The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1905-10-20
NATIONS AND DRINKS
"a VAST DIFFERENCE IN THE USE OF
CERTAIN BEVERAGES.

fee-HOw Italy and England Differ
In the Use Of Tea, Beer and 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 national debt. In their use OF
coffee, for example, the American and
the Russian offer as great contrast
as an octogenarian and q year-old
babe. On an average, the American
drinks as much coffee in one day as
does the Muscovite in eighty days. In
the consumption Of tea, beer and wine
the English and the Italians differ to
still more startling degrea. In one day
the average Britisher sips as much tea
as eighteen hundred Italians, and il the
same length Of time he swallows
enough beer to keep the average Italian
supplied for six months. Yet, in wine
drinking the Italian shows that he can
equal eightyfour John Bulls.
According to the latest statistics of
the department Of commerce at Wash
ington, it appears that the American Is
fairly temperate when compared with
some of his European brothers.. He
drinks less beer than the Englishman,
the German or the Austrian. In the
use of spirituous liquors he falls still
further behind and finds himself out
classed by the Austrian, the Hungarian,
the German and the Frenchman. He
also ranks fifth among the nations as a
wine drinker. The Frenchman, the
Italian, the Austrian and the German
go ahead of him.
The American, far more than many
Europeans, seeks refreshment and re-
newed energy in the ''cup which invig-
crates, but does not intoXicate" Coffee
and tea are his favorite beverages. On
an average he drinks more coffee than
the native Of any country Of the old
world, and when classed with Euro
peans he Is surpassed only by the Eng
lish in his use Of tea.
The comparative temperance of the
American, Furthermore, would seem to
be little endangered by the great immi-
grafton hither at the present time Of
Russians and Italians. In the use Of
spirits the Italian is at the very bottom
less beer than any Of his neighbors. He
drinks considerable wine, but it is a
Wine than contains little alcohol, and
even. In this category he falls some dis
lance behind the French. The Russian
ranks sixth in the consumption of spir-
its, and he drinks one-thirtieth as much
beer as the Englishman. He also uses
SO little wine that not even an estimate
Is obtainable Of how much he does
drink
Should an American, an Englishman,
Frenchman, an Austrian, German,
an Italian and Russian sit down to a
table together and order drinks in a
! quantity that would show the relative
consumption of these beverages by
their respective peoples, some would
get enough for bath, while others
would obtain only a few swallows. If
they should take tea, for instance, the
Englishman would find himself con-
fronted with 1900 cups, the American
with 400, the Russian with 275, the
German with &c, the Austrian with 20,
! the Frenchman with Is and the Italian
with only l.
If the tea should prove unsatisfac-
tory and the party order beer, the Eng
lishman again would prove himself
the heaviest drinker. He would be
found to rank considerably ahead of
the German, who is generally supposed
to swallow most Of this beverage. He
would get 175 glasses, while the Ger
man would take $50, the Austrian 100,
the. American 80, the Frenchman g.,
the Russian 5 and the Italian only 1.
In case the weather should turn sud-
denly cold and the little assemblage de-
cided that something hot" would be
better and every one order spirits,
the Austrian would then outclass all
the others. Nevertheless he would not
distance his rivals to any great extent.
It would be found that liquor suits the
taste Of the various drinkers far more
evenly than any Of the other beverages
ordered. The Austrian would, for ex-
ample, take glasses, the German
6, the Frenchman 5, the American,
the Englishman and the Russian 4
Though the Americans glasses would
contain trifle more than the English
mans, and the Englishman's "a Bit
more than the Russian's), while the
italian would satisfy himself with 1.
Should the liquor prove too hot with
out weaker drink afterward and all
agree on wine for their farewell toasts
the Frenchman would then "outswal-
low" his companions. His order would
call for 100 glasses, while the Italian
would content himself with "a, the
Austrian with 1t, the German with 6,
the American with ~ glasses and the
Englishman with /.
II 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 the
lead. He would ask for 60 cups, while
the German would order 80, the
Frenchman q, the Austrian 10, the
italian 6, the Englishman and the
Russian only New York Tribune.