His presence is patent by certain distinct and unmistakable smells where he resides and in the visages of those who crown him king in their daily lives.
To come to. ordinary converse, the alcohol industry in this city, no doubt, now ranks first. 'There' are distilleries not a few here—one report gives 63 while another 56 as the number engaged in. this traffic, 'The largest concerns are styled "ta ko" and the product "ta ko chin;" the big oven _alcohol—the next' class "min-inti" while the lowest and more easily manufactured stuff is known as "tso na."
Tue Barter Bose.
For instance, barley, which by the way is the main grain that enters into the making of alcohol in these parts, is boiled in a large "ko" then mixed with barm and put into vats, in the case of the large establishments, coveted over and left to ferment. In due course, this boiled and fermented mass is poured into a tub-like arrangement under which a "ko" of hot water is sending up its steam produced by a fire continually going. At the very top is found another "ko" containing cold water, The steam by heat percolating through the steamer and its contents in the middle comes in contect with the cold surface of the iron "ko" and instantly there is precipitation in the form of drons of wine. Next we find it running along a tube into a receptacle, There you have the whole system of distillation.
As to the "min-lu-tse" the initial process of handling the grain is the same, the barley boiled ani mixed with barm, then instead of slumping into a vat it is placed into a large crock. A large vat will hold 20 to 30 Chinese bushels, Barley thus treated with the addition of fresh grain and barm can be fermented three, four or five times something akin to the steeping of coffee grounds. A very important ingredient in the manufacture of alcohol is berm. This, too, consumes a large amount of grain for there enters into the composition thereof three kinds—wheat, peas and a "ta moh" which ig not the ordinary barley. When these different kinds have been mixed off, the mixture goes to the mill where it is ground, and later made into the shape of bricks. These find their way into a room provided with a firing hole at one end and a chimney at another; the bricks are laid in layers with straw between.
Now tha firing begins: at the proper time, the bricks turn white when they are removed, followed by a drying process. This does not finish the work for, with a crushing or cutting instrument, the bricks are subjected to a breaking-up treatment and carried off agai to the mull to be cedriced to flour. We know it now as barm and m this powder form it is utilized in the production of alcohol, 'The "ta chui" takes the place of the down.country wine which formerly was imported here—at present not so much of it is shipped in, 'Again, alcohol coming under the name of "tso na' is not so strong as the other varieties mentioned and takes more to make its victim befuddled.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.