New-York tribune., 1899-03-26
BAY RUM, REAL AND FALSE.
THE GENUINE ARTICLE EXPENSIVE AND
SELDOM SEEN IN NEwYoRK.
t,urATIoNs MADE OF ALCOHOL AND oILs-How
THE REAL BAY RUM is DISTILLED
FROM LEAVES

dent expectation Of being able TO make their
fortunes in that rich tropical island few may
turn aside from the well-beaten tracks OF the
rugar. coffee and tobacco trade, and give their
attention to a much smaller industry when, al
though il has existed for some time. has never
attained large proportions there. This is the
manufacture Of bay rum, product which, wheh
tcnuinc appears to belong solely TO few west
Indian islands.
There are probably few other articles OF com
merce in which the amount OF the limitations
sold and used is so amazingly in excess OF the
cuantity of the real stuff Bay rum which
has never been within a thousand miles OF
bay leaf and which has not even rum IN H. 10
Justify the latter half OF its name Is the klho
used in most places in this city and throughout
lie country 1t Is made of alcohol as founda-
lion with various oils and spicy substances
such as cassia. spearmint. pimento ana iefl'oh
mixed in to give it the necessary odor ana pouS'
Fometimcs the real bay oil is secured and mixed
with the alcohol but comparatively little of this
is done because the bay oil is expensive 10 i'i-
nort Besides. the makers of bay rum in the
West Indies are not anxious to sell the oil aiohe'
knowing that it hurts the sale Of the bay rum
which they produce. The leaves cannot De
brought TO this country. for when dried the oil
making Lay rum
If &c not difficult for any one who is familiar
with the fine fragrance and good qualities or the
,,onuine To distinguish it from the limitations,
but so little Is known in general about the article
that people accept anything as such which bears
tbe label There are differences in the quai's
even of the limitations, might be supposed.
Some druggists prepare a passable sort Oh s'u'i
mot bay rum, but at least pleasant 10 'he se'se
Of smell, and many, many degrees apoNe '"o
horrible sticky liquid with which the oru"'a'!
barber provides himself.
From the Island Of ST. Thomas. very falr anu
full of promise'-as Bret Harte called IL man!
years ago-comes practically all the genuine pay
rum used here 1t is made there and proneht u
this country By Mr.. Nicholson. a Dane "ho7e
cxperience In its manufacture dates back thirty
wears and more. Mr.. Nicholson llVed loi
twenty four years in St Thomas. but now mas
his home in this city. he goes GOWN 10 inc
island for a month or so every year. put ihaii-
acas tho business from this end during the rest
OF the time through his superintendehts' ne
finds q sale for his bay rum here in the depart
ment stores, but has never been able to deal
with the druggists or the makers of BARRIERS
supplies who prefer, on account OF the greater
cheapness to use the limitations.
WHY THE REAL THING is EXPENSIVE.
'You see" said Mr.. Nicholson, what they
l,ake costs them only the actual value OF the
Alcohol ard other ingredients. when rs small
and the internal revenue tax of 81 ~ gallon
Now added to the cost of making the bay rum
and shipping it here, 1 have TO pay duty of
81 80 q gallon. That makes II impossible to sell
il at retail. for less than 81 30 gallon. The imi-
tations can, Of course, be sold for much less,
and as long as many people are satisfied with
them not knowing the difference between them
and real bay rum, the manufacture Of them viii
flourish"
1t is a peculiar fact which has never been
satisfactorily accounted for, that the bay rum
made in ST. Thomas is better than that produced
anywhere else in the West Indies. Porto Rico
and the British island Of Dominica in the Wind
ward Group, are the chief Of the other places
where it is made but i'm neither OF these islands
has it ever attained the quality Of the st.
Thomas product. Since the manufacturing
process is practically the same, 1t has been sug
gested that there may be some quality in the
Dir and soil Of the Danish islands which is pecu-
Iarly favorable to the growth Of the bay tree
and the DEVELOPMENT Of the leaves However. as
most Of the bay rum manufacturers outside of
St Thomas are Spaniards, ii has also been OBJ
served that perhaps this accounts for the in
ferority of the article,
The bay is a handsome tree with dense foli-
ago, somewhat resembling the linden in its gen
eral appearance. 1t grows to a great height and
its trunk Is frequently two feet in diameter.
Mr. Nicholson calls il true child Of the wilder
ness" because of the fact that while it flour
ishes in its native forests on the hillsides. it
cannot he cultivated successfully, even when the
young saplin IS transplanted with the utmost
care.