Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-04

People went to Meeting. ...... 3 =. =.
50 People eating in the incoming
10 Bottles of Wine before they
went to meeting ................. 10 =.
6S Dinners at IS each. 10 =.
A Bowles of Punch while at
8 Bottles of Wine. IA :.
Bottles of Brandy. 2 -.
Cherry Rum. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 10
6 People Drank Tea. ............. :. :. @
Now. some of these people were women
who would not have joined in the public
drinking, so it is certainly evident that all
the parsons and deacOns had had bowl Of
punch or a bottle of wine before they went
to meeting" And certainly the sixty-eight
diners had goodly amount of liquor. for
cherry rum was very cheap at that time
and Ell los would have bought a large
amount. The six economical tea drinkers,
with their penny cups of tea, seem to give.
a really comic finale to the whole bill
Rhum and Cacks at Raisings.
The Embarrassing was another great
event in church and town. Each citizen
was forced by law to take part in or con-
tribute to 'raring the meeting hews."
Each male inhabitant supplied to the new
church a certain amount of nayIes." Logs
and lumber and the use of horses and
mems labor were given. and conttibu-
ton was also levied for the inevitable bar
rel of rum and its accomplishments. "Rhun
and cackS' are frequent entries In the &C
count books of early churches.
No wonder that accidents were frequent
and that men fell from the scaffolding and
were killed, as at the raising of the Dun
stable meeting house. When the Medford
people built their second meeting house
they provided for the workmen and by
ISLANDERS five barrels of rum. one barrel Of
good brown sugar, box of fine lemons
and two loaves of sugar Two-thirds of tha
frame fell and many were injured.
Northa In 1IS2 paI1OpS
rum were bought for f8 Ito raise the meet
ing house"-and the village doctor got ''s3
for Jonathan Strong setting his bone and
G3 los. for setting EbeneZer Burts thy
which, somehow. through the rum or the
raising. were both broken. Sometimes. as
in Pittsfeld in 1871. the sum of shillings
was raised on every acre of land in the
town and shillings a day were paid to
every man who came early to work. while
1 shilling day was apportiOned to each
worker for his rum and sugar.
Sweet Wines Preferred.
Our ancestors did not love the liquors
which we drink today: they had a great
sweet tooth and loved sweet wines and
sweetened drinks and even did not care al
ways for champagne. English folk drank
the sweet wines Of Spain and Portugal;
among these sack was the favorite Sack
was a sweet sherry
When our grandfathers drank canary they
but when they spoke of drinking a bottle
Of wine'-they rose to metaphor-they al
ways meant port They bought port by the
hogshead. bought 1t with infinite caution
and care; they had 1t bottled with unstinted
pains. they laid 1t down with solemn sat
isfaction.
They talked lovingly but with reverent
solemnity about their cellars and know
ingly about body warily about beeswing
and affectionateiy about bouquet They told
stories of wonderful port they had tasted
and accounts of still more wonderful port
that they had once owned. They looked
forward as to the event OF a lifetime to
dining with a certain man renowned for his
port. 1t deserved their love. They tolerated
they loved port. 1t deserved all the honor
and reverence they paid 1t. for without
doubt port is the king Of wines.
Count Bottles, Not Glasses.
Small account was taken at feast by any
one who counted glasses. but q man might
count bottles Philip Francis tells. not as
recountng an unusual feat. Of two friends
who drank a gallon and a half OF cham
payne and burgundy at a single sitting IT
am told" said the king severely to court
follower. that you love too much a glass of
wine" ''They have told you falsely" was
the answer. Il love a bottle"
William Pitt at the age Of fourteen was a
terrible sufferer from govt and the doctors
ordered two bottles of port day. This he
and kept 1t till he was killed at forty-seven
by the mortal blow of Austerlitz. Sir Gill
bert Elliott wrote of Pitt and other London
ers thus in April. 1881: ''-'
Men of all ages drink abominably Fox
drinks what call a great deal. though he Is
not reckoned to do 80 by his superior. Sheri-
dan drinks excessively and Gray more than
any of them. but all In a much more gentle
manly way than our Scotch drunkards and
always accompanied with lively. clever con-
versation on all matters Of Importance. Pitt
drinks as much az any one"
Illustrious Hard Topers.
Pitt was . 'six-bottle man." Brinsley,
Sheridan. Lord Chancellor Eidon. Lord Sto-
well. Prof. Porsen could each drink six bots
ties at sitting. and often did SO. The
previous generation drank as deeply. Fred
erick Reynolds wrote. "a man who drew the
line at the third bottle was deemed little
better than a milksop." DR.. Johnson told
Boswell that he remembered the time when
every decent man In Lichheld got drunk
every night.
In the statistics Of the sales OF liquor In
great citfe8 some notion can be had Of the
amount of liquor drunk. Making ample al
lowance for all contingencies and unusual
effects, II Is said that In England In the year
1742 the sale OF liquors to adult peEHOn4 al
lowed twelve gallons q head annually. In
Scotland the amount was practically Wnfer
duced. while In Ireland It was about six saL
Ions to . head. II 10 known to all Students