The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-15
WHISKY AND DRINKING.

Victor Smith, in New York Press.
Whisky Trust,a Called to the Bar"
is headline in a local contemporary.
And they all took water in theirn,"
as Squire Thomas would say. The
liquor bill was over 81 ,250, 900, 900 last
year, and two-thirds of that sum went
for water. Il pay Sc a gallon for my
whisky" said a multi on the High
lands of Fifth avenue, who always
keeps some at home" And l pay
SO a gallon for my water" replied his
guest. Three dollars gallon for
water? Mighty Cicero" YES it
comes in the whisky and I've got to
The lawyers of the plaintiff and de-
PENDANT in the Whisky Trust litigation
had hard time coming to a perfect
understanding of the meaning of
proof. You hear men speaking of
"aboVe proof" below proof, "93
proof, etc, and not one in 10000
knows the meaning of it. Yet moth
ing could be simpler. If the fools who
hang on the deadly fourth rail knew
what they put into their systems when
ever they take a drink there might be
less drunkenness. Might be! But as
to proof. The United States revenue
standard is a liquor that contains half
its volume of alcohol. Fifty gallons
of alcohol and fifty of water mixed
together make a liquor 100 proof. If
the barman hands out a whisky that
he says is 80 proof you must under
stand that the proportions are fifty
hVe gallons of water to forty-five gall
Ions of alcohol. If the mixture con-
tains forty gallons of water and sixty
of alcohol it is 120 proof.
Nearly all men take water, either still
or aerated, with their whisky, usually,
l should say, about half and half.
Now, the average whisky, as it is pass
ed over the bar, is about 80 proof that
is, 1t is a mixture of forty gallons of
alcohol and sixty gallons of water.
The addition of water in the glass be-
fore this strong" stuff is swallow
ed is equivalent to 100 more gallons
of water in the forty gallons of al
cohol, making 200 gallons of whisky
of which 100 are water. This reduces
the whisky to 40 proof, exactly, as it
goes into your gullet. That 40 proof
stuff wouldn't hurt a child if the deal
erS did not doctor it with sweets and
gums and juices to give it body. Sugar
Kills more men than whisky-sugar in
their whisky
While standing at a corner a day or
two ago talking with an old friend. l
was approached by a wretched rem.
nant of man. who asked, buntly.
Whos got quarter" "A quarter
too much" I said. Here's a dime
hurry Up and get your drink.
Thanks; I'll waste no time" and off
he limped. Looks strangely like a
man knew some fifteen years ago.
l remarked to my companion. you
did know him." was the reply 1T is
he. Poor devil. Whisky. Straight to
hell. Nothing for him now but a mer-
ciful death. l never knew a man with
better prospects, Tried to quit |
suppose, and couldn't" Yes; he's one
of the millions that are always trying
but never quit"
Great Cod Why not have New
Years Day come every day of the
year, so that drunkards could swear
off every day. Many a good fellow tries
to quit by cutting it out in town and
doing his drinking at home, where he
hits the bottle" every time he passes
the sideboard, and manages to find
forty excuses a day for passing. |
knew a noble fellow. only weak, who
finally quit his sideboard tipping, too.
But the thirst was too strong to be
resisted. He found a bottle of calisaya
and drank it up. Then he emptied a
bottle of pepper sauce. Nothing about
the house was safe. Witch hazel was
so mild that he strengthened it with
alcohol. That gone. he tried bot
tie of hartshorn. which nearly killed
him. One day his wife took pity on
him and bought a gallon of whisky.
He swallowed it by the Glassful and
died next day. He tried to quit"