The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1906-04-11

Only those deeply interested in ma
ture feel much enthusiasm fvl the
first month of spring, but for them
this season holds some pleasures
which do not belong to any other per
iod, one being beverage "it nectar
for the gods"
In pioneer times when tea was too
expensive for daily use, and coffee was
even more rare, and cocoa and choco-
late were unknown, the thrifty house
wife supplied her table with pala.
table substitute which had the advan-
tage Of being more wholesome and
much more economical than any i'm
ported product. This was steaming
pot of fragrant ssssafras tea. The
use Of sassafras as o drink in tho
early spring was 80 common in this
State that it came to be known as the
Hoosier Pink Tea. although the plant
is by no means limited in its wild
growth to Indiana.
WIDELY DISTRIBUTED.
Sassafras is found in North Ameri.
ca from Canada to Florida; it is a
mere bush in the North, but grows to
be tree seventy.6ve feet high in the
South; it has .deoiduous leaves, yell
2owish flowers, which appear very
early in the spring, 10 some species
before the leaves. AS the season ad-
vanoes small, dark blue fruit ripens.
In the late summer the leaves arc
beautifully tingcd aud tipped with
scarlet, making this shrub ornamental
for the lawn. The wood ia light,
rather hard and durable, though
somewhat coarse in fibre, and reddish
brown in color. It has q strong but
agreeable odor, aud pleasant taste.
The root possesses the aromatic pro-
perties in higher degree than tho
branches, especially the thick, spongy,
underground bark. This is consider
ed best for the brewing of tea.
Sassafras belongs to an aristocratio
family, being closely related to the
classical laurel or bay, the cinnamon,
the camphor tree and other spicy, aro-
matio trees and shrubs.
The medicinal value Of aassafras is
we'll known. It stimulates the sari-
ous organs and oleanRes the system.
AS spring medicine this old-fash-
ioned Hoosier blood purifier holds a
place even in this day Of patent nos.
trums.
FORMERLY LARGELY EXPORTED.
SassafEas was once tho chief AmeTi-
can export. While early explorers
carried back to the Old World many
things as trophies from the new, no
ether rn-odnet, not even tobacco, won
such speedy favor as this sweet.smell.
ing wood. In 1902 Bartholomew Cos
mold came to America with three pur-
poses in mind. First, he wished to
find a shorter way than the long, cir
cuitous route~followed by his prede-
cessors, who sailed down by way Of
tie Canary Islands, .hen ac.esa the
Atlantic to the West Indies, thence
up the coast to the north. With q
single vessel-the Concord-he moved
directly west from England, and Fl fiual-
~ sighted the coast of Maine, thus
shortening the route by 1000 miles.
His second OF jcct was to found per-
manent English colony in Amerioo,
and}to this end he brought colonists
with him. Beginning at Cap. Eliza
beth, they explored southwark until
: they came to thrifty growth of sassa.
fras, and located on an island near
j Martha's' Vineyard. Gosnold's third
purpose was to secure shipload OF
..sassafras root, which was, at that
time, IN England, 70 much esteemed
for its fragrance ahd its healing viz
tues. He opened traffic with the In
dians, and in few weeks secured all
the sassafras the vessel could carry.
z.,1suv,so.....s,s,,,