Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1853-05-25
Correspondence Of the standaEd.

correspondenoe q ne standasd.
PHlLxp 4tH q. Nay 81, 1853.
! To The Editor of the Standard
II do NOT know how il Is with others, but: to me,
there is something melancholy md sad in the burn
ing of Philadelphia gas in IFS eternal isochrona
Brightness. Change Is SO common 20 all earthly
things,ahd the changes insone things SO consonant
with the changes In another. and In all others, that
the shortest cessation is remarked, and often with
fear and trembling. l write all. night long BY our
matchless gas, and when the eye of Heaven 5"
awes every thing else into passive submission that
tiny but brilliant baZe still blazes on. When it is
first lighted, often dazzles the eye but that is more
the fault OF the eye than the light-the former, but
not the latter, is creature of change. frequently
combine the two, the candle and gas lights so as to
obtain agreeable medium, until the eye becomes
enured TO a stronger. l am doingszso now, and tor
the purpose of elevating the candle, have resorted
to an an empty champagne bottle. This latter, be-
sides other advantages, has no shoulders, and the
light falls directly down upon my sheet. Now, pass
Ing from the light to the bote-but this deserves
separate paragraph.
Did you ask yourself why that delectable bev-
erage was corked up in vessel of this peculiar
shapea If in the bright days. the days of steam and
caloric, which is in store for vou YOU should
ever find yourself in Bordeaux in france, some one
in the practice of turning honest penny by show
ing the elephant will propose taking you to the Ma
damls vineyard, well known establishment about
twenty miles from the city. Go along, and you will
be paid for your pains. This beautiful spot you will
then perceive, is the fatherland of all the genuine
champagne that everreaches this country. When fair
~ within The wilderness of vines, and with but little
preparation from surrounding objects, you will pass
down plane into the bowels of the earth. until you
find yourself at the mouth of interminable vault
or tunnel, extending, in straight line, far your
eyes can see. This you will find ventilated and
lighted, and of quite sufficient width to allow your
carriage TO pass on, without disturbing the silent,
gae-like operations forever going on, the other
side. The walls, from the floor to a convenient
height, you will find presenting regular and end
less succession of champagne bottles rather bot
ties OF champagne, one row above the other, and
every bottle with the neck downwards. These are
again divided into vnages, are placed in particular
sections, in reference their respective degrees of
maturity. The refining process is something after
the manner which will barely hint now, by way
of preparing you for the examination.
When the wine is expressed, it is Immediately
bottled, and placed in the vintage section of the
vault, described, mouth or cork downwards. In
two three days, the lees tartar begins to settle
down upon the end ofthe cork, the gentle slope of the
neck of the bottle, facilitating the operation. At the
same time, the gases which give 10 the mature wine
its detonoatng vvacity, forming, and of course,
occupy the bottom of the bottle then eppermost or
rather the circumecribed groove, around the bulb
which intrudes from the bottom. When the cork is
covered TO the thickness of perhaps inch, the la
borers give the whole vintage " urn rather the
IS first turn. - This is delicate operation, and
laboTer, do it WELL must have served at least his
seven years at the business. He takes his smoking
bucket of hot corks, swung about his shoulders, and
begins upon the bottom row, always finishing that
throughout. the whole vintage, before interfering
with The next. His business is and he does it to |
decimal, TO abstract the old cork and insert the new
one, without changing the position of the BOTTLE
losing one drop of wine within; must he even
agitate the gas that may have been evolved at the
upper part Of the bottle This operation is
after intervals, made longer and longer the lees l.
disappear, until the wine is matured. At the final
corking, sponge is inserted, and the neck wiped
out, also without losing drop. 1t is then taken from
the shelves, packed baskets, ready
ket.
The vintages referred 10 here, are not made every
season; about once in five years the crop fails, and
not a single bottle is secured. The failure OF the
grape crop, however, only means SO far the vim
tage of wine is concerned the grape crop in
France never fails. In my horn hook days, l was
surprised find that the reported failure of the grape
crop, always attended with decided depression
in the brandy market. l now understand it better;
under unfavorabe circumstances. the grape spots or
acidulates, and being thereby unfit for wine, is pass
ed over to the dstillers and of course creates pie
thora in the brandy market In this connection the
seasons of beautiful France made the source of
constant speculation brandy operator in Bordeaux
or Rochelle, besides watching the seasons like a !
hawk, will employ dozen runners at perhaps len /
cents day. to examine and report upon the vineyards
These un;iring pedestrians, unfequently perform
a circuit of thirty-6ve forty miles day, in the
of their business, and fortunes upon fortunes
hazardei upon the correctness of their reports. If
one of them should state TO his principal, that the
grape is decidedly ascdulaiing the operator will |
seek the nFSL opportunity 10 sell Snor precisely In
the way that stocks sold at the exchanges.
The gist of the asaction is in the rise fall and
an amount in money changes hands, corresponding
with the difference.
have said that failure of the grape crop increas-
ed the production Of brandy and that good crop di
mnshed it; this is true when speaking of the egiti-
mate cause and effect the substantial course of things
has recently undergone great change. The hard
favoured article turned out BY and other country
dIsteries, in the United States is taken by the refn
ers in this city and New York, and converted into
what is called sweet spirits; that is, the Alcoholic
solution, without particle of original taste. This.
in some way other, finds its way into France, and
after being barely inoculaed witt CogLiac, returns
to this country, pays its duty,and goes into consump
ton. So, you that change of in France
will hereafter materially affect that prolific of
speculation. folly and crime. the brandy market.
! really forgot what intended to write when
this letter, but that Circumstance of itself
will satisfy you that there is nothing very interesting
on hand. S. H.
Our readers may ask who is the Duchess Of Suth-
erand2 She is handsome woman, and is in toler-
able preservation, the age of fifty. She has been
grandmother several years-havng married off her
daughters, all of them handsome and healthy, at ear