Bootlegger's Dew
Sumner Press January 7 1909 (three years after oil was discovered)
Lawrenceville News: States Attorney Sumner has moved his office into the south room upstairs in the courthouse. Charles Perkins traded for a fine dapple gray driving horse. Several of his friends among the oil people are reported envious of his late purchase. The total valuation of the county is $3,540,487 and the total tax to be collected is $281,631.58 This is a considerable increase over what the tax formerly amounted to before the oil business became so extensive.
Bridgeport News: Thursday afternoon Charles Wise a driller, full to overflowing with Vincennes booze, became terribly abusive to Max Cohen, a Jew. Both were on the afternoon accommodation in the lady’s (train) car. Wise used language the most foul ever heard, and finally struck Cohen who at once proceeded to put a bead on Wise. Seldom does an individual present such an appearance as Wise did when he landed in Bridgeport. Monday the B&O RR detectives came over to hunt Wise up.
Sunday morning sixty men arrived to work on the new tanks the Ohio people are erecting on the Griggs farm. This seems to be just a starter as the Ohio Oil Company is said to have completed a deal whereby, they get possession of the Charles Seed farm for tank purposes.
Preliminary steps were taken Sunday at the M E church, to organize a men’s non-denominational religious club for the purpose of offsetting some of the evil influences that now infest the city.
John Lovell, of New York City, a tank builder, recently received word that by the death of a relative he had been left a fortune at New York City. Lovell began filling up on “Bootlegger’s dew” and with a good-sized bottle in his pocket started for New York. For some reason he and the fellow traveling with him got off at Washington Indiana presumably for supplies. They were in too much of a hurry to wait for a passenger train and made an attempt to get on a freight. Lovell lost his hold and fell under the wheels cutting one leg off just below the knee and the other halfway above the knee. He was taken to a hospital where he is getting along OK it is said, but he will carry an awful remembrance of his last drink.
Sumner News: Caldwell Brothers Clothiers threw open their doors for six days donating 15% of all cash sales to the churches and Cemetery Assn of Sumner in appreciation of the people of Sumner during the past year. (Hmmm maybe a local business would like to donate a percentage of their proceeds to the Historical Society’s cemetery project. Although the volunteers have not been able to work in the cemeteries, the research of those who are buried there continues. Databases are being created, notebooks updated, and online websites corrected. Genealogists are needed to help. Additionally fundraising continues so that when the weather cooperates, stones can be repaired and reset. Please consider donating to this worthy cause. PO Box 425 Lawrenceville Illinois 62439 or contact lawrencelore@gmail for more information.