The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-07
THE SEDUCTIVE JULEP
hts Discovery and the secret Of fts
| onro~tfon.

I4G VI
the seductive julep stagger apart. Ask
Ian old viriginian and watch him bris-
tile.
"D@n it. man. don't talk folly. OF
course. You don't The mint Is meant
Ito smell. Do you think I eat gress like
Ia horse?"
Then PROFOUND your question to a
member Of b advanced school. He
VIII smile blandly upon you and smack
his lips.
LOT course, those old fellows are all
right but we move quickly now. They
are to be honored for the discovery. but
we have improved upon 1t. You crush
It TO get the taste. then put some choice
Isprigs in the top"
These are the W beliefs. and since
THAT nrst time in the long ago when a
.Ischoolboy discovered the properties of
the now famous mint, this controversy
has been waged.
Many are the stories OF the discovery,
but the only authentic one Is voucned
for by half a dozen old Southerners who
know whereof they speak.
Near an old school house in Virginia
was a famous spring. No one knew
Just why the water was cooler. more
pleasant and altogether more satisfying
than the water of other springs about.
The fact, though was generally admit
tied.
The name Of the school was here
and hound" When the
would come in hot and tired they al
ways rushed for the cool spring. The
last ones there. Of course, had TO wait
until the others were through drinking.
There was one youngster not so fast as
1.-THE rest. but with a better head. He
always went leisurely to another spring
not SO good. but where he could drink
lundisturbed.
Finally the teacher noticed the lads
action and asked:
tom. why is it you go to that spring
fright out in the open where the water
is hot. instead of to the cool one under
the ~willows?"
1T all tastes the same to me-" n
lswered the boy.
That is impossible" said the teacher.
The lad flushed up. well, 1 reckon
I drink it." he said. II oughter
i jest got some grass from around that
spring under the trees and eat 1t and
then the water out in the sun tastes
lust as cool as that in the shade. If
you don't believe it. just try it,"
His teacher did try and found what
1.-THE lad said was true. And that was
the discovery of the mint. for sue was
1.-THE grass" about the shaded soring.
IN NoSAiN hSoiSN tioN putting
some Of the cool weed in his whisky
and water the decoction would be roo
THE smell of the plant was also pleas
liant to his noStrilS.
That teacher is said to have been Col.
lAbe Carter. one of the famous Virginia
lCarters, and to whom properly belongs
1.-The honor of having discovered, by ac-
lcident. the mint julep. The name Of
the boy to whom the credit really be-
longs has been lost in oblivion.
A reporter athirst for Information
started out to make the rounds III an
I%endeavor to discover for himself ]usi
what constitutes h perfect julep.
First he sought the old Virginia colonel
with that courtliness which cannot now
led his guest. Come right in, my son.
A julep, you say? Of course" Rails
ling his voice, he called: Caesar" The
old body servant appeared. Caesar,
some mint and cracked ice."
Now, my boy, don't ia you just
wanted know how. That is impossible.
Watch. drink and be WISE"
Watch" said the Colonel.
Into the glass he poured a measure
of water. just an ounce, no more. no
less. Then he refilled the measur with
IwhiSkey, guaranteed to be 20 years old.
Just smell that, my boy" he SAID.
lovingly. mot a headache is the bar
lrel."
He poured the ounce of whiskey upon
the ounce of water and then mingled.
From the mint on the water their float
led that indescribable odor that the Old
l~colonel believes slipped out n day
Through the narrow gate Of Paradise
when ST. Peter nae his back turn-o.
Now the old cavalier measured out just
la dram of pure syrup and poured 1t III
Ito the whiskey and water. Next he
dropped in the cracked ice, and then he
lput in the mint so that not a leaf was
bruised, Swiftly he held it towards his
Iguest.
"Quick, quick, my boy; drink it be.
fore the ice melting spells the proper
ltions of the mixture.
The reporter buried his nose in that
bunch of mint-and it was very, very
igood. When the glass came down there
was one young man who felt that lift
was not all in vain.
That's the secret" said the colonel
cit must be drank, not slipped. Fivt
minutes. even three minutes, ruins 1t
fresh mint. old whiskey. pure syruI
and pure water. then drink it RICH
AWAY"
Il remember HI went on. when tn,
lG. A. R. was here an old frient
brought hal a dozen Of them up to set
me. You know / was never a very at
loCiiI ". "A. - AAoA ~ = ~
what to do with them. I proposed {
mint julep. They had never heard o
lone. 1 did not know how they woult
like it. but I trusted to the mint. h
drank around. and then one fellow ask
led, hesitatingly. if it would be with
lin the laws of courtesy, he would Xix
Ito try another. You should have seer
their faces when / said yes"
The colonel paused.
How did it end?" asked the reporter
Well" said the colonel. when the!
went away some Of them wanted TO rul
Ime for president, and their old col"nc
took me aside to tell M in confidence
THAT If the confederates had rough
mint juleps against them instead o
lguns the whole ID union arm.
would have surrendered on the spot to
la taste
It's a natural taste, n a fellow
lcan't get away from. I wish, though
Isome fellow woul invent a double cup
1.-The outside one to hold the ice. Then
gentleman could sip his julep.
Some people you know wont give
beginner more than n julep. Fhat'
wrong. for it's a natura taste. n IN
more you give them the better they lax