Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-06-06
DISCOVERY OF BOTTLED BEER.
"True Piece of History"-Thc Hnp-
py Adventure of Reverend
English Fisherman.


been going on of late regarding the
origin of bottled beer" and the fol-
lowing piece of true history will
therefore be interesting, as it is little
known. says the London Globe.
In the middle of the sixteenth cen
tury Alexander NOVEL;, ID. d., was
head master of Westminster school.
prebendary of the abbey, and the
possessor of charming country res.
idence, named Redhall, situated near
Clitheroe, Lancashire, whittier he was
wont to retire during the holidays.
Now, DR.. NOVEL; was a stanch Prot
estant, so when Edward VI. died and
Queen Mary succeeded to the throne,
he thought it prudent to forsake the
cloister for Redhall Park, having
very shrewd suspicion that if he did
not trouble might befall The doctor
was an enthusiastic and expert an
gler, and, thanks to the well-stocked
trout streams running through his
Lancashire demesne, he had every op.
portunity for indulging in his favor
ite pursuit.
One fine May morning, then, saw
NOVEL; preparingg his rod and tackle.
and, as it promised to be scorching
hot day, he, before starting out, took
the precaution of filling a large stone
bottle with homebrewed ale. The
sun rose higher and higher in the
heavens, the fisherman got warmer
and warmer, and the stone bottle
became more and more of an incum.
brance. He, therefore, determined tc
leave the bottle in a safe place until
he felt ready to enjoy its refresh.
ment, and what could be more suit
able for the purpose than the hollow
of an old pollard tree, overhangine
the water, ensconced in which the
stream could gently lave the bottom
of the jar and keep the contents
fresh and cool. Hardly had this been
done when he heard a voice calling
his name, and, looking around, saw
| one of his servants, his features agi.
| tated with terror. They've come,
sir! They've comet" the man cried.
"Who has Gomez" asked the amazed
| doctor. ''The soldiers of Bloody
Mary, sir; they are searching high
| and low for you; they are ransackins
your chests; and one varlet has
| piece of paper bearing a great seal
| and the queens name on it." Has
| he" grimly replied Novel;, and, with.
| out further ado-forgetful of his
| fish, forgetful of his stone bottle-he
| tucked up his cassock and fed across
| the meadows. After some days OF
| perilous wandering Nowell reached
| Chester safely, where an old West
minister boy, named Francis Bowyer,
a merchant of the city, received hin.
| into his house and eventually SNUG.
| gled him to the continent in one OF
| his own trading vessels.
Six years had elapsed; Queen Mary
| was dead; Queen Elizabeth was on
| the throne, and NOVEL; was back in
| Lancashire. Once again a hot May
morning saw him setting forth to
| fish, but this time, fortunately, neg
| lectng to take with him a bottle OF
| ale. AS the day waxed hotter, NOVEL;
became both tired and thirsty. He
| dropped his rod, and his thoughts
| drifted back to that eventful May
morning six years ago, and then to
| the stone bottle which he had so
carefully slowed away in the hollow
| of the pollard tree. Was the bottle
still there, he wondered. He wan
| dered down the stream until he
| picked out that particular root and,
| kneeling down, thrust in an arm. Out
came the bottle, apparently none the
worse for its long sojourn. NOVEL;
| Of
! the stone was most tantalizing. Of
| course, the contents were undrinka BILE,
| thought he; still he was very thirsty;
| Just one cautious sip. The cork,
swollen and damp with age, was eX-
| tracted, and the bottle lifted to the
| lips. Ye gods and little fisnes. What
was this heavenly nectar he was
tasting? NOVEL; threw back his head
and took long, deep draught. Could
| ANYTHING be more delicious than this
amber ale, mellowed by time and
cooled to a nicety? What were thS
wines of Rhineland which he had
thought so excellent during his exile
| in Germany as compared with this de-
lectable fluid?
That same night DR.. NOVEL; sum-
moned his whole household in solemn
conclave. Every empty pitcher, jar
| and bottle that could be found was
| filled with honest English ale, corked,
and then consigned to the cellars.
The doctor had ''discovered" bottled
beer; but for some years it was
still-room secret of Redhall park, un-
til at last the discovery was given to
the world, and the popularity of the
new liquid speedily esta blished itself.