The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-26
WHISKY In ALASKA
PEOPLE THERE WANT SOMETHING
THAT BURNS ALL THE WAY
DOWN,
AND PLENTY OF 1T, AS WELL.
A. r. SHEWAN. A MONTREAL. DIS
TILLER, GIVES SOME SUR
PRISING ESTIMATES
OF THE LIQUOR SENT UP THERE.
Talks With a Number Of tho yr,,.-
elers SOjOurninG at st.
Paul Hotels.

"Oh no, those fellows in KIondike
dent drink beer" said A. r Shewan.
prominent Canadian whisky distilIer.
residing in Montreal, to a Globe re-
porter yesterday afternoon at the Mer-
chants hotel. Besides the thousands
OF gallons of all kinds of whisky taken
INTO the gold country. the custom rec
ords show that the number of cases of
champagne ran close up to the 1000
mark this season, to say nothing of the
large quantities which were struggled
in without being recorded at the Gus
toms station. Why, nothing is too
good for those fellows up there. Such
drinks as native wines and American
beer are too tame. What they want is
something which will burn all the way
down. and they get it, too, for there
Is lots or money, or rather the COM
modify of exchange of the country is
plentiful. They don't have pink teas
or buffet luncheons' up there, but
they do drink champagne, as there is
nothing too rich for them. They get
the best to be had, and pay for it, too.
Those people are not satisfied with in
feriOr brands of champagne and will
accept nothing but the best. The life
which they lead entails a desire for q
stimulant and I am told that whisky
is about the only commodity which ia
not scarce In Alaska. There has been
a great quantity struggled across the
boundary line without the knowledge
OF the Canadian authorities, and the
report about the inferior quality of the
whisky imported into Alaska is all talk.
Those fellows know good whisky. and
so many people have gone into the
business even during the last season
that whisky. as compared with other
luXuries and necessities, is cheap
There were only three companies who
were authorized to carry whisky into
Alaska this year, the Hudson Bay COM
pany and two Alaskan Trading COM
panies Most all of the whisky which
will go to the KIondiIle the coming sea
son will be either Canadian whisky or
imported brands, besides the imported
champagne. Many people of the United
States live on beer and think they are
getting champagne, but you can't fool
the KlOndikers on champagne or whis-
Ky. The Canadian regulation of whisky
distilleries provides that all whisky
must be two years old before it is taken
out Of bond. This has a tendency TO
make the Canadian whisky a superior
brand.
1T would be difficult to estimate Just
how much of the Canadian product will
be used by the 100000 or more people
who are expected to go to Klondike next
year but the Canadian distlleries and
jobbers are looking for a big trade from
this source, and 1 think it would be
safe to say that 100000 gallons at least
of Scotch and other brands of expensive
WHISTLES, rye and brandy will be sent
into Alaska this next season. This is
to say nothing Of the champagne which
will go into the country, the consump-
ton Of which alone will be enormous.
This would be an unusually large
amount for any similar number Of peO-
pie in the United States or Canada, but
the extreme cold Of the country and the
element Of speculation, all promote the
consumption Of this commodity, very
little Of which will be the product Of
the United States. This estimate ] base
upon the amount of whisky which is
sold in the KOOtenai and other mining
sections in this country. | do not think,
out of this whole amount there Will be
10 OC gallons of wine exported into
Alaska this spring, as wine is a little
too soft for 80 below zero weather"