Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1871-08-18


Several good hotels, all in fine order, wine
gardens, bathing grounds and bath houses,
pleasant walks and drives, and facilities in a.
-bundance foe sailing, boating, fishing, &c.
constitute the attractions. The principal no.
tel is very 6ne structure, having a water
front of over three hundred feet, and is capa-
BILE OF. accommodating several hundred guests
with entire comfort. From every point Of the
island there are delightful water views, and
indeed it would be difficult to End anywhere
. more attractive resort. The air is delicious
~ cool and invigorating. and as there are nc
swamps or marshes. entire healthfulness is Sc
cured throughout the summer and autumn.
Opposite Put-in.Bay Island we have in
view Kelly,s Island and Middle Bass Island
and between the latter and Put-in-B Bay Island
the romantic little islet known as
= -. d, GIBRALrER,
now the property OF J. Cooke, Esq, the great
financier, whose wealth and refined taste has
adorned it with almost princely magni6cence.
The shores of this little island which is scarce
" half a mile in diameter, are bold and rocky,
crowned with fine old forest trees, above whose
waving tops rises the tower Of Mr.. Cookies
elegant summer residence, presenting qnite a
grand appearance.
PERRY's WATCH TOWER.
On the eastern face of this island there rises
a bold promontory OF gray rocks, from the
top Of which Commodore Perry is said to have
made his observations of the movements oil
the British squadron. Gibraltar, as it is call
ed, is the quiet resting place of the earthly re.
mains of many Of the brave men who fell in
the achievement Of Perry's victory over our an
Gent foe. Through the kindness Of Mr.. Cooke
the excursionists we're granted unrestricted &C
cess to this beautiful spot and welcomed with
a bountiful entertainment. 10 the absence oil
Mr.. Cooke and family, these hospitalities were
graceldny extended to the visitors by the
worthy lady 10 charge Of the mansion.
VINEYARDS AND WINE MAKING.
Very few persons who have not visited this
region are aware of the extent to which the
culture of the grape has been carried on the
numerous islands which dot the upper ex-
tremity Of Lake Erie. Putin. Bay Island,
Kellys Island and Middle Bass Island are al
most exclusively devoted to vineyards, and a
visit to their luxuriaLt shores brings to mind
the attractive descriptions given of the wine
growing regions of tie Rhine, or the vine. clad
slopes Of the valleys of California. The anne
liorating influence of the Lake atmosphere
upon the rigors Of this northern latitude have
been found to be peculiarly favorable for the
growth and development of the Catawba,
Delaware and Concord varieties of the grape.
The spring frosts do not occur here so late as
At localities further South, and the expause of
melting ice around these islands in the open
ing Of the season having the desirable effect
of retarding vegetation until the season has
so far progressed that the tender buds of the
vines are almost certain to escape the blight
ing injury so common at inland localities,
even although much further South. We had
the pleasure, during our brief stay at Putin
Bay Island, to visit number of the vineyards
on this and the neighboring islands, whose
verdant shores form the boundaries of what is
known as "Put-in-Bay." Everywhere we
found the grape vines loaded with rich clus-
tiers Of fruit. and tho wine cellars of the own
ers' we'll stored with an abundance of really
delicious wine. The fruit in this latitude, Of
course, does not ripen so early as in Maryland,
Virginia and North Carolina, and therefore
the grapes were green, and, we suppose, sour,
but not so the wine-that we found ripe, mel
low and tempting. The great abundance Of
the yield Of good, palatable, unadulterated
wines in this locality is such that the product
can be and is sold at prices which bring it
within the reach of every one. Wines can be
bought here at 81 and less per gallon, and
the consequence is that wine has largely sup
planted stronger stimulants, such as brandy
and whiskey.
CATAwpA va wHISKEV
"Catawba plain, or compounded into 'cob-
blers" and such like drinks, seems to have al
most entirely superseded brandy and wbiskey,
and the miserable demoralizing compounds
made from such fiery liquids. The result is
. decided gain to the community-less drunk
enness and vice, fewer disturbances of the
public peace, and fewer candidates for inc.
briats asylums and Warehouses. Our total
abstinence friends DO doubt will think that
your correspondent shows that he is not quite
orthodox on the temperance question 10 max.
ing these observations; nevertheless, the fact
remains strongly impressed upon my mind
that the BEST and surest method of promoting
TRUE TEMPERANCE
10 this country is to encourage these Lake
Erie Islanders, and all others who are engag-
ed in the culture of the grape, to make still
further effort in the work of growing luscious
grapes and producing pure, unadulterated
domestic wine 10 such abundance as to render
it no longer profitable to manufacture vile
authorizations, in whose compromising grape
juice is almost unknown, and palm the same
off as foreign wine. Since the days of Noah
men have had, and will continue to have and
use, some sort of stimulant. Therefore We
must regard the production of pure, unadul.
tic wines, q real blessing to the community
and substantial progress in the work of true
temperance.
PUT-1N.BAY VINEYARD.
DR.. S. s. Lupgren, Of Toledo, is the owner
of very successful vineyard on Put-in-Bay
Island. He has now some seventeen acres
devoted to grape culture, including II acres
of Catawba, 5 acres of Concord, 81 acres Of
Delaware aud acre of mixed varieties, from
which bis Superintendent, Mr.. Frederick Ro'
teri, has produced large amount of very
choice wine. DR.. Lungren has now in biz
wiae cellar 5000 gallons Catawba, 2. 400 gal.
Ions red Concord, 400 gallons white Con.
cord and 800 gallons Delaware wine. Hi.
Catawba wine Is the finest domestic wine w
have met with, and is really superior, in ou1
judgment, to most imported wines of this de.
scription.
At Middle Bass Island Mr. VIM. Rehbere
has very large vineyard, and is also produc.
ing large quantities of excellent wine. As az
instance Of the success which has attended
the cultivation of the grape on this island
and the consequent enhancement Of the value
Of the land, it may be mentioned that twelve