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09 Mar 12 - 12:00 AM (#3320288) Subject: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer Grew up in a village that had a deck of cards. Yep, 52 households that were selling booze. Mostly shine, malt beer and those that could afford to go to town and buy at the liquor commission came home and sold double the price for the premium stuff. What's your story. Adrien |
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09 Mar 12 - 01:29 AM (#3320304) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Bev and Jerry We were never bootleggers (at least not that we'll confess to) but there definitely was one in our town. Even before prohibition began in the United States in 1920, he became a bootlegger. Illegal whiskey was imported from Canada and landed on the beach of the Pacific Ocean. It was then transported to his house for storage. During the restoration of the house by the local historical society, four large jugs were discovered embedded in a concrete wall in the basement. The basement was dug long after the house was built in 1880. The whiskey was then retailed through a drug store on Main Street. People would come to the drug store complaining of a bad knee, grippe or some other malady and the druggist would sell them some "tonic" to cure their ailment. Bev and Jerry |
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09 Mar 12 - 08:38 AM (#3320397) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer Great story Bev. Brother and I were picking raspberries on a side of a hill. We looked down to see cops starting to surround a house. We knew what was going down so we ran like hell and were able to held the dear old lady hide her booze just in time. ad. |
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09 Mar 12 - 09:01 AM (#3320404) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Bobert Google up "Percy Flowers", ya'll and read about one of, in not the most famous, of all southern bootleggers... BTW, tho he was busted 20 or 30 times he had a knack for walking out of southern courts unconvicted... B~ |
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09 Mar 12 - 09:44 AM (#3320433) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer Wow! Great story on him Bobert. And he was a Deacon as well. Thanks. ad. |
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09 Mar 12 - 10:18 AM (#3320448) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Sandy Mc Lean 8 O'CLOCK AND MABOU I LEFT MY HOME AT EIGHT O'CLOCK, AS SOBER AS COULD BE HEADING INTO MABOU TO BUY A POUND OF TEA TOMMY FRASER MET ME AS I WALKED ALONG THE ROAD HE SAID " JUMP UP INTO THE CAB ,WE'RE HEADING TO GLENCOE." (CHORUS) BETWEEN 8 O'CLOCK AND MABOU I MUST HAVE LOST MY WAY I DIDN'T MAKE IT HOME THAT NIGHT OR FOR ANOTHER DAY BETWEEN 8 O'CLOCK AND MABOU I WENT UPON A SPREE AND IF THERE'S MOONSHINE IN THE JUG THEN PASS IT ON TO ME TOMMY DROVE THE OLD FORD LIKE A DEMON THROUGH THE RUTS POTHOLES BANGING ON THE SPRINGS, A ROOSTER TAIL OF DUST BUT HE PULLED HER OVER WHEN WE GOT TO JOE MAC LEAN'S A GALLON JUG OF MOONSHINE WAS OUR PURCHASE THERE THAT DAY (CHORUS) WE HEADED INTO MABOU AND WE WENT TO LITTLE NEIL'S AND HE TOOK DOWN HIS FIDDLE FOR TO PLAY SOME JIGS AND REELS SOON THE NEIGHBORS GATHERED AND A CEILIDH'S UNDER WAY AND THEN WE DIDN'T GIVE A DAMN IF IT WAS NIGHT OR DAY (CHORUS) WHEN I FINALLY MADE IT HOME MY WIFE WAS AT THE DOOR GIVING ME A LECTURE LIKE I NEVER HAD BEFORE SHE ASKED ME WHERE THE HELL I'D BEEN AND WHAT I HAD TO SAY "BETWEEN 8 O'CLOCK AND MABOU I MUST HAVE LOST MY WAY." (CHORUS) (c) 1999 Alexander McLean a.mclean@ns.sympatico.ca This song that I wrote is popular with folks where I perform. I qualify it by stating that the story is partly true but the names have been changed to protect the guilty. :-} The air is traditional, similar to The Wabash Cannonball. Mabou is/was home to the Rankin Family, John Allen Cameron, Dan R. MacDonald and many other fine musicians. Glencoe lies in the hills between Mabou and Whycocomagh and has a degree of fame in Cape Breton for producing excellent 'shine! The Rankin Family's Glencoe Shuffle tells its story. |
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09 Mar 12 - 10:21 AM (#3320449) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Sandy Mc Lean Sorry but that should have been Mull River Shuffle. The same area. |
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09 Mar 12 - 10:30 AM (#3320454) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer That's a great number Sandy. I can well believe that most of it is true. Love Mull River Shuffle as well. ad. |
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09 Mar 12 - 10:41 AM (#3320462) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: olddude My granddad that passed away when I was just born, Had a still and made shine in the 20's. My other grandpa had 5 55 gallons of wine in the basement. My old man tried making beer once ... I remember we were all watch Jackie Gleason on TV when we heard Pop Pop Pop in the basement. His skills were not so good as the bottles all started exploding ... Don't know if he ever tried drinking the ones that survived LOL |
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09 Mar 12 - 10:50 AM (#3320466) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Bobert BTW, Beer, some folks say that Steve Earle's song "Copperhead Road" as inspired by Percy Flowers exploits... BTW, part 2... Percy Flowers made so much money from bootlegging that he had a 1000 plus farm in eastern North Carolina which is now and entire gated community with all the amenities that is run by his daughter... It's about 60 southwest of Raleigh, NC in the middle of no-where and you can imagine just what a large operation they could have had going on back there in the sticks... B~ |
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09 Mar 12 - 10:57 AM (#3320468) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Bee-dubya-ell I've never been involved in bootlegging, but my property was once home to a moonshine still. It was seized by the sheriff during the 1930s and subsequently bought back at auction by other members of the busted moonshiner's family. I don't know if they went legit at that point or just rebuilt the still in a harder to find spot. |
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09 Mar 12 - 02:25 PM (#3320546) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: gnu Can't find the video I want... here's the audio. The video is GREAT because those GOOD LOOKIN Rankin girls are dancing. And, they can dance. Canada Day performance of the Shuffle |
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09 Mar 12 - 02:26 PM (#3320547) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: gnu Oh, yeah, great song, Sandy! |
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09 Mar 12 - 02:57 PM (#3320560) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: gnu Great Uncle Matthah (Matthew) stayed at Gramps's house in Moncton during the winter as he couldn't stay alone alone up country, or so the "story goes". During prohibition withers, he was the local delivery man for shine that came from up country from our relatives. Good work in the winter. Gramps used to run a food distributor company. Wagons and sleds would haul fruits and veggies all over the countryside and not come back empty. Gramps never knew what was going on, of course. He emplyed Uncle Matthah to deliver small orders to homes and to stores. One time, Uncle Matthah was hauling a toboggan past the police station. It was covered with a canvas tarp. A large Irish cop (most of the force were of Irish descent, as were our family) was standing at the top of the steps. He hollered, "What have ye got on the sled there, Paddy?!" Uncle Matthah stopped and scowled and hollered back, "Twenty-five gallons a hand brand alcohol ya big dumb Irish!" "Ahhh, keep movin ya crazy old bastard!" He did. |
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09 Mar 12 - 03:40 PM (#3320575) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: gnu During prohibition winters |
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09 Mar 12 - 04:07 PM (#3320588) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: GUEST,mg I lived in a house in Maine that had a spare secret room for storing beverages... BIll Gallagher of BC has written a great song about a boat that outruns the law..I think there are other great songs on same theme. mg |
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09 Mar 12 - 04:19 PM (#3320594) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer Good story Gnu. I also know the video you were looking for. I had it for a spell then dropped it. Now it seems that it is off You/tube. Copperhead Road is a fine tune of note. ad. |
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09 Mar 12 - 06:44 PM (#3320643) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Don Firth I was acquainted with two Bob Clarks in Seattle back in the Fifties and Sixties. One owned a movie theater that showed European films, and in 1959 he opened a coffeehouse next door to the theater. He named it, appropriately enough, "The Place Next Door." I sang my first regular, long-term gig there. Eighteen weeks, then back again for more. He paid well and on time. Also, it was a nice place to sing. Kind of up-scale. Part art gallery. And your elbows didn't stick to the tables. The other Bob Clark I had met seven years earlier. He and Ken Prichard had opened a restaurant (The Chalet) a half-block off the University of Washington campus, in the basement of Eagleson Hall. On weekends, they would officially close the place (no liquor or entertainment license) but leave the door unlocked, and we would have informal song fests and "hoots" there. The Bob Clark of The Chalet played guitar and sang at these affairs which surprised me at first because, due to an accident when he was younger, he had lost the thumb, index, and middle fingers of his left hand. But he played a left-handed guitar and could hold a pick between the remaining two fingers of his left hand. His accompaniments were simple, but he was a good singer. By the way, the two Bob Clark's knew each other and each one referred to the other Bob Clark as "the other Bob Clark." Anyway, this is an excerpt from my autobiographical view of the Great Folk Epidemic as it manifested itself in the Pacific Northwest ("soon to be published" if I ever get the damned thing finished!). The protagonist of the excerpt is the Bob Clark of The Chalet. Bob Clark brewed his own beer. It had gained much currency at hoots and songfests, possibly because he usually brought substantial quantities of it in quart bottles, and it was free. People raved about how great it tasted, but to be honest I can't say that I was very fond of it. I thought the flavor was just passable. It struck me as very yeasty.Don Firth |
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09 Mar 12 - 06:55 PM (#3320647) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: gnu I was an early teen. My buddy's old man brewed a LOT of beer and sold quite a bit. At a certain point, ya can't mess with it. Now, I don't know a lot about it, but apparently we should not have tried to steal some of the bottles in the bath tub on accounta a number of bottles can blow their caps at the same time by being "disturbed". This can blow a small hole in the shower tile wall. I recall later that night. We were on a ski-doo and obviously drunk when the RCMP blew his siren to get our attention and waved at us to come to him. We waved for him to come to us. And then we were gone. |
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09 Mar 12 - 09:06 PM (#3320710) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: olddude my victorian office which I now rent to my best buddie was built in 1833. It is huge, there in the basement there is a secret hiding space. First it was used for hiding slaves on the underground RR, then we found a huge stash of empty Canadian Whiskey ... all bottles date to prohibition era ... which makes sense, Canada is 40 miles right across the lake. This town was prime for smuggling during that era |
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09 Mar 12 - 11:10 PM (#3320747) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer I love these stories. Thanks olddude, Gnu, mg. Don, that was a great read. ad. |
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10 Mar 12 - 09:07 AM (#3320891) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: GUEST,999 When I was a lad there were two blind-pigs within three blocks. On occasion my grandfather would avail himself of their wares. I am not quite sure how the numbers for the places got around. He knew of a few others but they were miles away near the race track. (Ad, you may recall Belmont, but we lived near Verdun.) There was another in The Pointe and a few in Ville Emard, but the Ville Emard places had mostly wine and ya took your chances on that. A new fellow started in business, but his hootch (I don't know what else to call it because it bore no likeness to anything I'd ever had until that time in my life and he made lots of people sick with his product) quickly gained a bad rep and that was it for him. Some of the more organized guys would put stuff in a cab, but that involved pre-arranged payment and you paid the cab. This was before the days of credit cards, and as with so much else back then, if you didn't know the people involved it was likely gonna be a dry Sunday. However, even then it was never more than two or three phone calls and usually something could be arranged. I called The Oratory one late Saturday night and almost had the guy who answered the phone convinced that we needed a case of wine for our Sunday service but some assh#le at the party started laughing and that deal went down in flames. Then there was Dave in Old Montreal who always carried some extra, but his deal was that you had to drink it there after a $5.00 cover charge and because it involved taxis, a few blocks walk (so as to stop the curious from knowing exactly where one was going when ya were supposed to be in church) and then the same on the return leg, his place was a bit of a chore. I stopped doing that stuff when I turned sixteen. On one particularly dry day in Windsor we got into a gang of left-over alcohol: scotch, gin, vodka, wines and some beer. BIG pot on the stove, pour in the remnants. Float a bowl in the alcohol. Turn the lid upside down fill it with icecubes. Cook the alcohol off. It would condense when it hit the lid and drip into the bowl. Never did get a great clarity. Incidentally, we're damned lucky we didn't burn the house down. |
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10 Mar 12 - 10:00 AM (#3320909) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Ed T There was a bootlegger in the community where I grew up, and most communities had one, or more, nearby. My first trip to buy booze at the local one was when I was 16. But, I was trurned down. I found another bootlegger who sold to me in another community. I tried the one in my community few times that year. But, no go. Since all my friends could buy booze there,one day I called in and asked the owner why he wouldn't sell to me. "I always respect parents, he said. In your case, your father called in and asked me me not to sell booze to you. So, that's why you can't buy booze here". I guess my Dad was one step ahead of me:) |
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10 Mar 12 - 10:25 AM (#3320919) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer That is excellent Ed. Can't out smart your Dad. Good one. ad. Bruce, I can relate to most of your story because I lived in the Verdun area for a number of years in the 60's and 70's. Used the service of the cab's a number of times. Love the story about the case you almost got. |
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10 Mar 12 - 01:46 PM (#3320986) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: gnu There was a cabbie here who bootlegged. Good buddy of mine who I only used twice when a party went dry. Made a LOT of money over the years. Had it stashed in tobacco cans in his garage (ya know how ya nail the lid to a board and put nails or whatever in the can and label the bottom of the can). He had a lot of these cans with nails and such on top of the cash. He went to Halifax for a few days. When he came home, all the cans were emptied and all the cash was gone. Again, we are talking big coin. All the tools and equipment were gone. He went into the house. All the furniture and appliances were gone. There was a note on the the kitchen floor... "I want half of the house. Get a lawyer." The bitch didn't even sign it. I was aghast when he told me the story until he said, with a huge grin, "Good thing she didn't know where the rest of the money was. I have been waiting for this for years." |
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10 Mar 12 - 02:17 PM (#3320995) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Ed T There was an undertaker who bootlegged near where I grew up. Local folklore is he stashed some of his booze bottles under the deceased layed out in their caskets. Many small store owners used to bootleg. I recall going into one and the soft drink machine was stacked with beer, not Pepsi or Coke. Punch boards punchboard were illegal,but often stored under the counter at these small country stores, if you asked. One store owner I recall gave locals the option of cash or beer as a prize if you punched out a winning number. In Charlottetown PEI, if you wanted a bottle after-hours, a call to a taxi stand would bring a bottle or case of beer directly to your door. |
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10 Mar 12 - 02:25 PM (#3320996) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: meself Great song lyric, Sandy! Hope we'll get to hear it on youtube or somewhere one of these days ... ? |
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10 Mar 12 - 02:49 PM (#3321008) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer Now there is an idea meself. ad. |
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10 Mar 12 - 03:38 PM (#3321023) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: gnu Put a man on that right away! |
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10 Mar 12 - 11:12 PM (#3321147) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Rapparee My paternal granddaddy ran a big still back during Prohibition. He didn't pay off the right cops, so the sheriff smashed his big still and he got 180 days in the House of Correction. After that he just distilled, in his small personal still, for himself and his friends. In 1993, when the rains threatened the basement of the house, my uncles and a cousin went down to the basement to move stuff that might be damaged if the basement flooded. Next to the coal bin they found a door behind a pile of old boards -- not hidden, exactly, but sort of out of sight. Inside was a table, three or four old chairs, and a milk can with faucet. Then the uncles remembered that this was my Grandpa's old "den" where he'd dispense the home brew to his friends. In 1968 Grandpa died. My brother was home on pre-Vietnam leave and he dropped by to see Grandma. Outside was a pile of stuff for the trashman to haul away, and in the pile was Grandpa's old still. My brother asked for it, and after several strong admonitions from Grandma, took it home. He had it for quite a few years; now it is on long-term loan to a museum. (He has two other, newer, stills....) |
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10 Mar 12 - 11:22 PM (#3321149) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer That is one hell of a great story Rap. Thank you for sharing it. Ad. |
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11 Mar 12 - 04:59 AM (#3321192) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: mg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrFtcI3KPLA&feature=related click A great song I had never heard before called Murphy's Homemade Still...Irish Rovers..about 3 minutes into video. mg |
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11 Mar 12 - 09:07 AM (#3321261) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer Ah!!! that was great mg. I never heard it either. I also loved the last song. Ally Bally Bee maybe is the title. ad. |
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11 Mar 12 - 10:03 AM (#3321275) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Ed T My son once asked me why so many people go to bootleggers (now and in the past). My reasons included: After hour purchases, as booze stores used to have limited hours and were not conveniantly located, especially in remote areas. For cheaper (and higher octane) illegally produced (or imported)booze. For smuggled tax free booze (much cheaper) Some folks were banned from getting booze at liquor stores. Quanities were in some locations limited and at times booze sales were completely banned (prohibition). Underaged drinkers Some bootleggers gave credit, until the pay checque arrived. Just for the novelty of it. Years ago, where I grew up, a doctors note was once required to purchase booze, and later it was rationed through booze books, or stamps. Additionally,, there was once a list of people who could not purchase booze, for a variety of reasons. It was commonly referred to as the "the Indian List" (likely called that for a number of reasons, one being a level of social dicrimination). |
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11 Mar 12 - 10:08 AM (#3321277) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Ed T I was thinking of famous singers who bootlegged, (or at least their family did). Nova Scotia's Hank Snow immediately came to mind-as he grew up very poor. Know any others? Hank Snow |
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11 Mar 12 - 10:18 AM (#3321282) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: maeve Songs on mg's Irish Rovers link: ""Where the Old Bush Flows," "Murphy's Home Made Still,""The Old Turf Fire," and "Coulter's Candy" with Jill MacWilliams." |
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11 Mar 12 - 11:06 AM (#3321296) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Charley Noble Back in 1963 on a spring college break my friend Franz and I paid a visit to some friends in Madison County, North Carolina. We were into folk music and one of their neighbors was Obray Ramsey. The music was great and we certainly enjoyed the mountain landscape. But before we left, we wanted to pick up some "white lightning." Well, connections were soon made with another neighbor, Otto, who said he'd take us with him the next day and see that we got a crate of the elixir. All we had to do was help him load and unload the truck. Sounding like a deal. So early the next morning we helped load up the truck with locust poles and off we rambled, stopping here and there, dropping off poles, chatting with neighbors, Otto disappearing in the bush and then re-appearing, wiping his lips and saying"No, let's drive on." Well, he finally found a batch that met his standards, but not until the entire load of locust poles were distributed over 100 square miles of Southern Appalachia. And that night we got to sample some of the brew, cut with cider and it had a terrific impact. All I know is I awoke late in the morning in the corner of the cabin with a bucket in front of me. I was still catatonic and I even let Franz drive as we began the trek back to Maine. Oh, at one point when we pulled into a little town in Virginia for lunch, we noticed that the trunk lid had popped open, displaying our crate of mason jars to whoever might have been concerned. Our white lightning was, indeed, a big hit when we eventually made our way back to campus. It certainly was a radical shift from our previous diet of Southern Comfort. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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11 Mar 12 - 02:11 PM (#3321367) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: gnu In the hills of southwestern New Brunswick there are (were, back in 80s) cabins BACK in the woods. Draft dodgers from the Vietnam War. They raise(d) sheep and homegrown. GOOD homegrown. I was taken to one on a winter's night. Huge log cabin, one room, kids hanging off the beams everywhere. The smell of smoke was pervasive. Buddy said, let's go get some of the good stuff and out to the barn we went. In the loft, a whack of plants hanging upside down. He stripped most of one and the result was a plastic bag 4" in diameter and 8" long. I was afeared when I asked how much.. $20... $20! I said, well, $20 each is fine with me. My buddy wasn't pleased but I figured it was for a good cause. Ya know, sheep sound just like trying to start a Pontiac in cold weather. We laughed over my cityboy comment for about two minutes. It WAS good shit. I may smoke again someday, when I get older, although I expect it might not have the same effect. |
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11 Mar 12 - 02:58 PM (#3321376) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: GUEST,999 It will. A friend told me. |
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11 Mar 12 - 03:48 PM (#3321395) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Ed T One Sunday, back in the 70's, two friend of mine and I were travelling to PEI from Moncton. About half way to the Ferry, we called into a conveience store. One of my buddies asked if there was a local place to buy beer and was given directions to a bootlegger. We travelled into the back country, to a log cabin beside a small stream. We stepped up to the door, and asked to buy some beer. The guy at the door said he could not sell us beer to take out, because he did not know us. But, if we wanted to drink a few inside, we were welcome. So, we stepped inside and he took us downstairs to the basement, where we were handed some cold ones. In the middle of the basement was a pool, which seemed to be stream fed. There were fish in it. WEE were invited to sit around the pool. In front was a coin operated peanut machine, with fish treats. "Feed the fish if you like when you enjoy your beer, only costs a quarter for fish feed", said the owner. So, we sat there, drank three or four cold ones, fed the fish and watched them splash and swim about. All ad all a good time. And, a real treat of an experience visiting a bootlegger. |
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11 Mar 12 - 04:01 PM (#3321401) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer Hay Ed!, wonder if you could find the place again. Sounds as if it would be a great retirement place to buy. Might even be for sale. Good story Charley, now you can look back on that time as a fond memory. ad. |
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11 Mar 12 - 09:14 PM (#3321522) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer Well here is a little story that is true and may up set a few folks. It is now 52 years later and I don't apologize to anyone for what I did. I went to confession to our local priest (I was an alter boy at the time.)and told him I was going to get even with so and so because dad spent all his money there and mum had to work hard to put food on the table. He told me that he couldn't give me absolution. That was fine with me because the bootlegger was respected in the community and gave very well to the church. So I left the confessional and up on the alter to serve mass. I then received communion to the displeasure of the priest. |
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11 Mar 12 - 10:30 PM (#3321562) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: gnu He couldn't because you hadn't. I hope you got even good and then got absolution. |
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12 Mar 12 - 08:02 AM (#3321663) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Charley Noble God bless those moonshiners, I wish they were mine; Their breath smells as sweet As the dew on the vine. Actually I still remember how vile our white lightning smelled and tasted (especially the morning after), before it was cut with cider. Which reminds me of the old story of the fella who used to make homebrew in our village, Cal Powers, who married the school mistress. Well, Cal used to store his homebrew while it seasoned under their bed, and sure enough when he was sneaking in late one night after a heavy evening of boozing with his buddies one of the bottles exploded, and hit him in the ankle. He collapsed on the floor in a pile and as he felt the liquid flowing down his ankle he cried in anguish, "Agnes, you didn't need to shoot me!" Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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12 Mar 12 - 11:55 PM (#3322037) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Sandy Mc Lean I've never put anything on YouTube but never say never! :-} |
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13 Mar 12 - 03:58 PM (#3322377) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer Older brother decided to get into the business. Made a very big mistake. Undercut all the other sellers by 1 cent a quart. Got the living shit kicked out of him. That was the end of his new venture. About 10 years ago while visiting I asked my bro..in.. law if there were any bootleggers about. He told me that the two sisters (one had passed away)down such and such road still did. I went down and knocked on the door. I said,"Hello R....,would you happen to have a few quarts for sale." She began to close her door when I said, " I'm Adrien, Norm and I use to pick your dump and on occasion you would see us and invite us in for cookies and milk".The door flew open and she gave me a big hug. Got my quart. |
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13 Mar 12 - 04:27 PM (#3322385) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Ed T First time I recall seeing folk singer Anne Murray was in a PEI bar. She had recorded "snowbird" and had returned to PEI (where she once was a teacher in a local high school) to perform, as a favour to a local bar owner, (who helped her in her career). After the bar closed, still thirsty, we went to an "after hours bar" (aka bootlegger) operated by the bar owner's brother. To our surprise, Anne Murray showed up and stayed awhile, mingling with the clients |
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13 Mar 12 - 09:57 PM (#3322513) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Charley Noble Neat story, Ed. Charley Noble |
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13 Mar 12 - 10:09 PM (#3322517) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: JohnInKansas Kansas was, of course, "dry" for many years, and when they finally made it legal to sell liquore the state imposed a "minimum price list" and the few legal sales outlets were NOT ALLOWED to sell anything below the "list price." (Although some sold at somewhat higher prices.) Legal liquor was, of course, a "local option," allowing individual towns and/or whole counties to remain "dry." This made it completely unnecessary to run a still, since both Oklahoma and Missouri sold "legal" liquore at prices far below the Kansas list. At one point a "kid" who worked for my pappy asked to borrow the company truck for the weekend. This was not an unusual request since dad had let several others borrow the truck when they needed to "relocate." On asking what the need was, however, the kid described a "deal" he'd heard about. All he had to do was drive the truck down to a warehouse in Oklahoma and park it overnight. The next morning the truck would be full of potatoes. He was supposed to leave the truck overnight at a warehouse in Wichita KS, and pick it up the next morning. He got $50 and got to keep the potatoes. Daddy didn't much like the idea of having his truck full of bullet holes if the Revenoors happened to get involved, so the request was denied; but we're pretty sure "the kid" found another place to borrow one. For some reason though he found "other employment" rather soon after that, so maybe he was making a profit ... (?). And for decades, several Missouri liquor stores just across the border offered a "free replacement policy" under which they posted notice that they would replace any liquor you bought from them in Missouri that got confiscated by the Kansas Liquor Control Board gendarmes, althought they did insist on seeing the tickets, at least more recently. The "local option" is still in effect in Kansas, with some peculiar "dry patches." One little town a couple of weeks ago voted to allow legal sales for the first time since forever. We're wondering just how much effect it will have since the town is so small it doesn't even have a gas station, according to reports in the news. Even the small "variety store" that was reported to have sold a bit "illegally" while the town was dry has gone out of busines. John |
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13 Mar 12 - 10:26 PM (#3322524) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer Great great story John. I feel like I'm back in my teens again. ad. |
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13 Mar 12 - 11:01 PM (#3322538) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Big Al Whittle must have been some bad stuff around too. a lot of English sailors fell foul of wood gin during WW2 when their ships docked in Spanish ports - it blinded them. And poor old Bix, he was a casualty of the bootleggers. |
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13 Mar 12 - 11:25 PM (#3322546) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer Big Al, Where I grew up I use to hear Dad and others say to stay away from so and so's SHINE(moonshine that is.). Will blind you. ad. |
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14 Mar 12 - 08:19 AM (#3322687) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Charley Noble Hard cider was another inexpensive alcoholic options for those of us who had orchards. One fall father decided to ferment a 60-gallon barrel full. Unfortunately, there came an unusually warm spell one weekend and the brewing hard cider blew out the bung, shooting up to the rafters of the barn in one continuous geyser. It was a sad day for father. Makes me thirsty, just thinking about it. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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17 Mar 12 - 09:54 AM (#3324101) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer When you have time sit back and watch this great synopsis of Rum Running. Ad. http://www.cbc.ca/landandsea/2012/02/rum-runners.html |
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17 Mar 12 - 06:52 PM (#3324331) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Ed T I posted this a few days ago. But< I did not seem to take: A friend and I were at a local bar, "in the Big City" in our freshman college year. Word was passing around about a party after the bar closed at a house (someones parents were away). So, we called over. The party turned out to be huge. One problem was there was no booze. A couple of very attractive young girls took up the call, circled the room asking people to contribute to a "run to the bootlegger" Most contributed and I saw many $20s 10s trown in. The girls left on their noble trek. An hour passed, then two, but no girls returned with any booze. We had all been hustled. No one seemed to know the identity of "the two cuties", maybe they were from a far away local. But, most folks had had enough to drink anyway, and it did not ruin the party. Looking back, it was quite a smart operation. |
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18 Mar 12 - 10:20 AM (#3324540) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Charley Noble Ed- So sad! I almost got derailed logging into the adjacent Rugby thread, wondering what the hell was happening. I'll have to see if I can dig up some more rum-running stories of the fisherman on the Maine island I grew up on. Back during Prohibition, several of them did some moonlighting runs. And our local constable (and neighbor) Ed Clarey had a great time trying to catch them in the act and run them in. Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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18 Mar 12 - 09:23 PM (#3324877) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer Love that story Ed. Can picture it all. I bet you fellows had some interesting words to say about those two ladies? ad. |
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19 Mar 12 - 09:58 AM (#3325141) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: GUEST Some of these stories would make great songs, folks... |
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19 Mar 12 - 12:31 PM (#3325205) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: YorkshireYankee Guest (above) was me. My cookie seems to have stealthily disappeared while I wasn't looking... |
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19 Mar 12 - 04:03 PM (#3325330) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer I agree Y. Yankee. Wish I could write one. ad. |
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19 Mar 12 - 06:26 PM (#3325390) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: gnu You can, Beer. I remember a Friday night in PEI The party was on but it ran dry... I want credit as co-author eh. >;-) |
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20 Mar 12 - 07:48 AM (#3325634) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Beer What happen next I'll try and remember, |
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20 Mar 12 - 08:43 AM (#3325654) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: Charley Noble It was Friday night in late September, What happened next I'll try to remember... Cheerily, Charley Noble |
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20 Mar 12 - 02:15 PM (#3325831) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: gnu But I don't know if I can detail What happened that night on rum and ale In PEI in late September |
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20 Mar 12 - 02:39 PM (#3325839) Subject: RE: BS: Bootleggers: What's Your story. From: gnu Title by Beer I remember a Friday night in PEI The party was on but it ran dry It was Friday night in late September What happened next I'll try to remember But I don't know if I can detail What happened that night on rum and ale In PEI in late September Come on lads... this is gonna be a great song, edited by Beer. Beer... ya gotta start workin on the geetar for this. The sooner, the better. |