Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1897-09-03

year, while the tax from retail liquor dealers
decreased $246,705. The tax on wholesale
liquor dealers decreased $35 ,75G, that on the
manufactures OF stills dropped 5000, and the
tax on manufactured stills and worms fell
5000. Many still remained true TO its
name during the year, while not few whole
sale dealers went 10 the wall, and multi
tude Of saloons throughout the country
were forced to close.
But the decrease has not been confined 10
whiskey, for beer drinking shows even a
greater decline. The tax from beer stamps
is 81 ,297.77S less than the receipts of last
year. Showing that the number of barrels
Of fermented liquor withdrawn for con.
sumption was 1,403,004 under the figures
for the preceding twelvemonth.
Doubtless the wine growers of California
have been gratiied TO learn that there has
been slight increase in the demand for
domestic light wines. This, however, does
not Offset the decrease in beer and whisky
drinking. The Revenue Commissioner in
clines to the belief that while hard times is
the main cause for decrease in the drinking
of intoxicants, there is general tendency,
on the whole, to drink less in this country,
and in few of the States stringent laws
that smack of prohibition have been passed.
a VERSA TILE INDIANA WIDOW.
We read that one Mrs. Adelaide E. Sper.
ry, of West Point, Indiana, is young wild
ow OF much ability in farm management
and few other things. AS the owner Of
a 1000 acre farm, she hires and directs her
large corps of assistants, indoors and out
doors, entertains generously, drives over the
estate daily, buys pigs and calves, ships Per.
cheron horses to Germany, cattle and hogs
to Chicago, raises annually an average of
10000 bushels of corn. AS if this were not
enough to occupy one woman's mind, no
matter how spaciously constructed, we are
writes for publications" And still she is
not satisfied, but intends to Investigate &C.
cult philosophy among the Mahatmas in
their mountain aboGes in India" 1t is un.
derstood, however, that she will not make
this onslaught upon the mystic lore of dia
"unta hlSting is done"
If the completion of "husking" is regard
ed by Mrs. Sperry as a sort of preparation
for dealing with India's occultism, one may
be permitted to wonder why. Theosophy
Is deep and intricate, to be sought after by
the aspirant with intense thought, with
weary vigils and wasting Of the flesh. AS
a preparation for such an ordeal husking,
which does not involve any great amount of
mental concentration, seems inadequate
Perhaps this light and homely occupation
is intended by the versatile widow as
means OF thoroughly emptying and resting
the head before graphing with abstruse
problems of mystic philosophy. Husking
ought to serve such purpose admirably.
All Americans should be interested in
Mrs. Sperry's contemplated invasion of the
lofty and mysterious realms of Oriental
thought. The daily papers will doubtless
be often consulted by those DESTROYS of
knowing how she is succeeding in her am
bilious attempt to take by storm these intel
lectual stronghods. There is evidently a "get
there" style about her farming methods that
is strongly suggestive of success in her new
venture