The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-11-20
TEA.
Its introduction Into England and Am
erica and the First Teapots.

erica ana tne FIRST ieapots.
Just who 1t is who introduced tea
Into America Is not recorded. Nor
can we name the year when the first
importation arrived On two points
only can we be absolutely certain
that no teapot and not a single chest,
no, not even an ounce of tea came
over in the Mayfower when she sailed
for these unknown shores.
Tea was introduced from China in
to Japan as early as the ninth cen
tury, and the East India Company
first brought 1t to England, but in
such small quantities than an ounce
was considered a suitable gift for
royalty. The first merchant who had
1t on sale in England was named Gar
way. He had shop in Exchange Al
ley where you could buy tobacco,
snuff and tea made up into small
packages to be used for medical pur-
poses or for gifts.
BY 1860 tea was pretty well known
in England among the wealthy ana
fashionable BY 1864 1t was on sale
at the coffee houses. Even in 1864
the cost was excessive, sixty shillings
a pound being the price. While the
first use of this leaf was as a medl-
cine a German named Olearius recog-
nized its value as beverage as early
as 1888. But many there were who
villified 1t, calling it "an impertinent
novelty and the sellers OF 1t immorai
and mercenary persons"
In Boston tea was on sale by 1890,
and in 1851 there were two tea houses
besides those kept by Daniel Vernon
and BENJAMIN Harris. BY 1712 1t was
advertised in the Boston News Let
ter, and you could buy it from Zabdiei
Bolton at his apothecary shop The
favorite variety was green, but the
advertisement reads green and Or
dinary." Bohea was the favorite, ana
by 1925 it could be purchased IN
apothecary, tobacco and dry goods
shops as we'll as those devoted to
small wares"
With the increased use of tea the
necessity arose for a vessel to pre-
pare it in, hence the teapot. This YES
sci is. | am sure, the invention or
Western mind. The Chinese used to
and still prepare their tea in bowls
and drink it without the admixture OF
anv other material. They had to boil
their water, but this was probably
done in a vessel of copper or bronze,
in the working of which metals they
were abundantly skilled. There are
ancient vessels with spouts made CEN
turtles ago by these people which are
to be seen in museums in this coun-
try and Europe. They are far diHer-
ent however, from the small objects
in which we brew the cup that cheers.
The first teapots made of pottery OF
which we have authentic record were
potted by Elers Brothers at StaHord-
shire. England. They are small ana
of red clay, in imitation OF japanese
ware. The Elers potted between l69o
and 171O, and while they were strug-
Cling with their pottery, in Saxony
man named Bottcher, after arduous
labor succeeded in producing tea
pot of porcelain in 170S. From this
time on millions have been turned out
in every country where pottery ana
porcelain have been made.
The shapes followed the decline In
the price of tea, and rose from the
small globe shaped, pear shaped, cone
like and oval teapots to the objects
of large size which were often seen
decade ago forever simmering on the
back of the stove.-N. Hudson Moore
| in the Circle.