Yerkes Tap Mystery Cache
Hutt: Unfortunately recent construction has obliterated GZ and it cannot be replaced….. thanks for the long happy run!
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Size: 
(regular)
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To find this cache, you will need to obtain clues from the Yerkes Fountain North cache and from the Yerkes Fountain South cache. Those two clues will point you to the 'Yerkes Tap' cache described here.
Charles Tyson Yerkes, the nineteenth century Tycoon who amassed a fortune though graft and speculation in Chicago's public transportation system, had an image problem. Shady business dealings had tarnished his social status, so (in an attempt to polish his stature) he established several charitable civic projects, each bearing his name. Perhaps the most curious were two public water fountains which were constructed towards either end of Sheridan Road, the elegant thoroughfare which transverses Chicagoland's prestigious North Shore suburbs.
Known as the "Yerkes Fountains," the odd edifices served as watering troughs (and drinking fountains) in the days when horses were the only way to travel along Sheridan Road. Doubtless Yerkes hoped that many a dusty coachman, teamster, and buggy driver (finding refreshment for himself and his team at the fountains) would remember his name kindly.
Yet for his own refreshment (and for that of his business cohorts) Yerkes himself chose a less benign liquid, and a less public locale to consume it. Since Mrs. Yerkes was a staunch supporter of The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and had absolutely forbidden alcoholic beverages in their home, a nearby, nondescript tavern (secretly owned by Yerkes) was rumored to be his favorite "watering hole". Here, he would take his leisure, entertain friends (of both sexes) and close important business deals. Although the tavern's actual name is long forgotten, it was popularly known in latter years as the "Yerkes Tap".
By 1900, even Yerkes' magnanimous philanthropic endeavors couldn't restore his aura of respectability, so he sold off his various business interests and left Chicago to launch similar ventures in New York City and London. Even after his departure, however, the "Yerkes Tap" retained its reputation as an anonymous establishment where gentlemen of means could pursue both business and pleasurable interests with discretion. Conversion into a speakeasy came naturally when Prohibition swept the nation in 1920, but a mysterious fire burned the "Yerkes Tap" to the ground only a year or two later.
Virtually nothing remains of the structure today, although the intrepid searcher may yet discern its location, which is marked with a regular geocache. To find the "Yerkes Tap" geocache, you must combine two clues which will be obtained from the "Yerkes Fountain North" and "Yerkes Fountain South" caches. Those may be hunted in any order. Once you have a clue from each "Yerkes Fountain" cache, you will have all the information you need to locate the cache here at the "Yerkes Tap".
Parking may be found within easy walking distance, although the cache site is closed after dark. The cache container itself is approximately 1200 cubic centimeters in volume, enough for some modest sized trinkets. Enjoy your hunt, and when you've discovered the "Yerkes Tap" cache, you may wish to toast your victory with a hearty drink of water; or even, something a bit stronger. For although the "Yerkes Tap" itself has been gone these many years, the influence of the WCTU did not long outlast it, and temperance is once again out of fashion.
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Treasures
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