Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-12-28
Peki0's Annual Contribution 10
U. s. Treasury in Inter.
nal Revenue.
10, 600, 600 GALLONS IN YEAR
One of DistiIIeries is Arranging to
Double Its Capac-
ity.


Peoria is the first and leads off with
yearly receipts of $34 ,000.0 900. Terre
Haute comes next. Closely followed by
Louisville, Ky. and then comes Pekbl
with receipts of S10.700.000 for the
fiscal year ending July l, last.
OF course those enormous receipts
are almost entirely from the tax of
S1.10 on the manufacture of spirits of
100 per cent proof. tobacco paying
but small proportion.
AS rule distilleries do not make
whisky, although some do. Neither
do the distilleries at Pekin make
whisky. this being done by rectifyhg
establishments. Distilleries make
what is called Spirits" that is alco-
hol of different grades. The United
States tax on Spirits of 100 proof
is S1.1O per gallon. If the proof is
less the tax is less: if higher, it IS
more, the standard being 100 proof.
More This Year.
Although Pekin made about 10000
900 gallons of spirits" last year, it
will make much more this. One of the
distilieries is arranging to double its
capacity VIII ny thS uiot VI
uary increase its individual output to
some 100000 of gallons. Containing
the cities of Peoria and Pekin, the
state of Illinois is easily the first state
i'm the union i'm point of internal rev.
enue receipts.
Not All IL Taxed.
Not ali of the product of these dis
tilleries is taxed by any means. The
law is that all the large quantities
shipped TO other countries pay no
tax. Neither does that portion of the
output used in the arts and sciences,
or by the United States itself. pay any
tax. The greatest portion of the en-
tire product of one of the Pekin distil-
leries this year was shipped to Can
ada, and on this not a cent of tax was
received by the government in any
way. This is sent out in puncheons
holding 200 gallons each.
Spirits are also used in the manu-
facture of gunpowder and for making
varnish with which the ships of the
United States navy are covered; also
for preserving the many specimens in
the various museums of the country,
and On none OF this is there any tax.
Many Cattle Are Fed.
Cattle feeding is a big factor in the
business of distillery. At Pekin
there are two distilleries. one of which
feeds $500 head of cattle and the oth-
er $500 head. These numbers are
constantly on hand, for as soon as
shipments are made other cattle are
m from tho Cnnth and the
west to take their places. Only steers
are fed and they are purchased in the
southwest and are scarcely ever of
the higher priced breeds. They us
ually have big horns. are wild and
easily stampeded. They are kept
fastened in stalls. but are given eX
ercise in lots daily.
These cattle are fed on Stops, that
is the residue from the manufacture
of spirits. 1t is warm and is liked
by the cattle very much. Running,
cold water is furnished these cattle, as
much as they want and when they
want it. Hay is given freely and. re-
Gently cotton bulls from Mississippi.
Alabama and Tennessee are fed them
for ''roughness." The latter feed
seems to suit the cattle and immense
quantities are shipped to Peoria and
Pekin.
Use Much Corn.
The two distilleries at Peiin use
$500 bushels of corn every day. This
grain is obtained on the market as
well as from neighboring farmers. The
market for corn at Pekin is always
higher than at the neighboring towns.
Last wetk 43 cents was offered.
At the internal revenue Office at Pc
kin four deputy collectors are employ
ed and "a storekeepers and gaugers.
These positions, of course, are pohti-
cal ones in a measure, but the work
required is constant and must be well
done.
Quantities Used for Patent Medicines.
One of the things that strikes the
observer is the immense quantity OF
spirits made at the Pekin distilleries
that is sold TO patent medicine manu-
facturers. For two years the entire
output of one of these distilleries was
purchased by one of the best known
and largest advertisers of a patent
medicine Ii is said that so per cent
over 100000 gallons of the Pekiu
yearly output, is disposed of to the
makers of patent medicines, three of
the best known taking almost the
whole of this enormous quantity.
Less than half it is claimed. of the
entire quantity of spirits manufactured
at Pekin is made into whisky. the 9TH
er and larger share going into patent
medicines and into hut three yari,-
ties of these If these statements are
true. and il is claimed at Pekin that
they are. at least as far as that city is
concerned. it opens a wide field for
temperance workers.
Brings bright. shining. merry eyes,