Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-02-18

we visited the spice warehouses, where
one can see the difference in the grades
of spices, the bundles of cinnamon,
| such beautiful fine sticks, nothing what
| ever like the coarse cassia bark which
We buy in this country for cinnamon.
Really | had never seen anything like it
before. Our guide explained to us that
the finest cinnamon is yielded by the
young branches of the tree which
shoot up from the stump, after the tree
has been cut down, only the fine inner
bark being used, which has Il very
delicate flavor and which curls up like
| a straw when dry Gloves, the best of
which are Penang, look quite different
from the ordinary cloves when seen
side by side being much darker in color
and fuller buds on the top Nutmegs
and mace, the finest which came from
the West Indies; also allspice which
comes almost entirely from Jamica and
all most interesting to study. [ carried
away a handful of all the different
varieties, having quite collection of
spices when returned home
We next visited the ''ivory floor"
where to my amazement we saw great
tusks piled like cord wood | said to our
guide, ''What is the value of this ivory?"
He replied after q moments hesitation,
"What yOusee here is worth one million
pounds 100000 dollars), explaining
to us the difference between the
elephant and rhinOceros ivory, the
African elephants tusk bringing the
highest price. They are sometimes
about eight feet long, being hollow
about half way. The end of the trsk is
solid, of which billiard balls are made.
The hollow end next the head is used
by piano manufacturers for piano keys,
the small pieces and cuttings being used
for making buttons. He told me that
ivory was becoming more and more
valuable and scarce every year, as every
pair Of tusks taken represent the death
Of a male elephant. From here we
went to the wool warehouses where
bales of wool Of every description are
to be seen. From the coarse wiry wool
(Lincoln Hogget) which is used in the
manufacture Of carpets, to the finest
and softest merino, that from New
Zealand being especially fine and
beautiful.
After visiting the drug floor" where
We were shown ali sorts of gums" and
various drugs too numerous to mention
here, we descended into the wine
vaults. Here we were provided with
torches as if we were setting out to visit
the catacombs of Rome Or Naples. The
vaults have crypt-like arches from
which hang vinous fungi, like dark
woolly clouds, made by the evaporation
of the alcohol. Our guide reached up
and pulled down a piece for me, saying,
Gas soon as you reach the air it will
disappear" | put it III an envelope,
and, by carefully protecting it from the
air, have it still. Then with about a
half dozen men, we all proceed to
explore the interior of these vaults, the
VINE DdffelS containing wine ana spirits
piled on either side Of us, four tiers
high. After walking Several miles as
it seemed to me- quite distance he
halted, and our guide ordered the men
who had accompanied us to knock the
bung out of barrel, which he did, and
those who wished tasted it. There are
about II miles alley-way i'll these vaults.
To be continued.