New-York tribune., 1920-08-18
Legend of Whisky
In Cornerstone Is
Finally Exploded
Whole Town Joined Hands
In Razing Building Only
to Find PapersWhereThey
Thought Bourbon To Be

1t is the expressed opinion Of some
people of Bolton, Tex, that whoever
originated and knowingly perpetrated
the hoax that four bottles of Bourbon
whisky reposed inside the cornerstone
Of an old business building in the town
did a cruel thing. Now that the excite
ment has subsided and a calm survey
of the situation is made it cannot be
recalled that the legend of the exist
ence of this whisky came into general
circulation until the time prohibition
went into effect in Bolton a few years
ago.
1t was tale that grew by the telling
and the four bottles that were part
of the original story grew in quantity
until some perfectly we'll meaning and
respected citizens insisted that the
whisky was not in bottles at all, but
that it filled a regular sized barrel
which occupied a receptacle in the big
cornerstone that was especially hol
lowed out for the purpose.
No one seemed to doubt the au-
thenticity of the legend. 1t was told
in more or less circum stantial detail
how great celebration was given forty
years ago to mark the laying of the
cornerstone In those days Bolton was
a frontier town, with the stirring life
of the cattle range all around it. AL
most any kind of celebration meant an
accompaniment of bibulous revelry.
Lets give this building some good
liquor to subsist on as long as it
stands" suggested one of the cele-
brants, according to the legend.
"Hurrah!" the crowd exc laimed in
unison. ".We'll put whisky in the cor
nerstone."
And so it WIS done At least that
I. ,,ol. ~ l. ).1
ton believed implicitly until disillu-
stoned few da.< ago.
With the disappearance Of intoxi-
eating liquor from Bolton when the
dry law went into effect many were
the longing eyes that were turned to
the old cornerstone by the passersby.
Long were the curbstone discussions
of the probable quantity and sooth-
ingness of the bottles or barrel, which
ever it might be.
Forty years, and at least ten years
on top of that-my, what a velvety
taste that whisky must have by now"
to mediate as they thought of the
days that are past and gone.
Nobody seems to know just how the
agitation for the removal of the old
building started. No one has been
heard to say that the chief reason for
the razing of the structure was to bring
to light and possible use in lawful,
legitimate way, of course, the whisky
that was supposed to be reposing inside
the cornerstone. The building is said
to have been in fairly good state of
preservation, not withstanding its age,
but the city council recently officially
condemned it on the. grounds that it
was mar to the civic beauty of the
town.
I'll was found necessary to con-
tract for wrecking the building. More
citizens volunteered to do the work
than could be accomm odated on the Job.
Of course, they were actuated only by
civic pride and loyalty in performing
this free service. But day after day
the volunteers workers sweated and
strained as they tore away the upper
part of the building
Then came the great day when the
cornerstone with its traditional con-
tents were to be removed. 1t was a
momentous occasion. For a long dis
tance around the spot men crowded
and craned their necks as the dutifuI
citizen-laborers pr:ed the capstone
loose with crowbars. With the first
lifting of the stone many eager ewes