Look at the thriving beer industry of the West, which provides work and good profits for thousands of people and furnishes a wholesome and nourishing beverage for millions.

To write about beer in Chicago is like carrying coals to Newcastle, and we know it,--here, where the amber-colored or transparent, brownish fluid, made from noble barley corn, flows and foams in quiet cellars, in fashionable parlors, and on every street corner, where the streets are lined with gay advertising posters, where the legendary inventor of Bavarian lager beer, that great benefactor of the German people and, through the German people, of all humanity, King Gambrinus, is depicted, either reclining on an exalted throne or sitting astride a huge beer barrel, proffering with herculean arms and benevolent facial expression an overflowing cup to the

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passers-by; here, where, not only in the extensive refrigerating basements of huge breweries but also among the populace, there are beer camps and factions that vie with one another in friendly competition as to the quality of the brew, with everyone praising the advantages of his particular brand; here, where the beer guzzler night after night holds long-winded scientific discussions as to whether it would be better to drink beer with or without bicarbonate of soda, without or with rice, whether to prefer light or dark, where one demands that not only the brewer but also the saloonkeeper, have a refrigeration plant in the basement, built according to the latest scientific designs; here, where the brewer belongs to the more respectable members of the community and is called upon for aid every time a public welfare movement is launched, and where his name is familiar to every child who can read, because it is emblazoned on countless beer wagons; here, where bottled beer is an indispensable requisite at the dinner table of almost every household. And now to enlighten the local public about the manufacturing processes, the qualities, the scientific value and civilizing influences of beer, may seem to many a rather useless

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and superfluous undertaking--why talk about something everybody has been familiar with ever since he was a babe in arms?

During ordinary times the dear reader may be right about that. But we Chicagoans at present are experiencing an unusual event. The whole country is represented here. There are seven hundred fifty-six national delegates and seven hundred fifty-six alternates here in the city. They have come from the fertile states of the West, from the distant coast of the Pacific, from the torrid states of the South, and from the intolerant, bigoted regions about Plymouth Rock, where even today the war against beer continues and where attempts are made to exterminate it by legal measures, with the result that booze is being guzzled on the sly and thousands of men, who otherwise would enjoy quenching their thirst with good lager beer but would remain sober family fathers, are driven toward the road of drunkenness and mental and physical degradation.

Thousands of people from the most distant parts of the country have

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accompanied these fifteen hundred national delegates, primarily of course to assist in the nomination of a worthy and eligible candidate for the Republican party, but also to become acquainted with Chicago, the great metropolis of the West, the young giant among the cities, the geographical and business center of the country, to learn about the causes for its greatness, to study its commercial and public enterprises, and to gain inspiration which they may carry back home.

It would be no waste of time to let these national delegates and fifty thousand out-of-towners get a glimpse of the Chicago beer industry. There can be no doubt but that, taken as a whole, it is the most important and fascinating German industry of the city, even though German craftsmanship, German efficiency and German capital is also represented in other branches of industry. When these strangers realize what a tremendous amount of beer is brewed and consumed here, with none of the beer drinkers becoming drunkards; when they see how many thousands of workers are provided with

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jobs, directly and indirectly through the breweries; when they look around and find out how many families, through the distribution and selling of beer, derive handsome profits that permit saving money, which in turn is invested in real estate and other commercial enterprises; when they learn by observation that the beer drinkers make our most peaceful and orderly citizens and are the most conscientious tax and debt payers; when they visit our better places of entertainment and observe our best citizens and prominent businessmen--lawyers and doctors--dedicate a half hour to digestion, while engaged in intelligent conversation over steins of foaming lager; when, upon visiting private homes, they note the brew despised "for health's sake" on the table of the American housewife, who at the same time is a pious and steady churchgoer, they would lack the intelligence they are supposed to have as national delegates if all the foregoing did not prove to them that beer, after all, is a far better stuff than they had imagined it to be, that it is good to drink and that to promote its consumption is still better, because it keeps people healthy and contented, it creates thriving industries, keeps the dollar rolling, populates cities, and makes

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them prosperous,--in short, it makes for all those things which every human being, who takes to heart his own well-being and that of his country, so ardently desires.

To a National Convention one does not usually send crabby theorists, but people with good, practical experience, people who are able to comprehend intrinsic values of the things they observe. And they will find it easy, therefore, when they step into a brewery with its large buildings full of machinery and equipment, to think of the skilled workers who have erected these huge structures, the stone masons, the brick manufacturers, the quarry operators, the wood, cement, and steel manufacturers who have furnished the material, the coppersmiths, whose skilled hands have fashioned the gleaming kettles, some of which are worth more than a fashionable residence, the mechanics and machine builders who laboriously have put everything in good running order, the iron moulders, kettlesmiths, and coopers who have constructed and hammered together the big mashing vats, fermenting

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tubs, and huge storage barrels; the large glass factories without which the beer of the Northwest could never be transported to the far corners of the earth, not to forget the farmers, on whose fields are grown the barley and hops, from which that nourishing, palatable, savory, and wholesome beverage is made. And following the big wagons which deliver the beer to the customers, the visitors and delegates will observe the work of the artisan carpenters, the display poster painters, the glass painters, and the rim and frame makers, and they cannot help visualizing--while imagining all these things to be in their own home regions--a picture of flourishing commercial activity, of fruit-laden fields and rich farm homes, of loaded railroad trains and huge manufacturing plants, of busy workshops and prosperous communities, of contented people, happy in the sweat of their daily labor. And from this experience, many will get an inspiration for establishing similar conditions in their own home districts which, if realized, would earn the praises of their fellow citizens for those benefactors of mankind who had brought the industry home, and this would be rightly so.

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For this reason and in order to give the national delegates and their friends a conception of the magnificent brewing establishments, here in the Northwest, we are publishing below a guide to the larger breweries of Chicago and Milwaukee--the latter city is closely related to Chicago in this respect, as it is to many others; our purpose in printing this guide is to show our guests of what great material value the brewing industry can be to a community, with the hope that they will make use of its advantages. Before, however, we go into details, we must point out the fact that here in the West beer has finally overcome that prejudice which until a few years ago was still prevalent in native American circles and that now it is not only consumed by Americans in saloons but has found its way into the American home and has become almost indispensable in many households; not only that, but it even has won the reputation of being the best and most effective antidote for drunkenness and a promoter of a gay and happy social life.

In order not to be accused of being partial to beer--after all, we are a

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German newspaper--we are going to reprint an article on this subject which appeared a few months ago in the local Tribune, the most prominent paper in the Northwest, giving a humorous anecdote on the same topic. Here it is.....[Translator's note: Since the Tribune article is available in English, it has not been translated here.]

Chicago

The city of Chicago has now nineteen breweries which employ one thousand men regularly and at times twice that number, as, for example, during the time that ice is being gathered. During the year ending May 1, 1879, they produced three hundred seventy-five thousand barrels, and, during the year ending May 1, 1880, four hundred fifty thousand barrels of beer. This is equivalent to about one barrel per capita. Since a barrel of beer is sold for eight dollars on the average, it means a first-hand turnover of three and one-half million dollars, and, after the saloonkeepers have sold it, the turnover amounts to seven million dollars.

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The Conrad Seipp Brewing Company

The largest brewery in Chicago is undoubtedly the Conrad Seipp Brewing Company. It was founded in 1856 by the present principal owner and president of the Company, Mr. Conrad Seipp, who associated himself in 1858 with Mr. F. Lehmann, who remained his partner until 1872, when he died in an accident. Afterward the brewery was organized as a stock company, with Mr. Conrad Seipp as president, his son, Mr. W. C. Seipp, who is also our present city treasurer, as vice-president, and Mr. T. J. Leffens, his son-in-law [the elder Seipp's], as secretary and treasurer.

The brewery, even as early as 1877-78, produced the tidy sum of 103,787 barrels, increasing its production in 1878-79 to 108,347 barrels and, during the past year, reaching a production total of 119,753 barrels,--an achievement which is all the more remarkable since the Conrad Seipp

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Brewing Company has only local customers, with the exception of those who buy their bottled beer from Geo. A. Weiss and Co., a firm which has business connections with the former.

The huge building unit of the C. S. Brewing Co. occupies the entire area between 26th and 27th Streets, Iglehart Place, and the Illinois Central tracks. The magnificent and imposing main building, four hundred feet long, contains in its center the glass-domed brewing house, built entirely of stone and iron, while inside are two shiny brewing kettles with a capacity of three hundred fifty barrels each. Adjoining this section to the south are the huge malt floors and malt kilns, where almost all the malt the firm uses is in the process of ripening. During the last year the company used three hundred thirty thousand bushels of malt and two hundred fifty thousand pounds of hops. Then there are the storage houses for barley and, to the north, part of the refrigerating plants, the greater number of which are located in a special building opposite the court yards.

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To operate them, the brewery uses fifteen to twenty thousand tons of ice annually. Adjoining Iglehart Place to the west is a large stable which shelters the eighty horses of the brewery and which is one of the city's attractions, not only because of its size, but also on account of its excellent equipment and scrupulous cleanliness. Above the stable, there are hay and grain lofts. The brewery keeps nineteen large wagons constantly on the go and besides has established two branches, one in Aurora Turner-Hall in the northwestern part of the city and the other at Halsted and Wright Streets in the southwest.

Seipp's Brewery, as it is commonly called, has always produced an excellent beer, regarding which the company's success gives the best testimony. Two and a half years ago they introduced a special brand, the Pilsener Beer, which has found favor with the public and is carried by all the larger saloons, easily commanding a higher price than the usual product. The brewery uses only the best material that can be bought and last year used

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malt made from California barley exclusively. In equipping the brewery, only the latest scientific devices and machines have been installed. The equipment represents great value, is beautiful and efficient, and all operations are harmoniously co-ordinated. The brewery employs one hundred to one hundred ten workers steadily and, during the time of ice cutting and ice gathering, almost twice as many.

The brewery takes special care to provide its customers with properly aged beer. There are at all times forty-five thousand barrels in cold storage and in vaulted cellars, dating from an earlier period.

The sumptuous and richly appointed office of the brewery is located in a separate building of handsome design.

Associated with Seipp's Brewery, as mentioned above, there is the bottledbeer business of Messrs. Geo. A. Weiss & Co., who bottle Seipp's beer exclusively for distribution all over the world. The establishment is

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excellently equipped and contains the most ingenious devices and machines for quick and efficient operation. The company maintains branches in the West Indies, Brazil, Japan, China, and Australia, where they recently were awarded first prize for bottled beer during the World Exposition in Sidney, an honor which was equally shared by Seipp's Brewery--Seipp's beer, may be found throughout the western states, is shipped even to Singapore, Shanghai, Natal.

The M. Brand Brewing Co.

One of the largest and best known breweries in Chicago is the M. Brand Brewing Co., formerly Busch & Brand's Brewery. The plant used to be on Cedar Street but about two years ago was moved to Elston Road, while the old brewery is used only as a malt house now and probably will also be moved to Elston Road within a few years.

The new brewery--called Loewenbrauerei (Lion's Brewery)--is located a few

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blocks north of Fullerton Avenue between Elston Road and the north arm of the Chicago River and, by being so located, has the advantage of two lines of traffic, namely Elston Road, which can be used by vehicles of all kinds, and the navigable river, which enables the brewery to bring in supplies like coal, malt, hops, and so forth, quickly and cheaply. The brewery itself is an imposing structure, with its front facing Elston Road. This fine example of architecture, admirably equipped, may be rated as among the best of its kind. Throughout the plant, science and experience have worked together in developing a model establishment. All phases of production are arranged and coordinated to make for greater efficiency.

In constructing the brewery, special care was taken to build good fermenting floors and storage basements. There are two fermenting chambers, eighteen by one hundred thirty feet and sixteen by one hundred eighty feet floor space, and nine refrigerator cellars of eighteen by one hundred thirty feet, where beer is kept at constant temperatures even during the hottest days of summer.

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In order to do that, it was necessary absolutely to guarantee the supply of a sufficient quantity of ice in every kind of weather. This was the main reason why the brewery was built in an outlying district. M. Brand & Co. not only own the necessary real estate for the brewery and all the adjoining buildings, but in addition have purchased an area of twenty-one acres, eight of which, situated west of the river and immediately adjoining the factory, have been converted into ponds. These ponds are fed by an artesian well with the clearest water, making for crystal clear ice which is cut by machines and transported by rail to the huge cold storage houses of the brewery.

It is easy to see that, once these storage places are filled, the ice will last even through the hottest season.

The brewery contains also a large malt bin occupying sixteen floors with a capacity of twenty-four thousand bushels, and a storage room for hops which is connected with the icehouses, because it is most important that hops be kept cool.

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The M. Brand Brewing Co. manufactures all its own malt and has converted its old brewery on Cedar Street into a malthouse. Here, too, the latest scientific inventions have been utilized. While in the splendid cellars of the brewery, the malting and germinating takes place at an even temperature, the drying is done by hot air instead of over an open fire as it used to be, and the drying rooms are lined with tiles instead of sheet metal.

Naturally, a better and tastier malt is produced in this manner, and there can be no doubt but that, although possibly in Europe, certainly not in America could there be found another malthouse to equal Brand & Co's. in respect to efficient equipment. Three hundred thousand bushels of barley may be malted here.

The other facilities of the company are on a par with the excellent equipment of the brewery and the malthouse. The offices are located a short distance

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to the north of the Division Street bridge, at 287-93 Hawthorne Avenue. Adjoining the offices, are the spacious stables and liveries which house the numerous wagons and horses of the brewery. There is also an icehouse for the temporary storage of beer ready for delivery to the trade and a dock for the specially built steamer "M. Brand," owned by the company, to deliver the beer to the temporary icehouse at the office and take empty barrels and necessary materials back to the brewery. In the near future, also, the Northwestern Railroad will probably lay a track to the brewery.

The office has downtown telephone connections, as well as to the malthouse; the brewery also will be connected soon, and this is of incalculable value to customers in other parts of the city, who should suddenly run out of beer. All one need do in such a case is to go to the nearest telephone station and give an order.

The entire business, including the brewery and the malthouse, is supervised

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by our well-known fellow citizen Mr. Michael Brand, whose energy and hard work has made the brewery what it is today. Mr. F. J. Dewes is in charge of the office and is the financial executive of the company. Mr. Rudolph Brand is superintendent of the brewery.

Messrs. M. Brand & Co. have for years taken the utmost care to use only the best quality raw materials for the production of their beer. For a considerable length of time, now, they have used the best California barley and the best California hops exclusively and are still using these. They use neither maize nor rice but only the best barley malt and, through careful supervision and untiring efforts, they have succeeded in producing a beer which enjoys great popularity with the public because of its pure and wine-like flavor and stimulating effect.

The company's success can best be illustrated by the following sales figures:

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May 1, 1877 to April 30, 1878 . . . . . . . . . 36,114 barrels

May 1, 1878 to April 30, 1879 . . . . . . . . . 39,089 barrels

May 1, 1879 to April 30, 1880 . . . . . . . . . 50,206 barrels

May 1, 1880 up to date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,400 barrels.

It is probable, therefore, that this year they will top 75,000 barrels and that in the not distant future they will reach the limit of their productive capacity: namely, 100,000 barrels.

If the National Convention delegates or other strangers should wish to try the excellent beer of this brewery, we can recommend the following places which carry it:

[Translator's note: ten names and addresses of taverns given].