Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1904. THE FORTUNES OF CHARTREUSE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8021, 17 December 1904, Page 4

Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1904. THE FORTUNES OF CHARTREUSE.

Wjjkx the monks were expelled from the Grand Chartreuse, some twelve months ago, they broke up the stills in which the world famous liqueur hn.<\ been made, and destroyed everything that could possibly lead to a revelation of the jealously-guarded secret of its manufacture. And now, in one of their retreats in Spain, at Tarragona, they arc beginning to resume business, and offering to their clients everywhere to supply them, as of old. This revival of a wonderfully lucrative industry lias taken the Official .Receiver in France by surprise, and is not at all to the taste of the Government, which, in expelling the monks, did not count upon their setting up a business that ought to belong to France. Accordingly, the Official Receiver, besides taking legal steps to counteract the exiled monks' enterprise, recently engaged two eminent analysts to investigate, analyse and report. These officers went down to the distillery connected with themonas!cry, and minutely examined a number of vessels that had been left unwashed, as well as the remains of some plants found lying about. The result is (according to their report) that they have captured the secret—a conclusion that will provoke an incredulous smile all round, we fancy. For analysts have tackled Chartreuse before to-day, and confessed themselves baffled. They add that the special plants in question exhibit the required qualities only " when grown in the woods surrounding the monastery "--the inference being, of course, that only the liqueur to be produced by them at the old distillery will bo genuine, and that produced at Tarragona will be merely an imitation. In the meantime, the force of the suggestion is rather discounted by the fact that the analysts have merely produced a bottle of "yellow Chartreuse," but have, as yet, failed to bring forward any specimen of the white, or of the supremely famous green liqueur. The monks, in their retreat at Tarragona, will, no doubt, experience a certain amount of amusement at the efforts of the Receiver, while tranquilly awaiting their own triumph. At any rate, the question is not likely to remain long unsettled—and the effect of the present excitement will be to greatly enhance the popularity of this unequalled cordial.

The Masterton Chamber of Commerce, in a way, is doing good work. At its last meeting, the discussion upon the train service of our local railway was very much to the point. There appear to be plenty of trains; but the time-table almost looks as if it were framed by the Manawatu Railway Company. It is fairly obvious that traffic is drifting from the Government line to its enterprising rival. We do not mind this, provided the requirements of the public in this district are properly met; and this is certainly not the case at the present time. We are pleased to see th 3 Chamber also taking up the question of road motors. The future, progress and prosperity of this district depend very largely upon cheap and rapid transit between the centres and outlying districts; and it is only by investigating the merits of new indentions, such as road motors, that a community can keep abreast of the times.