San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-11
GINGER FIRST.
/. KNOWN IN
INDIA
Product Has Been Priced
Spice of World for
Many Centuries.

opsSe VI Woiu ioi
81 Many Centuries.
iai
~ The story Of ginger is woven into
.t.the history and romance of the ages.
~, The sweet aroma Of this strange ORR
(, cntsl plant has enticed alike the cul-
frtured nostrilS Of the high caste Hindu
and the American gentleman. Its in
T, eensc has inspired the chemists of all
sitimcs to seek out the mystery hidden
within the plant.
81, Ii is told in India that a maiden
mforsaken by her lover, died of grief,
end as no soul is ever lost tS earth in
/, the mystic religion Of that land, a
/ wonderful new flower sprsng up 10
i,represent her. Locked in the heart of
its blossom and stem there lived the
spirit of this girl, waiting until some
: master mind, by patience and devotion
10 study, should discover the secret
and release her.
DISCOVERED BY PRIEST.
A Brahman priest discovered the
strange plant, while he was looking
for q new incense for his temple. His
cultured nostrils thrilled at the aroma.
He used il 10 make his temple IA
nous, little knowing that be had
brought the world a new treasure.
Ginger soon became known through.
out India. IL spread TO China ana
was cultivated there extensively. Long
camel caravans brought the precious
product in a dried condition, through
: Afghanistan and Persia, across the
deserts of Arabia and Syria. down 10
the Mediterranean sea, the early high
way of water trade. Here the Phoe-
nicians, the ancient mariners of the
times. took ginger in their ships and
sold it in the principal cities of Greece
land Rome's domain.
THEN TO BRITTANY.
The glory of Greece and the gran
.deur Of Rome have a part in the story
of ginger, for the rare aromatic was
used extensively in the luxurious
homes of the royalty Of these coun-
tries. Pliny, the Roman historian,
speaks Of an import duty on ginger
which came from Egypt.
Z The Romans exported the plant 10
distant provinces Of the empire and
at is known that ginger came into use
in Brittany or England, before the
Norman conquest.
Ginger formed one Of the most i'm.
portart items of commerce in the Mid
die Ages. Marseilles, Venice, Paris
and other European cities levied du-
tics on the luxury. II was very hari |
TO get it from the distant countries Of |
culture.
yasco da Cana, the Portuguese |
navigator, sailed around the Cape 81 |
Good Hone in the fifteenth century, |
opening an all-water route TO the
Orient and putting Portugal on the
map commercially.
JAMAICA GINGER.
- About 100 years later a shipment Of
Oriental ginger from India 10 the |
Island Of Jamaica, was found 10 be
too green and was thrown out on the |
ground as of no use. The hardy roots |
took hold on the alien soil and spread |
rapidly in an uncultivated state. Later |
1T was recognized as valuable and Gull |
fivated. 1t was soon discovered that
the trsnsplanted ginger was much /
richer and aromatic than the eastern
plant. and Jamaica ginger soon came
10 be known as the best in the world.
Ginger was first boiled with water
and honey. Later with sugar and wa
ter. 1t was very hard 70 keep until an
Englishman, DR.. Pnestly, improved
this method by producing artificial
mineral water about 1872. This was
accomplished by injecting carbonic
acid gas into plain water and dissolv-
ing the minerals Of various European
springs. Later the minerals were left
out and sugar and aromatics added.
Ginger became the favorite and Eng
Land became famous for its ginger
sles.'
% DRYING IMPROVED.
r. S. Lazenby began the study OF
ginger IS years ago. He discovered
that very little care was taken in the
drying and preparation Of ginger for
shipment. Consignments from the same
locality in Jamaica varied widely in
quality. And even when il was prop
erly dried the chlorine in the ocean
atmosphere injured the plant on the
trip over. Circle A Ginger Ale is made
from ginger picked green in Jamaica
and shipped in Theoretically sealed
cases to Waco. where il is given a
special scientific treatment.
Ordinary ginger has certain medi-
.cinal objections which Circle A Gin
ger, picked green and specially treat
ed. does not have. And It's aromatic
qualities are superior % those Of dried
ginger as the perfume Of a freshly
picked rose surpasses the odor Of
dried petals.
Again the spirit Of q maiden figures
In the romance. The daughter Of this
Texas chemist has inspired, encour-
aged and helped the master mind in
the long search and today this girl,
and she alone Of all the world, shares
with her father the secret Of the recog-
.nizod perfect ginger ale.
SPECIAL STILL.
Refined sugar was not good enough
for Circle A and a special refining
process was invented and installed.
Ordinary distilled water wasn't sat
iyfactory and so this man who knows
ginger as no other man on earth knows
81 today. invented and built a special
distilling apparatus Of sterling silver
and glass.
4 He made his own engine and set IL
aiB in his factory. He devises his own
arparatus for various steps ~ the
Manufacture Of the product.
such care md scientific precision /
was bound 10 attract attention, wheth-
er il vas staged in Waco. Timbuctoo
or Saskatchewan. Today the CONNER
cial world knows Circle 4 and LaZen.
by as the last words in ginger ale.