may be brought here by other than the ordinary mode of
transportation without my knowledge; but the quantities stated in
this paper (which he held in his hand), and their cost are within
my knowledge." This was part of a speech to his fellow-townsmen,
and his statement was admitted to be true. Now there is not a drop
of liquor sold in that town, and there has not been any sold there
for many years. This statement may strike us at first blush to be
tremendously exaggerated, that the people of any locality should
consume in strong drink the entire value of its real estate and
personal property in every period of less than twenty years. But
let us examine it.

We learn from the Bureau of Statistics that the annual liquor bill
of the United States is seven hundred millions of dollars. This
does not include the enormous quantity of "crooked whisky" which
has been put upon the market with or without the knowledge,
consent, assent or complicity of our public officers, from the
highest to the lowest. The drink bill of the United Kingdom, with a
population smaller than ours, is more than this by many millions.
This valuation--seven hundred millions of dollars--is the price, by
the quantity, taken from the figures as they come into the public
office, while the cost to the consumers is vastly greater. Now,
this sum with annual compound interest for ten years, amounts to
the enormous figure of eight billions nine hundred and forty-four
millions one hundred and forty-one thousands of dollars--almost
nine thousand millions of dollars! For twenty years the amount is
twenty-five billions two hundred and forty-five millions six
hundred and eighty-one thousands of dollars. Twenty-five thousand
two hundred and forty-five millions of dollars and more; actually
as much, within a fraction, as the entire value of the personal and