The Cordova daily times., 1919-12-16
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1919
BIOGRAPHY OF L. BEER


 bowed head about the bier of that great American citizen, Lager Beer thirst in war, thirst in peace, etc. many are inquiring as to the spot where this hero. first saw the light of day. As in the case of many other great characters, the birthplace of this greatest of all American mixers seems to be somewhat in dispute. The honor is contended for by Phila- delphia and New York city.
 Prior to 1S44 only about as many Americans were familiar with the taste of lager beer as are now familiar with it. Other beer had been made in this country-English beer and ale and some lager had been imported for the uItra-fastidious. But whisky, being then unhampered by the inter- nal revenue, was the poor mans drink.
 About the first effort to mitigate the Great American desert of which we have any record was that of old Governor Van Twiller, who put up a place more than 250 years ago on the farm of the West India Company in Manhattan. Another brewery started out salesmen from Albany at about the same time. This plant was still making beer up to recent date. These h,,,,, before lager beer was discovered. They made ale, table beer, small beer and what is now known as barley wine.
 But it was left for a plant in the suburbs of Philadelphia or one which stood at Nineteenth street and Broad way in New York city, to begin the domestic manufacture of the late la mented L. Beer. The books of this first Manhattan brewery are still in existence Sebastian Sommers was it's owner, and the first customer was J. F. Luther. On September 3, 1S43, Luther arrived at the brewery, pre- sumably with a tub on a wheelbarrow, or else with an awful accumulated thirst, and ordered five gallons of suds. This cost him 50 cents. Persons III those days could hardly afford to stay sober, in which condition they would require food, raiment and shelter.
 News of Luther's good work must have spread about rapidly-probably he was seen walking up and down the street that evening-for on the second day of business one Peter Stolz arrived with a dray and took home for himself. ten gallons. Among the customers of the next few days was w. F. Havemeyer, later mayor of New York and progenitor of the sugar trust.
 Lager soon became the fashionable drink, as the list of customers shows. Plain folks with no pretentiOns stuck to red-eye, but citizens with any social standing found it necessary to display a knowledge of and taste for the new, expensive beverage. Progress in roll ing back the Great American desert was slow, however, as the books show that the daily output of the first plant was only worth $10 or $15. This the customers called for in their own Ford cars, or otherwise. Sophisticat- ed city folks used to drive their coun7 try relatives out for a taste of the new brew. In few years business had increased so that new brewery had to be erected. Sufficient thirst and interest had been aroused to call for enlarged capacity. But it was not until some keen mind discovered that ice could be used in connection with the new liquor that it's success became such as to lead to its recent national prominence. Up to the in troduction of ice the brew was kept in cellars and drunk for the most part in the winter time, when no one was thirsty. But when way of handling and drinking beer in the heated months was evolved, then the con- quest of the Great American desert was assured.
 But alas! as the poets say. Au-