Rensselaer Journal, Volume 10, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1901 — A Big Whisky Shop. [ARTICLE]

A Big Whisky Shop.

The largest whiskey bottling es tablishment in the world is located in South Caralina. There are extensile distilleries and immense bottling works scattered through this country, b ir the Palmetto state c mcern towers above them all. In the eleven months of the year 1800—the month of December n< t being considered in the fiscal arrange rnent—the commonwealth, in its capacity of bar keep r to all its oil izens, disposed of $2,481,940 22 worth of drinkables. This sum was in advance of the entire preceding twelve months by $750,000 For the entire year 1900 the increase has been $1,000,060, suggesting a remarkable advance in the thirst of the people of South Carolina December was naturally the heaviest month of all in the sales at the various dispensaries scattered throughout the state. All the county and his brother appeared to be in want of a bottle during the month of the great holiday, and thus the sales rose a quarter of a million in thirty-one days. South Carolina’s experiment in drink selling proved unusually interesting. The system was put in practice in 1894, at which time the state advanced $50,000 for “stock.” This $50,000 has long since been returned to the treasury, and the state, the counties and the cities have been making money ever since. Out of the sales last year the profits to the state were $176,012, and this will be used for the improvement of the publi; schools. The remainder of the total profits of $474,179 is to e divided among the towns and counties in whose districts are dispensaries.