Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-06-11
SOUTHERNERS KNOW
NOTHING Of JULEP
United Press Man Gets Distinct Shock
When He inquiries in Regard to
Drinks.
By Burton x. standish


Washington, June ll.-Dropping for
the once the colossal affairs of state
that occupy the major portion of his
time, the United Press correspondent
the other day poked around the Capitol
building trying to find out whether the
kind of mint juleps Col. Roosevelt said
he occasionally imbibed while president
were properly mixed Henry Pickney,
the negro factotum, who used to mix
'em, using greens from the White House
mint bed, left behind his recipe, and it
called for crushing of the mint,
Now the United Press correspondent
used to live in the south years back, and
he knew by reputation--purely by rep
utation-that the true julep ism t made
by crushing the mint leaves. He be.
thought himself that it would be fine
thing to get some southern congressman
to "stand" for an interview roasting
the late Henry Pickney for committing
the crime of crushing the fragrant
leaves.
But a distinct shock awaited said cor
respondent for he discovered nary
southern congressman who knew darn
thing about the mixing of juleps. A
lot of them admitted drinking one oc-
casionally, but there WASH t one who
knew exactly how to prepare the drink.
Finally in desperation, the correspond.
ent found out that "Gumshoe Bill"
Stone, of Missouri, had some ideas on
the subject, and he came the nearest
to giving what the correspondent re.
membered was the recipe of famous
darkey in Bowling Green, KY, whom
tradition says first invented the mint
julep.
Where has the glory of Kentucky
gone' None of the blue grass states.
men knew anything about the concoc-
tion of that alcoholic divinity, the iul.
ep. Moreover, the few who had tasted
'em declared they preferred their
liquor straight Only an elevator man,
a southeruer" from South Dakota,
went into ecstacies and repeated some
poetry about mint iuleps-and as poetry
goes in South Dakota it was pretty fair.
Half of the congressman looked
frightened when the iulep was mention.
ed. Most Of them carefully looked ar.
ound the corridor before they replied,
and made answer in a whispered un.
dertone; "For heaven s sake, don t
mention my name in connection with
that julep story. Such and such coun.
ties in my district are dry; and such
and such others are wet, and | IN having
the devils own time trying to keep
in with both camps.
81 haven I had drink in whole
year, one Kentuckian confided with
tears in his voice, Rep. Thomas, of the
Blue Grass state admitted he had once
just once, mark you gentle reader,
and he from Kentucky-tasted a mint
Julep Representative Crisp, of Georg.
ia, said he had tried the drink. Both
declared they ddn I like em.
81 had mine at a banquet in Louis.
VILE" explained Thomas. Greatly /
didn't like il" "My wife mixes the
few juleps ] take" remarked another
southerner who wanted his name to be
kept secret. 81 don I know how she
makes EN-" "l'ye got a nigger boy st
home who knows howl don I question
his recipe,' said another.
To sum up, ninety per cent Of the
southern congressman don Z know what
jnlep is, six per cent have never
tasted one, and four per cent have a
vague idea that it contains sugar, whis.
key and mint. An ex.slave bartender
at a famous Pennsylvania avenue emp.
orium, oyer'a frosted glass gave the
following recipe;
One lump Of sugar, wetted with
water so that IL just begins to crumble,
is placed in a silver cup. It must be
a silver cup. Over this Is poured a
good "slug" of whiskey. Half a doz.
en- tender mint leaves are placed in tho
liquid and the mixture is stirred thor
oughly, great care being taken NOT TO
BRUlsE THE MINT LEAVES. Then
this mixture is poured into n tall glass