Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-06
WINE IN KANSAS.

There are other interesting items in
the list of Kansas crops and products,
and although figures are dry, venture
to reproduce some more, because, like
pictures, they tell story in their own
way, one that cannot be told so we'll in
any othel manner The value Of the
oats in the state for 1897 was nearly
$4,0oO,Oo0; Irish and sweet potatoes, 81
100000 millet, $2,OOOOOO; sorghum, KAT
fir corn and maize for fodder Sc, ,000, 600;
tame grasses, $3,OOO,0OO; prairie grasses,
$4,S00,0OO; horticultural, garden products
and wine, $1,50O00O The wine in this
list is the greatest surprise of all, for it
must be remembered that Kansas is a
prohibition state in theory. / am sorry
that the item escaped my notice until
after had left the state, so that it was
too late to ask what becomes of the
wine and how the valuation is put on it
If it is not sold in the state.
1 find, however, by the report of the
secretary of the board of agriculture,
issued early in January of this year,
that wine was made in no less than 50
of the 106 counties of the state; that the
vineyards numbered 7121; that the num-
Der of gallons of wine produced was
231, 1854, which at rs cents gallon, was
worth $113,523-a neat little sum for
such an industry in a prohibition state!
Closer examination of the tables shows
that the county raising the most wine is
Doniphan, which has a record OF 497
vineyards, producing 1882 gallons of
wine, worth $37 419. An examination of
the man Of Kansas shows that Doni-
phan county is the very northeastern
corner Of the state, adjoining the states
OF Nebraska and Missouri Nebraska
and Missouri are not prohibition states,
and if this fact has any relation to
Doniphan county's wine production 9TH
er than a mere coincidence, of course
that is another story.
Perhaps one hint as to the consump-
tion of Kansas wine may be had from
an experience l had at supper in hotel
in Marysville, in the northern central
part of the state, one evening. 1 noticed
a decanter in the centre of the table
filled with somthing red, and said to the
waiter girl
What is in that decanter?"
I don't know, sir
rs it wine?"
II don't know, SIR
We'll, it's something to drink?"
1T looks that way"
rs 1t given away with meals here?"
See here, mister, think you had bet
@1fAAN
the kind of man you look, you won't
ask any more questions of me in this
prohibition state"
Although ] was squelched I did follow
directions. 1t was fair brand of port
Wine, and although it may be a style
known only in Kansas to furnish such
a product at supper, purposely refrain
from mentioning the name Of the hotel.
was told that they had free sherry for
breakfast 1t was in that same town
that found big wooden sign stretch
ing clear across the sidewalk from
pudding to the curb, on the busiest
block in the main street, which read:
Are you dry?" Then hand with q
finger pointed straight at the door of a
saloon in full blast ! went in and
found that in no way did the place dif-
Ter from saloons in other states There
Were six saloons in that town of about
SOoO persons, and the monthly fines, In
neu OF license, went a great ways
towards the support of the schools and
other institutions. Franklin Matthews,
IN Harper's Weekly.