flyguy Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!

Some of you wanted to hear about my dad's trip to Chicago with a load of shine, so here it is. Now, I was not alive at this time, it happened during prohibition, 1920's - 1930's. This was told to to me by my father who was not known to embellish his stories. I was born on "Whisky Hill" and the reason that they called it "Whisky Hill" was because everyone that lived up there bootlegged. We had a underground tunnel that led from our basement to a trap door in the barn so that if the revenuers came my dad could go down in the basement, through the tunnel, into the barn and then out into the woods. Our neighbors from across the road, the three Zastrow boys, got raided from the revenuers and one of them got shot, wounded, as they ran through the cornfield. All three of them ended up in prison. "Thirsty," as they called my dad because every time he would drive or ride past a bar he would say, "damn, I'm thirsty, aren't you?" So they called him "Thirsty." Anyway, Thirsty was thinking, with so many people up here making shine, he should maybe venture out a little bit. It's the law of supply and demand. So, he started hauling shine down to Winona, about 30 miles away. That went well, so he thought well, Chicago? He went down to Winona, bought a new 1927 Plymouth, loaded it up with shine and headed to Chicago. Chicago is 5 1/2 hours away at today's speed, who knows how long it is with a 1927 Plymouth. Well, he managed to get the Plymouth back home with only 7 bullet holes in it. The bullet holes were not from the cops but the Mafia. The Mafia didn't want anymore competition down there. Thirsty came home and said the he was big enough, he didn't need anymore territory.

Graywulff Loc: Cortez,Co.

Thanks fly guy. Great story and I'm sure one that brings smiles and awe whenever it's told.👍😃 Graywulff

flyguy Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!

You are welcome, Graywouff

4430

We had 2 moonshiners on my Mom's side in downstate Wayne County IL One was so good the Revenuers want him to go legal but he never did .

flyguy Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!

A lot of corn down there and corn makes whisky! I never drink it myself, not sense the time that "Speed" Zastrol, Thirsty and I were going down to the Miss. river to do some fishin'. Speed was driving his cadillac, and says, "By God, Thirsty, I've got some shine in the trunk, you want a little"? "Ya," dad said, "that would work", so, Speed pulls over, goes back to the trunk and brings three bottles back, opens them up, and hands one to me and one to Thirsty. Speed looks at me and says, "you ever drink shine before?" I said, "no". "Well", he said, "you don't want to drink that shit in the bottom of the bottle, so, tip it easy." I mean I was only about 8 years old and it was about 6:00 in the morning. After a sip, I didn't want to drink that shit on top either and gave it to my dad. He just grinned.

Graywulff Loc: Cortez,Co.

LMAO.... great tale. I'll bet you were the only one that caught fish that trip.

badbobby Loc: Humble Texas

good story there flyguy

badbobby Loc: Humble Texas

another one

Garry Loc: Wellborn, Florida

Way back there was a feller called Cripple Will who lived close to my Granddaddy's farm. Now when I was little and he would come around I would run and hide. He was a scary old man. He wore Rail road pin stripped overalls and a billed cap to match. The inseam of the overalls was ripped out and sowed together into a dress and he walked on all fours and was almost upright. He would plow the mule just as good as an able bodied man. He wore a lanyard around his neck with a pistol hanging on it. Every kid I knew was the same as me, scared to death of him.

Will was a moonshiner of the first order but when the revenuers caught him he couldn't run so he would just sit there. He was convicted for the forth time in a years time and the judge asked him "Will what am I gone to do with you? this is the fourth time this year!!"

Will said "Your Honor, You're go'n to turn me loose just like ever time before,"

The judge asked him "what'll you do if I do."

Will said "why your honor I'll go back to making whiskey"

The judge said "Well, Will I guess I've got to send ou to prison then."

Will said "Well, Your Honor I don't care if you do. I'll have a roof over my head, and you got to feed me, and you dang shore can't make me work."

The judge Told Will to get out of there and make a real effort to not get caught again.

Graywulff Loc: Cortez,Co.

Life was much simpler then. Maybe not as comfortable but simpler...... Another wonderful story. The thing that makes these good to me is that I knew people like that when I was young.

flyguy Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!

"The good O'Boys! Not many around today as I see it.

Graywulff Loc: Cortez,Co.

Jus we few who remember.

Garry Loc: Wellborn, Florida

When I was a young boy I would sit and listen to the old men older than my Granddaddies. One of my favorite stories was about the big freeze in Florida. It was in the 1890 s. they told about the wild life freezing to death and live stock too. One old gentleman told us that he went out to milk the cow and it was in the barn lot standing up froze to death. And then the stories just took off from there. how many were really true I couldn't say, but I'm sure there was some basis for most of them. Now I'm one of those old farts but without an audience. I am trying to write most of mine down so that some day when the grand kids think wonder who that old Fossil really was they can read my stories.

plumbob Loc: New Windsor Maryland

I as well have been waiting for that story even got a chuckle out of me with the mentioning of the built holes. And really like the thirsty clarification. Thanks flyguy.

plumbob

plumbob Loc: New Windsor Maryland

that's bullet holes. darn spell check

plumbob