become unconsciously a greater menace to
the cause he espouses than Tipping MIKE,
who lies in the ditch3 Against the wiles,
If he has any, Of Tipping MICHAEL, the
friends of temperance and the foes of strong
drink can protect themselves, but against
the insidious weakness Of Deacon So.ANp-
| wv oioc euiuo ehe
they are helpless, and perhaps attention is
called to the danger OF the case none too
soon by the Union Signal.
Heretofore. sweet cider las been regarded
as a pleasant beverage containing a very
small amount of alcohol, and suggestive OF
the orchard. the fruits of the field, rather
than Of the wine press. The cider of com
merce, so to speak. the cider sold at retail,
hard as distinguished from Sweet
cider, contains a larger proportion Of alco
hol than beer or porter, and q less proper
tion than claret, champagne, sherry. port
gin, brandy, rum, or whiskey. Sweet cider
not the sweet cider of Deacon So-AND.So oil
the sweet cider of Tipping MIKE, but the
veritable sweet cider, as imbibed In abund
ance in New England and New York State
contains an even smaller proportion of alco
hol. For that reason, until the Union Sig
nal sounded q note Of warning to the con
trary, it has been regarded generally as
wholesome beverage.
The friends Of sweet cider should be NJ
and doing to defend 1t, for the cider.makinl
season Is now nearly at hand.