1911 Beverages de luxe

BY GEORGE G. BROWN Président of Brown, Forman Company

B ourbon

Whisky

Louisville, Kentucky

Just when the iîrst distillery was erected in Kentucky, I cannot say, but, so far as I know, the first record ed référence to whisky was in the year 1782. This was when Captain Eobert Patterson, of "Irish Presbyterian-Oovenanter stock/' with a Com- pany of abont forty mm, started from a point in

what is now Fayette County, Kentucky, to reach the Ohio River where the Kentucky River empties into it, to ineet an expédition sent up the Ohio from the falis of that river (now Louisville) by General George Rogers Clark. Such an expédition at that date was not only perilous, but acconiplished under great diffi- culties; the proper sustenance of the nien being one of the prob- lems that was encountered. On this expédition the only food provided was a small quantity of parched corn, to be supple- niented by such game as the members could kill en route. In Captain Patterson's Company was a rollicking young man named Aaron Reynolds, from Bryaut's Station, who, it is stated, was a very "profane, swearing man.'* This habit of Rey- nolds was extremely disagreeable to his Captain, who, after bearing with it for four days, concluded to reprove jhim, and, if that failed, and the profanity was persisted in, although Re^molds was very much needed on the expédition, he would be sent home. Reynolds received the reproof, but persisted in his profanity. Captain Patterson, "a judicious gentleman," con- cluded he would try another method for the reformation of Rey- nolds, and promised him that, if he would stop swearing, lie would give him a quart of whisky when the expédition reached the Ohio River (wiiere doubtiess the liquor was obtained from the expédition sent up the river by General Clark). Reynolds accepted the conditions made by Captain Patterson, and history shows that he received the "spirits," according to promise, which he and his friends enjoyed. There is no further record of Reynolds until a few months later when the most sanguinary battie with Indians ever fought in Kentucky occurred at the Blue Licks. A very large portion of the white men had been killed in this battie. The safety of those who escaped was due to the lieetness of their horses and the