Wine, the vine and the cellar / [Thomas George Shaw].

  • Shaw, Thomas George.
Date:
1863
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Wine, the vine and the cellar / [Thomas George Shaw]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    a memory so retentive, that there was scarcely a cask in the vault that he could not take you to at once, without reference to the book; and such a favoiuite was he that I have often waited a quarter of an hour, when it was near closing time, being sure that if I secured him I should get through my work sooner than by taking another who might be ready to accompany me. The cooper of whom I speak was well known to be paid by a city firm, in whose employment he afterwards served as dock clerk for many years; and seldom, indeed, has a house had a more zealous, able, profitable clerk. He has been for some years at the head of one of the first wine houses in the city ; and it is due to him to state that he has invariably upheld his character for shrewdness, fair dealing, and injiexihility of opinion. The success with him was so great and evident that it became quite a fashion for houses to take coopers out of the docks as clerks ; but I am not aware of another instance in which the experiment has been successful. About the year 1853 it was discovered that great frauds were carried on, and almost every cooper in the East Vault was dismissed. As soon as a cask is in the slings of the dock company to be hoisted from the hold of the ship, the company become responsible, and continue so while it remains in the docks. If it is taken away at once, there are certain charges for landing.