Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-08-06

IN INC lSc OF Tea, Deer anu Wine.
Nations differ In what they drink far
more than in their dress or speech the
size Of their armies Or the amount of
their na,lCna debt In their use OF
coffee, for example, the American and
the Hussiah offer ms great Il contrast
as an octogcnarian AMI year. old
pane. On an average, the American
drinks us much coffee I'm one day as
docs the Muscovite in eighty days. In
Tie consumption of tea, beer and wine
the English and the Italians differ 10 Il
still more startling degree. In one day
the average Brtishcr sips us much te:,
MS eighteen hundred Italians, and in the
same length Of time he swallows
enough beer to keep the average Italian
supplied for six months. Yet, in wine
drinking thc italian shows that he can
equal eighty four John Bulls.
According to tho latest statistics of
the department of commerce ut Wash.
ington, II appears that tlsc American is
fairly temperate when compared with
some of his European brothers. lie
drinks less beer than the Englshman.
the German or the Austrian. In the
use of splrituons liquors he falls still
further behind and finds himself out
c!asscd by tho Austrian, the Hungarian,
the German and the E'rcnchman. He
also ranks fifth among the nations MS n
wine drinkcr. The Frcnchmnn, the
Italian. the Austrian and the German
so ahead OF him
The American, far more than many
Europeans, seeks refreshments ana re-
newcd energy in the coup which invig-
crates, but docs not intoxicatc." Coffee
and tea are his favorite beverages. On
an average he drinks more coffee Than
the native of my country Of the Old
world, md when classed with Euro.
pcans ho IS surpassed only by the Eng.
fish In his use OF tea.
The comparative temperance Of the
American, furthermore, would sccm to
be little endangered by the great immi-
grafton hithcr at tho present time of
ltusSinnS and Italians. In the use of
spirits the Italian Is ut the very bottom
OF the liscof Europeans He also drinks
less beer than any or his ncighbors. lie
drinks considerable wine, but IL Is q
wine than contains Iittlo ns,ohol. ana
even In this category he fnlls some dis
lance behind the French. The Russian
ranks sixth in the consumption of spir-
its, and he drinks one-thirtlcth as much
beer as the Englishman. He also uses
so little wine TINT not even I'm estimate
is obtainablc OF how much he docs
drink.
should mn American, an EnglIslman.
Frcnchman. an Austrian, n German,
an 1talinn and Russian sit down to II
tnble together nnd order drinks in n
quantity that would show the relative
consumption of these beverages by
their respective peoples, some would
get enough for bath, willie others
would obtain only few swallows. lf
they should take tea, for instance, the
Engllshmnn would find himself con.
frontcd with 1880 cups, the American
With iOD the Russian with. 30, the
German With SO, the Austrian with 90,
the Frcncllman with IS and the Italian
with only l.
If the tea should prove unsatsfac.
tory and the party order beer, The Eng
lishman again would prove himself
the heaviest drlnker. lie wonld be
found 10 rank considerably ahead of
the German, who Is generally supposed
TO swallow most OF this beverage. lie
would get l75 glasses. While the Ger
man would take $50. the Austrian 100.
the American 90, the Frcncman CT,
the Russian s and the Italian ONLY
In case the weather should turn sud
denly cold and the littla asscmbhgc dc.
cidcd That something hot would be
better and every ono order spirits.
the Austrian would ;ipn outclnss all
the others. Nevertheless he would not
distance his rivals TO Hny great extent.
1t would be found that liquor suits the
taste OF ihc various drinkers far more
evenly than any Of tn, Other beverages
ordered. The Austrian would, for cx-
ample, take o glasses, the German
y. the Frcnclman >. the American,
the Engliahman and the Russian 4
Though the Americans glasses would
contain a trinc more than the English
mans. and the Engishmans III biz"
more than the Russian's). while the
italian would satisfy himself with 1.
Should the liquor prove too hot with
out q weaker drink afterward and all
agree on vino for their farewell toasts
the Frenctman would then "outswal-
low" his companions. His order wotld
call for 100 glasses, while tho Italian
would content himself with 81. tic
Austrian with II. the German with G.
the American with ~ glasses and the
Englishman with ].
If at the end of this convivial scene
the party should think some coffee
would steady their nerves. the Amer
lean would at last be found In tho
lead. lie would ask for co cups, while