The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-08-19
THE DRINKS OF
THE VARIOUS NATIONS
THE AMERICAN FAIRLY TEN.
q PERATE IN COMPARISON
WITH SOME OTHER
PEOPLE.

Nations differ in what they drink
far more than in their dress or speech.
size Of their armies or the amount OF
their national debt. In their use Of
coffee. for example. the American and
the Russian offer as great con-
trast as an octogenarian and year
old babe. On an average the American
drinks as much coffee In one day as
does the Muscovite in so days. In the
consumption of tea, beer and wine the
English and the Italians differ to n
still more startling degree. In one
day the average Britisher sips as
much tea as 1900 Italians, and IN the
same length of time he swallows
enough beer TO keep the average Ital.
ian supplied for six months. Yet In
wine drinking the Italian shows that
he can equal 81 John Bulls.
According to the latest statistics
of the Department of Commerce at
Washington, it appears that the
American is fairly temperate when
compared with some of his European
brothers. He drinks less beer than
the Engllshman. the German or the
Austrian. III the use of splrituous
liquors ne falls still further behind and
finds himself outclased by the Aus
THAN, the Hungarian, the German and
the Frenchman. He also ranks fifth
among the nations rs wine, drinker.
The Frenchman, the Italian, the Aus.
TRAN and the German go ahead Of him,
says the New York Tribune
The American, far more than many
Europeans, seeks refreshment and
renewed energy in the "cup which
invigorates but does not intoxicate."
Coffee and tea are his tavorite bev-
erages. On an average he drinks
more coffee than the native OF any
country of the old world, and when
classed with Europeans he is sur
passed only by the English in his use
of tea.
The comparative temperance Of the
American. furthermore, would seem
to be little endangered by the great
immigration hither at the present
time Of Russians and Italians. In the
use Of spirits the Italian is at the very
bottom Of the list OF Europeans. He
also drinks less beer than any of his
neighbors. He drinks considerable
wine, but It is a wine that contains
little alcohol, and even in this cate
CORY he falls some distance behind
the French. The Russian ranks sixth
in consumption Of spirits, and he
drinks one.thirtieth as much beer al
the Englishman. He also uses so lit
tie wine that not even an estimate is
obtainable OF how much he does drink.
Should an American, an English
man, a Frenchman, an Austrian.
German, and Italian and a Russian
sit down to table together and or.
der drinks in quantity that would
show the relative consumption of
these beverages by their respective
peoples, some would get enough for
a bath, while others would obtain only
a few swallows. II they should take
tea, for instance, the Englishman
would find himself confronted with
1880 cups, the American with 400,
the Russian with 275, the German with
SO, the Austrian with 20, and the
Frenchman with eighteen and the
Italian with only one.
II the tea should prove unsatisfac.
tory and the party order beer, the
Englishman again would prove him.
self the heaviest drinker. He would
be found to rank considerably ahead