The sole establishment of this class in the city is
that of M. McCormack & Co., No. 105 South Cherry Street.
The liquids, or beverages turned out are bottled porter
and ale, mineral water and sarsaparilla. They use
Bernard's copper generating system. To make
mineral water, the water is first carried to a large
tank raised on a stationary platform, the sirups (sic)
mixed in and the liquids lowered to the generator.
These generators are made of copper with a silver lining
which purifies the water, a handle is turned and the
water receives its proper gas standard, a process
similar to the charging of a soda fountain. The
same system is pursued in manufacturing sarsaparilla.
Another attractive feature is the ale and porter
bottling machine. A Pipe is attached to a barrel
of ale or porter and the liquid is conducted to the
bottle. The bottle is placed underneath a faucet,
a brass cock turned, the bottle filled, and almost
instantly a little blunt-headed spike pushes a
compressed cork into the neck and confines the gas.
This cork-stopper is held in place by one of Putnam's
patent wire-fasteners, made with a spring. When
ready for use the fastener can be removed by the
fingers, when the stopper flies out with a "pop" like
that produced by the cork of a well charged champagne
bottle. The ale and porter-bottler has a capacity
for bottling 100 dozen bottles per day. The
mineral water-bottler, which works in a similar manner,
puts up 400 dozen bottles per day. Messrs.
McCormack & Co. employ during the summer months fifteen
hands. The ale used is of Pittsburg manufacture
and the system of bottling, they claim, gives additional
strength to its taste, as the liquid has a second
opportunity of fermenting.
