Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-11-08

| TO VlSlt, out q run up Ine Napa dle
is well worth taking 1t is only
matter of a day or two to 60 up th
valley and back from San francisco
passing through Napa, St. Helena an
Calistoga On either side of the raj
road the valley is lined with vineyard
whose purple clusters show throug
the leaves, and whose very perfum
seems blown into the car windows
Everywhere .he laborers are at work
and wagons piled with grapes are o.
their way to the wine-press. Th
labors of the vintage season are hurrie'
on, conducted in as practical and mat
ter-of-fact a fashion as the grinding O
wheat or the making of shoes, which
considering the National character, IL
be6tting an American vintage. Their
are no peasant maidens in pink bodice'
and white petticoats to sing vintage
songs and clink glasses with thei
lovers in the interludes of the MONDAY
dance, after the approved pattern Sc
by the operas There are plenty o
Cinnamon, and some swarthy Italians
but they arc made to earn so many Bit
a day, and they look little enough like
singing or dancing, even if such luxuries
did not involve deductions from theil
wages.
To one of these vineyards there is 6
peculiar interest attaching, for it is
from this that Mr.. Estees, like Cali
fornia Cincinnatus has been called tc
accept the Republican nomination fol
Governor. His country home is about
three miles from Napa. The ranch
embraces 600 acres, half of which is in
vines. The low one-story and-a-hali
house is pleasantly shaded, and in the
rear is fine orchard, through which
runs q stream of clear water coming
down from the mountains 1t is very
charming, modest place, and no doubt
seems
"Fair as garden of the Lord.
To the eyes of the hungry Democratic horde"
for the Democrats enviously started a
campaign slander that Mr. Estees had
not paid his taxes and had no real
ownership of his home-a slander,
which it is needless to say, was
promptly refuted.
But after leaving the northern dis
tricts for Los Angeles, l found that
this section ably holds its own. Here
met another viticulsural officer, who
pointed out that this district has always
been free from phyloxera, that the
most delicate hooks and fine clarets are
made here, as well as the heavier
port and sherries, and that here is the
largest vineyard in the State. Ger
tainly, from all accounts here, there
seems to be little fault to be found
with the wine producing qualities
which the grapes obtain from soil and
WHERE THE WINE GOES TO.
1t is matter for surprise to note the
growth and development of this in
dustry throughout the State. Indeed,
its growth has led some viticulturists
to express publicly warning against
trop de zele in planting new vile-
yards, from the fear of over-production.
Yet the shipments outside the State
are steadily increasing each year, and
find that they have nearly trebbled
within the last seven years. Last
year there were exported by rail L.
$40, 103 gallons of wine and 1854 of
brandy, and by sea l,505, 1862 gallons
of wine and 6O,O93 of brandy; making
a total of 2,s45, 1865 gallons of wine and
5O9,677 of brandy, which is an in
crease over 1880 of 35S,012 gallons of
wine, and 20,579 of brandy. Last
year the production of wine was
about 100000 gallons, including
what was made into brandy. AS
much wine is sent East, | am told, as
is consumed here on the Pacific
coast.
"But why do we never get good
California wine East ?" I asked q
friend in San Francisco, after had
convinced myself that excellent wines
are made here.
For answer he called the waiter
we were lunching at French res
taurant-and asked him for bottle OF
California claret.
"Mais, monsieur" protested the
waiter with shrug, there is no
good American wine, and we never
keep it. We only keep imported
wines;" and he brought bottle
labelled "St. Julien"
There's the answer" said my CON-
panion. "That bottle contains Cali
fornia claret under French name,
and you will pay three times its
worth simply for the name Res
taurant and hotel men here as well as
East know that it is fashionable to
drink wines under foreign names, and
that they can charge for them high
price. Do you suppose they will sell
California claret at so ceuts bottle
when foreign label makes the bottle
sell for So or So? Nearly all the un
adulterated wine drank in New York
to-day is California wine under for.
eign name, and at most extravagant
price, considering its real cost. AND
back of it all is the American idea
that wine-drinking is luxury instead
of being an ordinary matter as drink
ing coffee"
So it is interesting, in visiting these
vineyards, to know that one is view
ing the source of much Of the "import
ed ST. Julien, Chateau Margaux,
Hochheimer, Laubenheimer, Neir
steiner, pale sherry and old port"-
particularly the clarets-which grace
New York dinner tables.
A CALIFORNIA WATERING PLACE.
There is nothing paradoxical il
adding a word about watering places
at this time, for on this coast people
are still bathing and promenading th'
sands, although l presume Coney
Island has become reminisceDce-
like the bath room in most Western
hotels. Further north, to be sure, a
Monterey and Santa Cruz, the waite
ia taking on a slight chill, but my ruI