The Republican journal., 1898-04-07
Wine in Prohibition kans S.

There are other interesting items in the
although figures are dry | venture to re-
produce some more, because, like pic
lures, they tell q story in their own way,
one that cannot be told so well in any
other manner. The value of the oats in
the State for 1897 was nearly 81 900, 900;
Irish and sweet potatoes, s., COG, 600; mil
let, s., O00 900: sorghum, katfir corn and
maize for fodder, 50, O00 600; tame grass
es, S3, DOC, 600; prairie grasses, 81, 800, 600;
horticulture, garden products, and wine,
1000, 600. The wine in this list is the
greatest surprise of all, for it must be re-
membered that Kansas is a prohibition
State in theory. [ am sorry that the item
escaped my notice until after | had left
the State, SO that ii 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.
| find, however, by the report of the
Secretary of the Board of Agriculture, is
sued early in January of this year, that
wine was made in no less than 81 of the
1O6 counties of the State; that the vine
yards number 7, 12l; that the number of
gallons of wine produced was 231, 1874,
which, at IS cents a gallon, was worth
$173, 523-a neat little sum for such an in
dustry in d prohibition State! Closer ex-
animation of the tables shows that the
county raising the most vine is Doniphan,
which has record of 497 vineyards, pro-
ducing 40, S92 gallons of wine, worth S37,-
4l9. An examination Of the map of Kan
sas shows that Doniphan County is in the
very northeastern corner of the State,
adjoining the States of Nebraska and Mis-
rOuri. Nebraska and Missouri are not
prohibition States, and if this fact has any
relation to Doniphan County's wine pro-
duction other than a mere coincidence, of
course that is another story.
'Perhaps one hint as to the consump-
ton of Kansas wine may be had from an
experience | had at supper in hotel in
Marysville, in the northern central part of
the State, one evening. | noticed de-
canter in the centre of the table filed W tn
something red, and said to the waiter girl.
''What is in that decanter?'
81 don't know, sir.
SIS it wine?'
81 don't know, sir
'Wtll, it's something to drink?'
ut looks that way"
els it given away with the meals here?'
''See here mister, | think you had bet
ter taste some Of that, and if you are the
kind of man you look, you won ask any
more questions of me in this prohibition
State.''
Although l was squelched, 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 stretching clear
across the sidewalk from the building TO
the curb, on the busiest block in the main
street, which read, care you dry?' Then
a hand with a finger pointed straight at
the door of a saloon in full blast. | went
in, and found that in no way did the place
differ from saloons in other States. There
were six saloons in that town of about 81
600 persons, and the monthly fines, in
lieu of license, went great ways toward
the support of the schools and other in
situations. Franklin Matthews, in Har-
per's Weekly.