The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1894-02-21
UNCLE 5. us WINE CELLAR.

He DsesI't Drink. but ne HAS s"H
Wines on Hand.
AA0eS silence pervades the place.
1nis Ns - aa.uce of the tomb. The
ounah weEA seems already centuries
away. re air is cool and soothing,
and three Earring gas jets cast an intrl-
cate combination of shadows upon the
massive maso ' of the arches. says a
writer in the Boston Herald, in descrlb-
ing the wine vaults under the Boston
custom mouse.
After hundreds of years, when Bos-
ton is only "A hole in the ground like the
ancient cities in the Mediterranean,
some archaologist will dig down
through the accumulated dust of cen
turies and find those hewn arches stand
ing as they stand now.
And yet tine whole substantial struc-
ture is like the foolish mans house,
founded upon the sand and mud of Bos-
ton harbor. Three thousand tall pine
trees stripped of their limbs, were
driven down close together in the black
ooze TO form a foundation for the build
ing. These piles would last but a few
short years in the outer air, but sunk
in the harbor mud they are believed 10
be as indestructihle as ne earth itself.
When it was built, the custo. house
was upon the water FRI 1t, and even now
the cellar is below J oh water mark,
vet there is no drier cellar on Beacon
hill. The builders = med to have been
the builders Of p, -amids and cata-
combs reincarnate. and the work was
done to stand aftev the builders them
selves were long tJrgotten. Upon the
heads of the pills, in the form Of a
Maltese cross, was laid a Gaping of
granite in hydraulic cement Around
il were built the massive walls OF solid
granite q feet thick, which were to be
a protection against heat and cold, fire
and water and all the elements. With
in these walls rose the puzzling scheme
of sturdy pillars and arches which made
the cellar a maze of low rooted cham,
bers, inches, crypts and passages.
When the visitor enters the basement
and s~torehouse, which is on the street
level. he feels instinctively conscious OF
the huge pile of granite over his head.
This floor, within the surrounding row
of offices, is used for the storage OF
champagne and bottled wines. The
cases. which hold two dozen bottles, ar,
piled in regular tiers IA high a. the cell
ing. and under the main entrance the!
are parked in solidly. There are usually
between 5000 and 4.nop cases. ~ uyel
40. 000 bottles. which if popped All 81
once would make tG" grant &p...'
tremble and might crown the attend
ant in a foamlng food.
When a consignment of rum. which
means anything from champaign s.
brandy, j. landed from a foreign YES .
the ord i it to he seat I,
the custom house cellar. Ii no owue'
appears to claim II. II l. kept for a Yea
and then l. sold AZ auction 10 pay III
duties and w~arehou-ing charges.
If the owner appears. he can pay IN
duties and withdraw hi. liquor Tor I'm
mediate consumption. or he can CIV
bonds for the duties and keep his stool
stored in the government vaults unit
he wishes Ia withdraw IT. The govern
ment charges him storages according L
the capacity of packages and allow
him 10 take 1t away by degrees as h
needs 1t. paying duty only on tn
amount withdrawn.
Very often an importation of win
and spirits may change hands severa
times while II lies in bond deep undo
the granite dome. In such cases ii i
sold in bond. and the owner, instead o
the importer, pays the duties and make
the final entry Of the merchandise.