The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-21
ODD FATE OF RUM.
Disappearance of "a Triple Whose
Qualities Are Praised.

Qualities Are Praised.
From the New York Sun.
Many a sensible old fellow who en-
joys life will tell you that a Santa
Cruz sour is the finest of all summer
drinks; but he is apt to add with q
sigh:
But where are you going to find
any genuine old Santa Cruz rum now
adays?"
Perhaps by way of tantalizing you
he will make references to some ac-
quaintance who still has jug of the
nectar hidden away somewhere and
who deals it out to favored friends on
red-letter days. rea
In truth, Santa Cruz rum. like rum
generally, seems on the surface OF
| things to be fair along on the road Il
extinction. In most barrooms the stuff
served to the few customers who still
call for it may be almost anything ex-
cept genuine Santa Cruz. There is, in
deed, a legend that they don't make
any more rum on the island.
AS a matter of fact, 1t is asserted by
those who should know that about as
much rum as ever is produced on the
Santa Cruz sugar plantations, and con-
noisseurs, for Santa Cruz rum rises to
the dignity of having connoisseurs, de-
clare that it's quality is as high as of
old. The esteem in which it is held by
its remaining friends may be judged
from the fact that the best brings in
this city as much as $40 or $12 a gallon
at retail. Now, pretty good whisky may
be bought for half that price.
The disappearance of rum from the
general market is one of the curiosi-
ties of drinking Half a century ago
it was a standard tipple. It's admirers
will tell you that 1T has every quality
to endear itself to man.
Old rum drinkers will put themselves
in evidence to prove that 1t is a whole
some drink when used with discretion
They will also tell you that there is
something about it which appeals to
the palate and satisfies as no otheS
liquor does.
Why, then, has rum drinking passed
away so largely? First, the Civil War
gave it a blow by imposing a tax
which increased its price enormously.
Then came the rapid rise of whiskey.
This was followed by the still greater
boom in beer. Between the two rum
was a good deal crowded out of fash
ion, for there are fashions in drinking
as in other things.
Rum drinking is somewhat Of an ac-
who appreciated the liquors good quail
tiles continued to drink it: but the
younger generation took to beer and
whiskey.
Then the evil reputation attached to
the name of rum, however undeservad,
undoubtedly hurt 1t. Rum was at the
hight of it's popularity when the tenn
perance movement began to be vigor-
Gus. Being the most conspicuous
liquor it received the brunt of the at
tack.
The rum demon and the rum shop
and rum itself have been made syno-
nyms of intemperance and all its evils.
Naturally enough the man who wants
to drink. but does not want to ruin
himself by drinking. fights shy of rum
and thinks prudently to compromise
by sticking to beer or whiskey That
is another reason why rum drinking
has decreased.
Yet old rum drinkers declare that IL
man is going to drink at all, there
is no drink which will do him less
harm than rum. Besides satisfying his
material needs, they say. 1t will slim
ulate his esthetic nature.
Take Santa Cruz, for instance. It
has bouquet subtle and varied and
inspiring. You can linger and reflect