The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-04-11

Of the cask being that wine Of which
the most is sold. Several years ago the
necessity for something of this sort be-
came apparcnt. TO build a cask OF the
size referred TO seemed an impossibility
at first. but after the matter was thor
oughly discussed. the members of the
vineyard company made up their minds
TO try. So the redwood forests of Hum
boldt county We're called upon 20 supply
the necessary lumtcr.
The selection of lumber for the cask
was no ordinary task. for not more than
one stick I'm Il dozen of those presented
for examination would DO. 1T was an
absolute necessity that the material be
nawless. At least. enough lumber Of
the very first quality was found and then
the work of drying il so that there would
be not the slightest danger OF shrnkage
began. IL required two years 10 COM
plete this task. The lumber ready two
entire trains Of cars proved necessary TO
convey IL 10 the nearest point 10 the
vineyard.
OF REDWOOD LUMBER.
mis- lumber was amply sufficient in
quantity TO erect such a house as does
not exist in California. Think Of
building constructed OF redwood lumber.
which was absolutely hawless. The finest
house Of Mob Hin in san Francisco can-
not boast of the quality that makes this
wine cask useful The hoops that bind
the cask together are Of finely tempered
steel. in the aggregate, they would fill
two largo freight ears and their total
weight is forty thousand pounds. The
cask towers TO n height Of thirty feet and
IS twenty-siX feet i'm dante II its
contents could be placed in uubrokeu bulk
in freight cars. a. would take thirty OF
tho biggest 20 hold them.
As compared with other casks IN which
the vineyard company keeps its wine the
proportion is about tho same as that Of
bunch OF grapes 90 the parent vine
In fact there Is only one Wine Cask IN the
world which can be leeltimately compared
with this giant Of California. and that is
the great tun Of Heidelberg Germany
whoich for a century and q half has been
famous wherever men drank wine and
knew from whence 10 came The Cali
fornia cask was not constructed with the
intention OF Outdoing any one but simply
for business reasons The difference i'm
size OF these Two tuns can best be under
stood by considering the fact that the
German cask holds a. 900 gallons and the
California cask 90 0'O showing the former
20 be less than half the size Of the latter.
Considering the contents or the cask
idea OF rs immensely Is not as fully i'm
pressed as when figuring on a basis or
lesser quantities For instance. the cas<
holds 2S2 oo0 quarts or nc Qo1 pints. or g.
OOl 600 g.ls. An ordinary glass OF wine
Is about "a third 81 "a Gin. perhans a liltle
less. This huge cask would hold q suf-
ncicnt quantity 10 permit o ore 0m persons
20 partake Of glass Of whatever brand
OF Juice Of the grape filed 10. Therefore.
n every inhahfant o. the greatest five
cities OF the United States should pass IN
procession. this huge redwood recentacle.
each Nigh, enjoy a lihation therefrom.
Figuring the value OF the contents or the
cask AZ the price II would be retailed at
In the states whore wine Is not made. mo
total reached is se0l 200 30 near a million
that IL can without great stretching he
called million dollar cask or course
the value OF the contents in California
does not approach the sum named. for
wine here Is very cheap indeed Even
tsssng tho s~asne price " the wine at 70