Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-12-13
LIQUOR PLANT
A New Plant Developed Which
Produces Liquor

"RkS~ANN as sAeS ~sASNN~'@
Dispatch in q recent issue and was
sent from Worthwhile, Fauquier
county, Virginia:
The news items that have recent
ty appeared in various papers cen
corning Captain Pemberto1 Honey
bI ain and a local temperance so
ciety, were based solely on the
wild talk and irresponsible action
OF individuals violently prejudiced,
and it IL only in justice to the
noted agricultural investigator
that the real facts of the case are
herein set forth.
There are many middle aged and
old men in this section who, while
not excessive drinkers, acquired
fondness for strong drink in their
youth, and never having been able
to shake off it's power, they and
their families find it an expensive
luxury that cuts out many deli
cacies from the table, many com
forts from the home. The wives
and children of these men often
talked with Captain Honeybrain
of their troubles. Little time was
lost from their duties nor did they
seem to suffer physically as a
result of the habit, but the most
of them were poor and it was the
financial side of it IT, worried
their families.
Captain Honeybrain's great
heart went out in the deepest sym
pathy to these families, but the
thought that he could help was
more sudden and unexpected to
him than to them. One day as he
was riding past the home of one of
the most to be pitied of any of
these CAGES, his eye was caught by
magnificent tobacco patch, and
through his brain flashed tn e
thought: eff a man can grow his
own tobacco at the expense Of q
slight amount of time and labor,
why rot his liquor ?" He rode
straight home and put some of his
most trusted assistants at work
crossing certain plants. Hundreds
of CROSSES we're made, the seeds
carefully saved, then carefully
planted in a highly concentrated
form of plant foods in glass re-
tort, where the dry plant food was
regularly moistened with liquids
containing various saccarine COM
pounds, and the seeds were allowed
to terminate and develop; Cap
tain Honey brains theory being
that the new plants had no set
habits and that under a guiding
hand they might be trained in
any desired direction just as
through the influence of the parent
the character of the child is form
ed. After the new plant had &C
qnired it's individuality,as it were,
under this intensive system of Gull
tivation, it was not difficult to
adapt it to rcugher environment.
After six years of persistent
effort Captain Honeybrain was
able to distribute last spring to a
few families the seeds of q plant
that looked like a cross between
the radish and the beet, although
immeasurably juicier than either
of these. When we'll pressed out
the juice contains nearly eighty
per cent Of sugar, which, upon be-
ing allowed to properly ferment
until nearly all the sugar has been
changed into alcohol and cartonic
anhydride, produces an intoxicat-
ing beverage containing forty per
cent of alcohol. Thus with a very
limited capital, without expensive
machinery, and with one seasons
care and labor, it is possible for
any man to produce unlimited
quantities of a stimulating drink
that cannot be distinguished by
flavor or results from the cheaper
brands of whiskey.
When the above facts became
public, about twenty of the most
extreme members of the "Pure
Water Only" organization got to-
gether and passed the series of
resolutions already given to the
press, denouncing Captain Honey
brain for encouraging intemper-
ance, declaring that he was aim
ing to convert every mans back
yard or gsrden into a saloon; but
illegal action by the minority, and
it is the majority of the members
who resent this rumor that Mr.. 5.
H. Beefman, the Big Dlpper, and
about forty members will have and
form a new society," But "the
First Twenty" as they are gener-
ally termed, are more bitter than
ever, and assert that they will
have bills introduced into Con-
gress at its coming session max
ing every man that plants any
seeds of the new plant take out
stillhouse license and pay the
regular internal revenue tax on
every gallon of the beverage pro-
duced. In this move they claim
that they will have the active
support Of both the wholesale and
retail liquor dealers associations.
Bedford's New Clerk
Mr.. Samuel NJ. Boiling, for
aome wears superintendent Of the