My Memories of Kinsey Distilling

[dave ziegler]

Some more of the Men that worked at Kinsey had nicknames, one of those was Warren Eschback called Eagle Beak He loved his nick name and would like Jimmy Duarenty say the Nose knows! Milton Shantz's nickname was Big Bitch because he complained about everything. Harrison Tyson's nickname was Shorty he was about 5 feet tall. Ken Bergy's nickname was Bud. And many more My Dad was Ziggy, I use to call Old George Rhoads who worked with me in the yard gang the Dandy Man because he always wore Pay Day Bib overall Pants and I saw him at the farmers Market Zerns one Friday with a Pair that had little stars and stuff on them I asked him what that was all about He said when I leave the farm to go out I wear my Dandy Pants! There was a very nice Old Guy there by the name of Davy Rhoads he was Hunch backed but he was the hardest working guy in the place he could out work anyone and he never felt sorry for himself. Then there was old Clair Von Alt who could not read or write and used to look in peoples Lunch bags for candy he had a sweet tooth when drinking. Well one week he was gone all week when he came back I asked him what happen. He said I sat on the toilet all week had my beer Brought up to me. Well I found out that someone got very mad at him taking their candy and knowing he could not read or write put a Very Large Bar of Chococlate Exlax in their lunch for him to steal. He never did that again. There was old John Speivok who told Mr Harold Reinert who was Plant boss that not a drop of Whiskey would touch his lips if he hired him. Funny thing was he crawled to the time clock the first day, guess He figuered it was ok if he drank allot more then a drop! Sometimes riding on the truck to break we would be going 40 MPH the driver used to fly and we would just hold on tight. Ludy told me one day when Mr Neuman came in the plant in his Bently He had his driver stop right at the maintaince door back of the Bottle house walked in walked up to him and had a nice talk with him. He said to me He was one Very Smart Man and not afriad to walk in dirty Area's to talk to employees. It was always an interesting day working at Kinsey and as I have said Before few places of Industry where so clean with so much well cared lawns flowers and grass! For Si Neuman that was important to the Image of the Company a clean safe beautiful place for people to work!
Dave Z
old Hickory America's Most Magnificent Bourbon
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[Gillman]

Dave: Of the people you mentioned, do you ever run into any of them?

Gary

[dave ziegler]

Gary all mentioned in the writting except Ludy have passed away a long time ago. Something interesting about 4 years ago at my Ulser Doctors office I ran into John Speivok the last I had seen him he was drunk every moring at 8:00 AM back when I left Kinsey He used to shake like nuts till he drank some Neuts as He called them well he walked in looking very well I said John glad to see you around yet he was about 80 He said Ziggy I quit my drinking 20 years ago just hear to see my Heart doctor I'm Fine. I was amazed and glad for him. He passed about 2 years ago. I see the nephew of Old George Rhoads once in a while his wife works where I do now the three Rhoads brothers are long gone now and old Davie Rhoads is long gone maybe 20 yrs. Living besides Ludy, Darwin Rayser 90 Nick Name "Jack" is still around and Fransis Keim 90 we called him "Ace" is still living He worked on the old Kinsey Still DSP #12 but has some trouble remembering things. Lucky for me Ludy 90 remembers allot of stuff oh and Old Al Landis Jacob G Kinsey's great Nephew 90 yrs old is still livng saw him at the Talk I gave did not know him but friends with his Son Ken who is my age and worked when I did there and stayed till the end. Some times I see some people who are my age that worked there but there are not too many. I would venture to say most are gone as People worked there for at least a minium of 20 yrs. I plan on visiting Ludy as much as I can to find out as much as I can of the days before and after I left as Ludy worked there from 1936 till 1982. I hope I am keeping this interesting as the History of it means alot to me and the people and I have lots of stories to tell! Best to you Gary!!
Dave Z
Old Hickory America's Most Magnificent Bourbon
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[Gillman]

Thanks Dave, good to hear that the gentleman who had the problem was able to lick it many years before he passed away.

I sometimes run into people from many years back. Sometimes they seem the same or almost. Other times they seem very different, both in look and outlook, you might say. It is hard getting older I think, I once read a statement that "old age is not for sissies" and it is very true. There are good parts about getting older though, like you know (I am speaking of myself) that you saw all the great rock and roll bands or heard them anyway.

Gary

[dave ziegler]

Gary how right you are about getting old not being for sissies Last year when I got so sick and being by myself it was very hard! I was so glad to see John that day looking good no shaking and talking and seeming very Happy he was a very changed man. I to loved the old Rock but also Big Band and now great Jazz and of the days gone by! When I worked at Kinsey life was so different just begining now slowly winding down! Always good talking to you Gary Be Well-!
I Plan to keep writting all I can remember and find out about kinsey for history. I am going to the WWII weekend in Reading this morning will walk around Dressed as a Col. Wearing an A-2 Jacket with a Picture of the B-29 My Dad flew in at tail gun Position.
Dave Z
Old Hickory America's Most Magnificent Bourbon
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[dave ziegler]

This morning I was thinking of Poor Old Dickie Peiffer who's job it was to keep all the Very Old Cars and trucks we used everyday in the Plant running. I remember one time going over to his little bay between Warehouse B and #10 Rye barn just a home made room with a heat eliment hanging from the roof and a home made roll door nothing to keep it insulated at all! He was trying to put another door on one of the old 1941 Ford Flat trucks as one of the guys left the door open backing up and hit it hard. He had to keep all those old Engines going all the time Flat head V8 Fords Flat sixes even old straight 8's. I bet it was very cold and snow blew in there when he worked there in the winter,but he liked being by himself. He did everything in there from putting Flat Head v8 motors in the trucks to changing oil! The other Maintaince guys worked on Plant things! I remember times when the trucks had no wind shield doors or wipers but Dickie would fix them it made him cuse allot. They were always looking for motors doors Transmitions and other stuff. The 1950 Ford Flat Six Pickup truck we had in the yard crew was in great shape my Boss John Zuber made sure we took good care of it. It ran wonderful and sometimes when we had a hard day he would say Dave take the truck with this load of tree trimmings go to the dump out back and get lost for about an hour. See you Later! When Dickie got Mad he would say I call that guy Blubber Guts!
Dave Z
Old Hickory America's Most Magnificent Bourbon
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[dave ziegler]

Another one of the people that made Kinsey a great place to work was our hard working shop steward Walt Harrington. If he was not working in the warehouse he was looking after sick employees needs by selling Kinsey Benifit club tickets something he came up with to give a person the extra cash they needed if they got sick . He would sell them several times a month and we all bought them as you could win up $100, $200. and the rest went to a fund for employees! Walt also sold Fire company tickets, and baskets of Cheer Tickets. He would write out and sign the checks to help people when needed and He could be totally trusted to do this and not touch the fund. How many people can be trusted like that today? Walt later went into the Bottling house and he died about 3 years ago boy I have found memories of Him He was a great person! I wonder if any of the other distillerys had any kind of fund like we did at Kinsey it was a great idea then buy a ticket maybe win and if you were out hurt or sick get help from the fund in cash. I once won $50. on it and ended up losing half in Dice!
Dave Z
Old Hickory America's Most magnificent Bourbon
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[Gillman]

What you state, both about the company as you remember it and the people who worked there, shows that our culture, while based on individual freedom and free enterprise, has a counter-weight which is that people help others. And this happens not just at a governmental level, but in other forms of social organisation. Of course, it starts in the family.

It occurs at other levels, too. Many business owners do it, especially when businesses are directed by one or a few persons. But it happens in large companies too (not all, I know). It exists in churches, in social and fraternal organisations, and in town and cities or parts of them.

The person you are remembering who made the collections had a great heart.

Gary

[dave ziegler]

Gary Walt was a very Good Hearted person and the Company setup the account for him to run it and manage it. Whenever someone was out they could count on a Kinsey Benifit club check. Also they could count on the Company to have great insurance at that time. And there were allot of Churchs that helped people in need to those days. When you work I have always said their is great reward in knowing you are earning your own keep. There are to many hand outs today and it takes away the benifit of making your own way and being able to say by the Grace of God I made it by working and doing what was right! And knowing if trouble hits there are those who will help you in your need.
Dave Z
Old Hickory America's Most Magnificent Bourbon
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[dave ziegler]

More memories of Charlie Sipler. On the mornings Charlie would come roaring out of the old grain building behind the Round Silo out front, he would always have his old time home made wooden tool box big long box with a round wood handle it had everything Charlie needed. He would offten stop by the fire house and have a pipe smoke with Harry Martin who worked with the Plant Fire Chief Calvin Roberts. Harry also smoked pipe and they would talk about the good old days. Stan Stafoniwitz also was one of the fire dept and him and Cal did not smoke. Then off Charlie would roar in that old home made buggy of his old Ford model A frame and open engine and just a big seat bolted to the frame it would really go and He loved cranking it up. Sometimes we all would sit in the tunnel below the Still on breaks and they would talk about the old days, it was always interesting to me and I would say that is why I remember what I do and their names. I really do not ever remember anyone other then Shanty complaining about the place. Shanty because he complained about everything as I said before was nicknamed Big Bitch! I wish I had a picture of that thing it had a bigger motor then the original and the drive train would jump when he shifted it. I'm sure Dickie was the one who did the motor work and Charlie built the bed with wood himself!
Dave Z
Old Hickory America's Most Magnificent Bourbon
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