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spirits
in
gênerai,
there
has
been
practically
no
increase
in
tlie
production
of
Knm.
The
maximum
production
of
Rum
reaclied
2,439,301
in
the
fiscal
year
ending
June
30,
1880.
The
manufacture
of
Rum
has not
kept
pace with
the
in-
crease
in
population.
This
is
due
to
the
fact
that
drinking,
like
other
things,
including
architecture
and
clothes,
has
its
styles,
varying
from
time
to
time,
sometimes
for
good
reasons,
some-
times
for
none.
For
many
years
during
the
early
history
of
the
country,
Rum,
which
is
made
only
from
molasses,
was
practically
the
only strong
liquor
in
use,
as
nearly
ail
grain
in
the
country
was.
consumed
as
food.
American
(Rye
and
Bourbon)
whisky,
the
products
of
grain,
may
be
said
to
have
corne
in
style
about
the
time
of
the
Civil
War,
although
George
Washington
made
some
at
Mount
Vernon,
and
there
was
considérable
distillation
throughout
the
South,
its
consumption
increasing
gradually
for
many
years,
it
taking
the
place
formerly
occupied
by
Rum
as
a
national
bev-
erage.
Fifteen
or
more
years
ago
Scotch
whisky
began
an
in-
creasing
popularity,
and
in
the
same
way,
although
perhaps
in
a
lesser
degree,
there
lias
been
during
the
past
two
or
three
years
an
increasing
demand
for
fine
old
Rum.
Another
reason
for
the
lack
of
growth
of
the
Rum
industry
is
found
in
the
fact
that
alcohol
for
médicinal
and
manufactur-
ing
purposes
can
be
generally
more
cheaply
produced
from
grain
than
from
molasses.
But
many
old-fashioned
people
and
good
judges
of
liquor
still
adhère
to
the
use
of
our
forefathers
r
favorite
drink.
It
is
évident
that
the
actual
production
in
gallons
liaviiig
remained
about
the
same,
and
the
number
of
distilleries
having
decreased,
those
distilleries
now
in
existence,
or
some
of
them,
at
least,
must
be
of
much
larger
capacity
than
those
of
the
early
days.
The
largest
Rum
distilleries
now
in
opération
are
located
with
in
the
Boston
Metropolitan
district,
one
of
them
alone
hav-
ing
a
capacity
of
more
than
1,500,000
gallons
per
annum.
Some
of
them,
however,
still
remain
practically
unchanged
from
our
grandfathers'
days.
In
financial
standing
and
in
good
réputation
of
those
en-
gaged
in
it,
this
industry
compares
favorably
to-day
as
it
did
in
its
beginning
with
any
other
in
the
country.