The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-16
DRINKING IN AMERICA.
Puritan Fathers Were Not Fond of
Water as "a Beverage.
From the independent.

Our Puritan ancestors hardly imagined
that water was either healthful or a
sufficient beverage, if we may Judge from
some paragraphs in their letters and dia-
ries. There are hints that the Indians had
learned how to make an alcoholic drink
from corn, and in 1854 Raleigh had found
that those as far South as Carolina had
learned how to make wine from grapes.
Gov. Bradford bitterly complains of the
hardshps of having to drink water, as no
Deer or wine was TO be had. In 1929 an
appeal was sent to the home COMPANY for
minister's" patent under sale" thai
their legal status as colonists might he
clear and stable; and also they want 'vyne
planters, wheat rye, barley, and also
mop rootes." When the answer to this
appeal was sent by a ship that was provis-
Toned for three months, it carried as tuns
OF Deere, two casks of Malaga and Ca
marie twenty gallons of aqua citae
brandy, and for cooking drinking and ali
only SIX tuns of water The Rev Mr.
fIigginson, the first minister, in writing
back glowing account of the attractions
OF the country, said his health had been
benefited by the fine air; and where
as my stomach could only digest and did
require such drinks as were both strong
ana stale, now / can and doe oftentimes
orlnke New England water verie well. .
lie regarded this as remarkable phe-
nomenon; and one Wood, whom we now,
snoula can a promoter" wrote in the
New England's Prospect that the country
was we'll watered and with a water nm.
IKE that to be found in England
nor so sharpe, of a fatty substance ana
o. more Jetty color. 1t is thought that
thefe can be no better water in the World
YET dare | not prefer it to good Beere. as
some have done. Those that drink II he
nealthful, fresh and lustie as they that
lotai abstainers would say that Mr.. Hig-
ginsons experience proves that tho svs.
tenn does not need alcohol. and ~ the Co..
sequences were not so serious we could al,
sline az the promoters" fear of drinking
water Those hop roots must ba1,e
nourisneu, Tor as early as 1881. the neonle
~ the colony had passed a law for ni,t~
ing drunkards in the stocks. ana hrsw-
houses multiplied, and an "ale QUAR- ~
1919 could be bought for penny. The
-a.ls.,.a uae OF other drinks developed
rapidly Fifty years later Judge SewaIl
names ale, beer. mead methes,;,,
ciuer' Wine, sillabub, claret sscr
canary. punch, sack-posset and blacls cl,,.,.
y prandy. Everybody drank cider vb;cb
was produced on every farm IN ahnna,naa
lsesiaes these there was ''beyeridgeu IA
sW.1@ie' made from molasses and wa
anu marry KINDS of beer; but the
grand and universal thing was ruu cti,s
took corn, pork ana lumber "a ths ' WIS
indies and brought back raw sugar ana
molasses, which, once here, were speeIiIv
converted into rum-there was a distilla,y
IN every inland town, while those on TIC
coast had scores of them The sienf6cant
name killdvil," was universally giveo ~
~ and it was shipped TO the African coast
~ exchange for slaves. Flip" and
or a.. =.
asiuapie occasions. Laborers would non
work at the harvest, nor builders At he
trades, without a liberal allowances of run,
Large quantities of liquor were consln-
ca wnen minister was to be ordained 50
is Witnessed in many Of the parish ,ec-
oras stu extant. The following record is
that Of the town of Beverly, Mass. on an
ordination occasion in 1856:
30 bowies punch before they went
70 meeting OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 400
- people eating in the morning
at lbd .-........................ 90
10 bottles Of wine before they
Went GO meeting -.................. 10 D.
6S dinners at 800 .................l0 o
A bowles punch while at dinner. so
q potties VINE .-.....,....,-.,....... 2 IA
3 bowies brandy .... 81
Cherry rum .........................1 100
and people drank tea ......O q"
Even at a raising of a neetiug-ho,1se
large stores of intoxicants must be laid In
When the Westinghouse In Medheld Mass
was raised, there was provided four bar
rels beer twenty-four gallons West Indian
rum, thirty gallons New England rum
thirty-hve pounds loaf-sugar. twenty-five
pounds brown sugar. and AS lemons A
century ago Gen. Washington was engag
Ing gardener--we quote from the con-
tract, IN which It was explicitly stated that
he should have -four dollars at Christmas
With which he may be drunk for four DAYS
and four nights; two dollars at Easter for
The same purpose; two dollars ~ Whitsun-
tide, 10 be drunk for two days; a dram in
The morning and drink OF grog a dinner
at noon"
Every tavern displayed many decantors
or liquor 10 be drunk With all meals free
and the fip-iron was kept constantly heat
ed Ia the tavern fire: the sile-board Of
every private family had q various as