The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-15
WHAT A WASTE!
Fate of the Bottle of 100 Year
Old Whisky
Which Miss Richardson Was to
Break Over the kentucky,
HAS COME TO LIGHT.
President Cleveland and Secre-
tary Herbert Drank 1t.
Everybody in Kentucky is
Shocked and Mad,
Especially the Man Who Fur
nished the Liquor.
NOT FOR POLITICIANS.
1t Was Contributed For Purely
Patriotic Purposes.
Wants His Bottle Back as a
MementO.
Everybody in Kentucky is
Shocked and Mad,
Especially the Man Who Fur
nished the Liquor.
NOT FOR POLITICIANS.
1t Was Contributed For Purely
Patriotic Purposes.
Wants His Bottle Back as a
MementO.

Washington, Dec. 15.-Another inter
esting phase of the row over the chris
tening of the battleship Kentucky was
brought out today, when Major B. G.
Thomas, the veteran Kentucky horse
man, who gave Miss Richardson d bot
tie of whisky over 100 years old, to be
broken over the prov, wired to ascer-
tain what had become of the almost
priceless liquor.
1t was shown that the bottle contain
ing the highly priced corn juice had
been sent by Miss Richardson to Hilary
A. Herbert, then secretary of the navy,
to be kept until the ship was ready to
be christened
It also developed that Secretary Her
bert and Grover Cleveland, then presi-
dent of the United States, had sam
pied" the bourbon and found it of such
rich and rare bead" that they had
promptly drank it all, both agreeing
that such precious stuff should not be
wasted by being poured into the Allan
tic ocean.
This is the story of the bottle that is
told by eX-Secretary Herbert to his
friends He adds with q smile that the
whisky was the best that he ever tasted
and that the president was delighted
with the flavor. The only regret ex-
pressed by either was that the bottle
was a small one.
When news of this disposal of the Ii
quor intended for the christening of the
Kentucky gets back to Louisville there
will be probably hot time in the old
town"
Lexington, Ky, Dec. 15.-Major B. G.
Thomas, who furnished Miss Harriette
Richardson the bottle Of old whisky
with which to christen the battleship
Kentucky, is mad because the whisky
has been wasted on politicians, as he
declares. Today he gave out the follow
ing pointed interview:
Z did not intend that this whisky
should be guzzled by politicians. Miss
Richardson, whose father was one of
my neighbOrs, came to me and asked
me for a bottle of my old whisky with
which to christen the ship. L told her
she could have two bottles, if she want
ed them, but she replied that one was
sufficient. / gave her the bottle, under
standing 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 or the
mighty vessel when she glided into the
Ocean.I find. however. that the whisky
has met its fate long ago and viii new
er be used for the purpose for which it
was intended. Yes; that bottle OF
whisky has a remarkable history 1t
was distilled in a little Old-fashiOned
still-hOuse, erected nearly one hundred
years ago, by a man named Cole, who
was a contemporary of Jim Gray and
Old Oscar Pepper, the earliest d1St1lierS
in Kentucky. The house stood on the
Kentucky river at Frankfort, and about
half mile from the state house. Here
old Dan Swigert distilled this whisky
While 1 was in the Confederate army it
was hidden away in the cellar Of my old
friend, the late Madison Q. Johnson.
where it remained until 1870. I then
bottled it, and it has remained in the
bottle ever since, and has been in my
cellars, carefully guarded from thirsty
politicians. 1 sometimes treat my
friends on this rare old whisky, several
bottles of which 1 still have left but L
make it a point to never allow poll
tician to taste it,and it grieVes me deep
ly to think that the bottle 1 gave to
Miss Richardson for patriotic purposes
has been consumed by politicians like
Mr. Herbert and Mr.. Cleveland. 1 think
Mr. Herbert might at least return the
bottle to me, so that I may have some
reminder of the vicfssitudes through
which this old LIQUOR has passed"