The times., 1898-11-20

Most of the port wine drinkers were
cranks of the first water. At one house
years ago, when the wine was brought,
the host had a habit of rising and draw
ing from his coat red. green and yellow
bandanna handkerchief. He would grave
ly begin to polish the glasses for his
guests. Those who knew him were
aware that the handkerchief was per-
fectiy clean and never had been used
from the day of its purchase except for
this Office IL WAS at his house that an
almost priceless vintage was brought out
in honor of a guest tthe friend of life
long friend of the hosU whom he had
been introduced TO few days earlier and
Immediately invited to the weekly dinner
of the gang" never dreaming but that
he was also 4 connoisseur. The guest,
however had spent much time In the col
onies. and although of drinking
stock cared very little about it and knew
less After the first glass he dropped a
dozen fiiberts into his wine to soak, and
the eccentric host catching sight of him
abused him like a pickpocket and all but
ordered him from the house. refusing TO
be comforted or consoied at such bar
barism.
Another hobby of this host was always
to have brace of pheasants for dinner
on the first Sunday ia May. and as the
close season began on February / each
year. 1t may be imagined what trouble
he had TO keep them In any condition. the
use of ice being utterly tabOoed as ruin
ing the favor. Still another trick was
that of always catching trains ON the
move. He had been known to stand on
the twon bridge with his watch in his
hand timing himself while talking to
some one. and then to make an Seo-yard
sprint walk to the depot, enter just as
ta.lIx
even at the age Of fifty and later. going
head first through the open carr iage Win
dow like an acrobat. landing on the knees
of the passengers inside. lie was one of
the most widely known men in the east
of England. ready at any time to stand
on his head against any other compeu-
tor for bet of a crown. He died u few
years ago.
William Ewart Gladstone was probably
largely the cause Of the decrease in port
wine drinking. Heavily interested in a
firm of wine importers. he. in Parliament
and out advocated the use of light
French clarets In preference TO port and
beer. and being the member for the Uni
versity of oxford for many years. was in
strumental largely in swervins the tastes
of ,he rising generation to these lighter
wines. The students. finding they could
carry more wine with clearer heads the
next day shelved the old port of their
refathers and are today largely num-
bered among the recreants from the old
time port fancy of England. which, for
a century or more. has been ridiculed by
the growers and wine merchants of Eu-
rope
The port wine sold In this country today
is limited in quantity and 9s per cent of
1t cheap grade. says a leading import
er. Before the war the Southern plant
ers had some quite good wine. but today
the private houses of the moderately
wealthy have no cellar accommodation
for wine, and champagne has ihe call In
his opinion. no matter what price is paid
for il. there is no wine in this country
to compare with the port of the well-to-
do Englishman lying for decades unmoved
in one unvarying temperature. guarded
like jewels and reverenced almost as a
household god. The world, however. is
| probably the better for the change. There
will be less gout, less chalk deposits. less
| muscular rheumatism. but. alas. not less
dyspepsia villainOus affection the port
drinker never knew.