The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-01-18
Things Worth Knowing.

"Don't go to blacksmith to have your
teeth pulled' is one of the expressive and
homely phrases which Fl. w. Crabb, the great
wine king of California, very often uses.
Crabb's name became known all over this coun-
try last spring by the proposition he made to
the Worlds Fair Commission to permit him to
operate exclusively at the great Columbian Ex-
position in 1913 an immense wine fountain,
which he proposed should constantly pour forth
the bright, sparkling wines produced at his
immense vineyards in Napa County, Cal.
The proposition was in keeping with the
great things California has shown the world
she can accomplish. Everything the Golden
State has done has been of an astonishing mag
nitude, and when the prososition was made
public it astonished the people of the country.
They, however, believed that it would be car
ried out, if it were accepted by the commission.
And in this they were correct.
Crabb is the owner Of one of the largest vine
yards in California. He has over six hundred
and twenty-five acres of vines under cultiya-
ton, and has the reputation of making the best
and the purest wines on the Pacific Slope. His
practical experience extends over thirty years
as wine producer, and has placed him at the
head OF the wine trade in this country.
The Io-kalon, the name of his VINEYARDS and
elegant home, has become known throughout
the entire country to every connoisseur of
wines. NO one has done as much as he in rails
ing the high standard of excellence and purity
of native wines. 1t is fact that he constantly
keeps on hand some 600, 900 gallons of wines in
his cellars. At his vineyards he has over 300
varieties Of European vines.
With these facts before me [ do not at all
wonder that he proposes to erect large foun-
tain thirty feet in height charged with the finest
products of his vineyards. What, after all,
does the large quantity of wine the fountain
would consume daily amount to to him, COM
pared to the immense quantities he must make
daily, judged by the 100000 gallons of wine he
lynnr nCrn1 fntnf1 IN,
it looks like mere bagatelle, and in all proba-
bility it is, when his vast acres of vines are
taken into consideration.
Crabb, understand has made speciality, a.
lifelong speciality, OF producing wines, and has
decided and emphatic notions on this subject
Having made one of the greatest of successes
of vne-growing and wine-making in California,
he believes in specialties and specialists. His
experience certainly justifies him in this belief
1t is for this reason that he also often phi ases
his belief in 'Don't go to harness-maker to
get pair OF shoes, and if you want good wine
60 to specialist
He is as aggressive as he is painstaking and
last spring opened an agency In this city on
Wabash avenue, which he named the To-Kalon.
This agency he gave to Charles e. Shillaber,
who has successfully introduced his famous
wines to the best families of Chicago.
have often heard Capt. Shillaber speak of
Mr.. Crabb in the very highest terms of praise in
connection with the pure and excellent wines
| made by him, and l wondered if l would get
the same expression from his neighbors in Cali
| fornia. Last month sent letter to Isaac De
Turk, president of the Viticultural Commission
of the State of California, and received the fol-
lowing answer, dated December 9:
SIN reply to yours of the 2lst ultimo will say
have known Mr.. Crabb for many years, know
him to be the owner of the To-Kalon Vineyards
and to be careful, conscientious wine-maker
and you can depend on his wines being abso
lutely pure and of very nigh grade.
[Signed] ''IsAAC DE TURK"
! further learned that all of his competitors
in California speak in the same high terms Of
praise of him, which certainly is a remarkable
record for the noted wine king, coupled will
! the fact that his wines have been awarded the
| first premiums there for twenty-one consecu
tive years s:--Frdncis Holland, IN Chicago Sun,
| dag Herald
To-KALoN WINE Co.,
Sole agents east of Chicago,
Ga FOURTEENTH STREET.