My Memories of Kinsey Distilling

[dave ziegler]

If I get the chance to write a Book with this important person It would be my lifes dream come true. I have for years now wanted to do a book About Publicker / Continental Distilling / Kinsey Distilling and Mr Si Neuman the Man who brought it all about with his amazing Ideas and insight. He was a True Leader and made Publicker the Greatest Distiller in the history of Pa and as far as I am concerned the most Prolic Distiller in History!

However I just do not have the ability without expert help to do a book and this Man has the most expert help I could get!

I will always be proud that I was able to work for Mr Neuman and to be able to work for such a great company. It was the very Best Job I ever had and with some Wonderful people that I will always remember.

The reason we can enjoy Scotch as we do today was because of Mr Neuman and most Ideas used today were Publicker Idea's they were always on the cutting edge in ideas.

Dave Z

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Inver House Soft As A Kiss

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[Jono]

A little info...reference to the Lemont, IL bottling operation:

http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/348/348.F2d.246.14463.14516.html

"...For some time prior to 1962, Publicker had sought to decentralize its bottling activities in order to remain competitive and to obtain lower freight charges. Early in 1962, plans were made for the establishment of a bottling plant at Lemont, Illinois.

5

During August and September of 1962, the Lemont plant was remodeled and equipped to operate as a liquor bottling plant. The first bottling line was established on September 24, 1962. However, the hiring of employees for maintenance purposes commenced about September 10th. While the remodeling of the building was under way, interviewing procedures with applicants for employment were many times hectic, and often the interview with job applicants was very brief...."

"...We reject the findings and decision of the Board that Continental was guilty of unfair labor practices due to coercion of employees and unlawful assistance to Production Workers Union. The Brewery Workers was notified well in advance of the plans for a factory at Lemont. No employee was threatened or coerced. No employee was offered any kind of benefits for joining the Production Workers Union. Further, during the organization campaign, Production Workers was not permitted on the Company's premises. Employees were hired irrespective of their having signed or not signed with Production Workers...."

I wonder if this is of any relation to the old company:

http://www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_ktx4h

Continental Distributing Co Inc

9800 Balmoral Ave, Des Plaines, IL 60018-5236

Est 1933

[street]

Here are the last of the Pictures from Kinsey I took last Sunday!

1. Reads Dsp - Pa 12 warehouse B Continental Distilling corp

2 Warehouse B Racks

3. Old Barrel holder hanges from rack in Warehouse A built in 1892

4.Warehouse A racks fallen down

5. Racks in B holder hanging

6. The Old Barrel Lift that Ludy told me about fallen down to bottom

7. More fallen racks in Warehouse A

8. Racks still standing in Warehouse B

9. Looking in Warehouse D out near road

10. Looking back from warehouse D at door to Dsp - pa-10 Rye Barn

11.12,13 shots of the back road side of the Old kinsey Bottling House I took a walk out toward the road between the buildings to get this shot never got any of it from this side before.

14. Warehouse E last one before the road out front

15. Looking down at warehouse E from D

16. Fire fighting mains for warehouse D in special room built on

17. Looking at Dsp-pa-10 and Warehouse's A & B behind it and the old bottling house and where bricks are the sight of the plant office from behind where the still stood

18. A shot of the inside of the smaller Silo that sits next to the Old Grain drying Building that Charlie drove his buggy out of.

[dave ziegler]

Thank You Street I have great Hopes of doing the Book with the Man that called me and He has tons of information about Publicker Industries! It is a life's dream coming true. Also I want to Call Ludy up today and see if he can remember Who T.E.M was who worked on the Still as he signed the Mash Bills in 1951. This would be a nice thing to find out for the history of the Mash bills posted on the other Thread.

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

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[dave ziegler]

Here is a picture from an old Post card I saw on the web of the old Bridge that ran across the river in front of Kinsey looking to the left the building sticking up on the right side going toward linfield Is Kinsey back in I think they said the card was from 1909. Thanks to Fricky for telling me about this so i could grab this picture.

Dave Z

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Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey

For Unhurried Moments

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[dave ziegler]

Here is a picture from an old Post card I saw on the web of the old Bridge that ran across the river in front of Kinsey looking to the left the building sticking up on the right side going toward linfield Is Kinsey back in I think they said the card was from 1909. Thanks to Fricky for telling me about this so i could grab this picture.

Dave Z

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Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey

For Unhurried Moments

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Just a note the Building is Old Warehouse A Wood and Brick built by Jake Kinsey in 1892.

Dave Z

Kinsey The Genial Gin

[dave ziegler]

This Morning I sat down at my computer and croped two copies of the one and Only Original photo that Ludy had that Jacob G Kinsey had made from the air of His Distillery so I can show better what the Original Plant looked like out front in 1937.

Looking at the first Picture my first larger croping The two Warehouses to the far right back the ones closest to Dsp-pa-12 still at its back warehouse F then G back side, note Towers for Elevators on them.

A note Looking closely from Warehouse F&G it apears at one time there was a set of barrel rails to DSP-Pa 12 &10 later when I worked there Continental had Put the rail bridge in after buying Kinsey and the Train tracks ran between the back of the #12 and Warehouses F&G. That is the beauty of Having a good Picture and croping to see close up what things looked like.

Front coming from them are the Left to right Final Grain building and Old Dsp-Pa-12 with Water sistrane on top that says Kinsey Distillery in front left of them are the two silo's and the Grain drying Building and beside them the Boiler Room where the stack is and in front the Old Maintaince barn.

Then toward the front The old House George Dill lived in later, but in 1937 Mr Kinsey stayed there when he was not at his Home in the Park Av section Of Phila. to the right of the House are the Office the Little building toward the road in front of the Office the Old Bottle House just after being built it was later doubled in size then,

The #10 Dsp-pa-10 Barn & Still across from the #12 sitll and the two warehouses with the round roofs are warehouses A the B they had the sort of Hoist setup that you would put a type of hook on each head side of the barrel and lower them then the Bigger warehouses closest to the road are first warehouse D then E note Elevator towers on them for the old Freight Elevator's they had. I Hope this is Helpful in showing How things were setup.

One other Note looking at the picture there were no Fire Mains built on the Old Warehouse D & E when Kinsey Had it all the sprinklers and systems were all put on by Continental Distilling when they bought Kinsey in 1940 Mr Kinsey just had the Old mack Fire Truck which Continental Modernised and used all the years they were there. Cal Roberts and Harry Martin would ride around the Plant once a week in, it had no Roof and was of the old Open air type cab.

Finally picture two is as close a crop I could get to show the Old Dsp-Pa - 12 still and building I cut the Picture in half to get this closeup on my Computer.

Dave Z-----

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Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey

For Unhurried Moments

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[dave ziegler]

Here is a closer crop of the Old Dsp-pa-12 still, not the greatest but shows it closer. Shot taken from the copy I have from the Original that hung in the old Plant office for many years with Mr Kinsey's Office address in Phila.

Other two picture on #282 just above this one.

Dave Z

Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey

[dave ziegler]

Here are two more things I found at Kinsey first a Lossage chart for Whiskey from the Government Building O and second a old Bumper sticker I found last summer for Publicker Industries for Gasohol it to was in Building O dated 1980.

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

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[dave ziegler]

Posting the Pictures of the plant yesterday brought back alot of Memories of winter time in the Plant. Working on the yard gang there was still penty to do be it going into the bottling house for glass to be taken to the dump down back or hauling steel racks on the Old Ford 8-n tractor down to the Steer Pens or emptying a coal cars for the Boiler room.

We would also keep a look on the Lawns to make sure they did not get ruin in the winter or weedy.

We also did a whole lot of sweeping and it was that I was doing the one day in the Old Bottle house when they were sitting up to do a big job for the holidays for Jacquins. I am still fasnanted by the way I remember watching the Old Singer Bottle Machine fill the bottles with Liquior!

I also Loved when my Boss John Zuber would say Dave sweep up all the floors in the old Still building because that ment I could look at all the stuff in the Old Dsp-Pa-12 and I would always sweep it as good as could be done so I would get the Job again.

I loved that old Building and as I had said when they shut it down early 1951 they filled the wooden mash tanks with water and the one nearest the time clock eneded up with Fish people put in it. I was amazed the first time I rang out and saw the guys feeding Fish in it.

For Years after I left I wished I would never have but it was to late so I kept all my Memories and now here they are being written down.

The Old 1950 Ford Pickup we used on the Yard gang was in very good shape compared to the Old Flat Trucks everyone in the warehouse roared around in. It was blue and had the shifter on the floor and I am fairly sure It was road worthy back then. Had the Little Radiator Hanging under the dash for Heat.

Driving it made me dream of having an old car someday and till my Mom died for 29 yrs I had an Old 1949 Chevy fast back which I had to sell to help keep my Home after my Mom died. Working at Kinsey gave me a joy looking at old things.

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest people drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

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[fricky]

The Loss Allowed Chart is interesting. What does it mean?

[dave ziegler]

Fricky I would think it means Percentage loss's per Barrel from filling till dumping in months! It was also another way they could figure If someone was taking Whiskey From a Barrel as they were doing alot of studies of Missing Whiskey in the Early to Mid 1970's to get a handle on things and I would think that the Government would be checking as every drop not lost through evaporation would be Whiskey they could not tax and it would give them a amount to expect to be gone through leaks and Evaporation. Taxing every drop they could was their goal and this was a government chart in the Government Building.

Dave Z

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Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey

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[dave ziegler]

Getting up on a cold morning like it is here in Pa today 20's I think about how cold Shorty Tyson, Lou Stefy, and Frank Kurtas, and Charlie Seipler must have been working in the Old Kinsey Maintaince barn. It was just an Old Barn built at the turn of the Century and these men used it to do everything from rebuilding Pumps to rebuilding Carbarators for the old 1941 Ford Flat trucks. Like the one I took a picture of.

All they Had for heat in each bay was a old time Radiator hanging from the cealing. I never heard them once complain and they were always there working either in the plant or in their little shops.

Unlike People are today they were happy and content, they had a good paying job and the Company gave us all those Sub Zero Army Coats to keep warm and paid most cost for our work shoes, we had good gloves for whatever we needed.

It was amazing that cold as it would get most times the old 6 volt 1941 trucks would start, having once owned a 1950 Chevy Pick up truck 6 volt I know well that they turned very slow but would suddenly fire right up!

The river breezes would blow snow around when we would get it and we always shoveled at all the company Homes including the Old Kinsey House down by the river.

It is ironic but when I was at the Plant a couple of weeks ago Where I got the Loss chart in the Government Building Locker Room laying on the Floor was part of the Old Artifical Christmas tree that they put up every Christmas in the Government Office. Here I was standing there on Thanksgiving day looking at it laying there so sadly never to be put up again By Sam and Bob and the other good guys that were the Kinsey Government men those days. We Always called Sam -- "Sam-Sam the Government man" for fun back then.

I am very Glad I lived in those days as in so many ways they were good days and life was more simple and as I have said many times Working for Publicker was great and I learned many things in those days! Besides the Old Ford trucks we had a 1951 Pylmouth that Bonda Bergy drove he was traffic director and an old Desota, and a 1954 Caddy and lots of other old stick shift cars as the place was so big all the boss's had some kind of car to travel through the Plant.

And Charlie Had his old Model A buggy with no windshield no fenders and just a seat bolted on the frame and a homemade Flat bed on the back. He would punch the gears when he took off with smoke coming out of his corn cob type Pipe!

These are my Memories of Kinsey Distillery and Continental Distilling a Great Company Ran by a great Man Si Neuman!

People who have moved around here now have no Idea how important Kinsey was to Limerick Township all those 94 yrs. And I make sure to tell people how good it was working there. For most of those 94 yrs Limericks biggest employer was Kinsey and when I worked there around 600 people worked there and had good lives.

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

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[Jono]

Dave, go put that tree up!

The weather is nice and miserable today....rain then snow and ice...coming your way I am sure!

[dave ziegler]

I have to admit I do not Like Snow and it keeps me from walking around Kinsey too, and there are many more things I want to check out! A friend of Mine an Electrical Contractor took one of my Nicest Explosion Proof Light switch covers and its old Brass & Ceramic Swirch and a Explosion Proof Pilot Light cover with glass red Light cover Both from O Building and made me a living History piece.

I just like the Idea of having a little something of every part of Kinsey to tell the story.

He had some old Explosion proof housings that were the same as the ones they came off of so He wired it and Hooked it on small pieces of threaded Conduit and When I plug it in and I Flip the Old Switch the Pilot light goes on.

It is a great way to show what it was like turning things on in the heavy Vapors of the Warehouses and the Bottling House's! If I ever have the chance to speak again about Kinsey I will have this to show people. And Boy Does it bring back the memories of going in and opening up a warehouse! Even when I was in the yard Gang there were times we would be given the Keys to open one up to sweep and take the lock off some of the switches as they had lock outs built on them.

When I get it home tonight I will take a picture and post it.

Dave Z

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It Seems All the Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's most magnificent Bourbon

===========================================

[dave ziegler]

Well If anything this time of year brings so many memories of Kinsey, The Guys having drinks the day before the Christmas Holiday and the People just enjoying themselves. The slowing time was coming now as from Sept till now Dec There had been so many Box cars getting loaded with Old Hickory and Pinwinnie Scotch and all our Great products.

There would be lines of trucks waiting their turn to pickup while 3 Box cars were being Loaded and they Loaded Box cars on Second shift also! Thousands of case of product and now you can hardly Find an empty Bottle for collecting. the Problem was we were so Big and producted so much that No one thought to save any as figured we would always be around.

I found an old Letter I want to post from a State Liqour store asking why they were not getting any of Our Caffe Liqour as their customers were demanding it. Of Course the reason was that they had left the bussiness after Mr Neuman Died.

I can still see the Security Guard looking out and saying Have a happy Christmas in a half Loaded sort of way. They were different times no security dangers like today people drove careful no one ever got a dui from there then people were careful. And even the Government Guys enjoyed some Continental Whiskeys that day Dec 24, 1969.

I will forever have a happy place in my heart for Kinsey and the Company Publicker Industries. The workers were the best and the Company was great.

Dave Z

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It Seems all the Nicest people drink Old Hickory

America's most magnificent Bourbon

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[dave ziegler]

One of the Best of the Liqiuor's We ever made in Linfield in the Old Bottle House was Our Peanut Lolita it is amazingly Good and I am lucky to have a few cases of the last of it ever made. It is 53 proof made with Bourbon and I drink some almost every week! Sadly when it is gone there will never be any more as no one But Continental ever Made a Peanut Liqiour. Our most famous one was Caffe Lolita and then Ameretta Lolita which a friend was watching an old Movie a couple of months ago and He told me in the Movie a lady asked the guy if he wanted a drink and he said what do you have and the First Thing She said was Ameretta Lolita. My Bottles date to the early 1970's and even though I know when they are gone that is it I enjoy them regularly.

Last Year I drank a whole case of 12! I am glad I got these as since Continental is gone. I read somewhere on the Web maybe it was a post by Jono that two guys found 3 Bottles in an old State Store I think in NJ and they said wow we have the only Peanut Liqiour left in the world. Wrong thankfully I have enough for a while yet.

What makes them even more special to me is their Having been made in the Old Jacob G Kinsey Bottling house which back in 1937 bottled Kinsey Silver, Kinsey Gold and Kinsey Rye & Gin! I have posted many pictures of the Old Bottle House which is now sadly falling Down thanks to Kids sitting it on Fire yrs ago. it was inovative for its time with Sky Lights on the Top roof and the ability to bring the barrels straight to it from Warehouse's A,B, D and E by barrel rail!

I still go in the bottom floor but who knows with all the rain and snow we are and will be getting how long the bottom will stay up. I have my 70+ Year Old Edison Light bulb and fixture from it in my collection set up at home and a couple of Switchs.

Everytime I go in the Old Bottle House I remember that day that a 19 yr old Kid went it there to sweep up dust for the Ladies as they were starting the Liqiuor Bottling for that day. Seeing the Singer Bottle Machines to their thing seeing the Bottle fill from the bottom with out any air getting in in a sort of vacume state! That day they were doing stuff for Jacquins as I have said but I had a taste of Ameretta Lolita that day and it was good sadly I do not have any of that but I have half a bottle of Caffe Lolita left I have tasted from time to time. Still I am glad I have the Peanut Lolita is it is the best of the bunch.

I saw that someone In Mexico is now making our old caffe Lolita bought the name and I found papers in the plant from several different States liqiuor stores asking if we had more Caffe Lolita they could buy as there customers loved it and were very upset that it was not around anymore.

Over the Holiday I will look through my Papers and post one of the letters!

Dave Z

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It Seems all the Nicest people Drink old Hickory

America's Most magnificent Bourbon

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[dave ziegler]

A few pages back I had talked about the Fish in one of the Mash tanks and also of the Post relating to the old Kinsey Mash Bills I found here again is the only shot I have of the tanks before the still was torn down It is a shot I found on the web and quickly saved before it disapeared!

Many a happy Time We had feeding the Carp, and Suckers and Other Fish that had been put in the Tank that is in the Far left Front Corner while waiting to Puch out at the time clock right Beside the Mash tanks in the Old Number 12---Dsp-pa-12!

Many a gallon of Good Kinsey Whiskey came from these old Wood tanks!!

Dave Z

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Kinsey the Unhurried Whiskey

For Unhurried Moments

Kinsey The Genial Gin

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[dave ziegler]

Well I finally got around to taking the latest pictures of my Continental Distilling / Kinsey Collection including my electrified power boxes from Kinsey and here they are!

Pictures are

1. My collection of Power and explosion proof switches from Kinsey note the one with the Red glass lit is wired and powered up an electric Contractor friend at work built it for me from my explosion proof stuff and for the first 5 times the original bulb worked 68 yrs old then blew out.

2. My Kinsey Barrel staves collection from warehouse H that Fricky did and lettered for me each one with names of the Place on them!

3. My Matching Recieving and Mash bill for March 10 1951 which I had framed and matted by a pro with UV Glass to protect them.

Pict 4. thru to last picture of my Bottles and cases of labeled Bottles & signs and other stuff

And I still have some other stuff including my 5 barrel heads!

I have done this more years then I can remember but it is a joy compared to most hobbies as having worked there and saving it for History it is a Joy and something that will go to a Museum when I am gone!

You Also have to be a little Nuts!

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

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[dave ziegler]

Well I finally got around to taking the latest pictures of my Continental Distilling / Kinsey Collection including my electrified power boxes from Kinsey and here they are!

Pictures are

1. My collection of Power and explosion proof switches from Kinsey note the one with the Red glass lit is wired and powered up an electric Contractor friend at work built it for me from my explosion proof stuff and for the first 5 times the original bulb worked 68 yrs old then blew out.

2. My Kinsey Barrel staves collection from warehouse H that Fricky did and lettered for me each one with names of the Place on them!

3. My Matching Recieving and Mash bill for March 10 1951 which I had framed and matted by a pro with UV Glass to protect them.

Pict 4. thru to last picture of my Bottles and cases of labeled Bottles & signs and other stuff

And I still have some other stuff including my 5 barrel heads!

I have done this more years then I can remember but it is a joy compared to most hobbies as having worked there and saving it for History it is a Joy and something that will go to a Museum when I am gone!

You Also have to be a little Nuts!

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

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Just a quick note the inisde set of two switches and the red light that is lit is what my friend at work built for me he also told me if I can get another inside switch for the extended switch on the bottom end and another Red Pilot ligt plate he will add the other light and have the second switch turn it on! I wanted this built in case I can ever give any more talks about Kinsey as it will be a great way to show what had to be done to prevent explosion as not many people even had a clue that the least little spark could cause the Buildings to blow up!

So Thanks to my Friend Jim for making this a reallity for me I get a kick out of it glowing at night in my collection!

Dave Z

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Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey

For Unhurried Moments

---------------------------------------------

[dave ziegler]

Sunday night I got a call again from the Man who was involved in every operation That Publicker did for many years and found out something very interesting about the Explosion proof Warehouses at Kinsey!

For those who remember the Old Movie The Philadelphia story with Grace Kelly here is what I found out! It seems that the Kelly Family were good friends with Mr Neuman and at that time ran the Old Company called Kelly for Brick work well it turns out that Princess Grace's Familys bussiness did all the Brick work done on the Explosion proof Warehouses at Kinsey including the One Warehouse U that became the New Bottle House later.

Also I found out a lttle Bit about the Bottling House in Lemont IL he told me when they open the People seemed so Dam happy to get a good paying Job they thought it was going to work out great for their distribution out west. But here is what happened within a year or so they were out striking and they just kept it up till they ended up giving up on the Idea and just closing it and going back to using the Big Bottle House in Linfield only.

Now I am not sure about this figure lost my note but I think He told me the Singer Bottle Machines could do 180 bottles a minute and that sounds fairly Fast for those times. The Next time I talk to him I will make sure to get this exact!

Also Continental had its office & main Lab in phila at 1429 Walnut Street in Center City right behind the Bellview Stratford Hotel at that time. He also told me I was right about the 20 year old BIB Old Hickory that they produced.

It was from the Old Wood and Brick warehouses D & E and was kept aging there just for the Aniversary Bottle's they made of it. I only ever saw one Bottle of it go up for auction and it brought a nice Price.

Also for those who Like Old Railroad Trains and Have been to the Large Railroad Museum in Strasburg Pa on Rt 30 the Large Clock in the tower was from the Old Market Street Railroad Station in Phila and It was donated to the Museum in 1982 By Publicker Industries packaging Services in Linfield in memory of Mr Si Neuman.

After talking to my friend I remembered this, it seems in 1952 when they tore the station down the clock went off for auction It is about 8 feet wide and weighs 60 pounds a Seth Thomas. It Was Mr Si Neuman who saved the Clock for Phila History and Railroad History and had it shipped to Linfield and it sat stored in the warehouse U that became the 1966 bottling House from then till 1982 after He died and Publicker found someone who wanted it which is what he wanted to do but died. But he had never found anyone that wanted it. I after He told me about the Clock being there I remembered about it being stored there and Maintaince guys talking about it. My Friend had not found out himself where it went and I found the story after much looking as I had seen it about 6 months ago on the Web and told him and it made his day as everyone Loved that old Clock which had been at Market st station from 1881 till 1952! He said that he was glad that Someone that was running the Place before it went under did the right thing as Mr Neuman would have wanted and donated it to the Best possible Place it could go.

PS if you go to the Railroad Museum web sight at Strasburg Railroad Museum you can see the Clock Mr Neuman saved in a picture in its new home the tower built for it!

Dave Z

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It Seems All the Nicest people Drink Old Hickory

America's Most magnificent Bourbon

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[Jono]

Dave, who do the statue bottles (?) in picture 6 represent? They look like fine porcelain statues.

[dave ziegler]

Jono Andrew Jackson whose Nick Name was Old Hickory and which Old Hickory Bourbon was Named after Him as old stories say he Loved a good Bourbon! Every Bottle of Old Hickory always had Andrew Jackson pictured on The Label.

Those were done in the early mid 1950's Mine are dated 1955 and 1956.

Sadly they are empty! The 86 Proof Old Hickory I think don't have them here but most special bottles or decanters were the 86 proof Old Hickory.

They were all Bottled at the Old Biggler Street Bottling House in Phila long before the new one opened in Linfield in late 1965.

Old Hickory as you Know was our most prolithic Bourbon and our Biggest seller.

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's most Magninifcent Bourbon

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[dave ziegler]

Here are some Pictures one lit and one with flash of my completed Electried Explosion proof Boxes and Pilot lights! Many Thanks to my Electrian Friend Jim F. for building this for the purpose of showing the safe way used even in Lights to protect from Explosion he created this two switch two pilot light set up from stuff from Kinsey for me. I also Have my Big Power switch and a couple of Elevator switches with it. Each switch turns on one of the Lights he finished it yesterday for me after I went and got another type of Pilot light plate and switch at Kinsey.

Picture one with Flash, Picture two with just the Pilot lights lit.

As a 19 year old kid I will never forget the first time I saw these explosion proof Housings and when you turned on the Power you could hear lots of Huming.

My Electrician friend who made these up for me said that most of these switches and boxes would just about Last forever and that is why they do not make them like that any more they all were very low maintaince and sealed totaly with out any Gaskets as the boxes were finally Milled to fit so tight that gaskets were not needed. These well made electrical boxes were just one part of the total safety that Publicker / Continental Distilling tried to create at Kinsey!

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

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[dave ziegler]

I was thinking this morning about how busy a time it was at Kinsey till the coming week when all the Holiday Whiskeys had been shipped out. In my mind I can see box car after Box car coming in empty and going out full. I also remember the time on second shift when security heard some strange noises coming from one of the Box cars being loaded and found a man and a woman doing somthing very different from work behind a pile of cases in the box car.

When I was there two weeks ago I was sadened to see the Old Artificial Christmas tree that the Government men always put up each year laying in a pile where kids had tossed it.

I also remember well all our fancy displaces for our products at Christmas the Large Heavy Card board box you folded togther that you sat Bottles of Old Hickory on it said as I always say--- Old Hickory America's Most Magnificent Bourbon.

I have part of one of those displaces here at home that the Kids tore up. Also a complete Inver House Red Plaid displace.

The shelves in the Old Liquor Store in Pottstown would be full of 1/2 pints, Pints, 4/5 Qt and Qts of Old Hickory. It was our biggest seller and as I have said many times still my most favorite Bourbon.

But we sold plenty of Haller's County Fair BIB too and lots of Haller's SRS and Reserve Blendeds and good old Kinsey Blended Whiskey too!

The Years have gone by and it is all just memories now but they are memories of Better days and happy times and a amazing Company that had truly great products.

When I walk there this time of Year I can almost see Sam the government Man coming out of Building O. Or ( Bill ) Windy Ewing flying up through with a load of Whiskey barrels to be dumped at O Building on the old red 1941 Ford flat truck.

Or leaving one warehouse to go to another for more dumping. Thiis is like a bright picture in my mind and after not being there all those years it sat abandon it was sureal to me to walk in there and see nothing and no one. I could almost hear the old fords engines roaring and I wandered how can this be how can it all be gone forever into History, but it has and I will as long as I live reccount things about Kinsey.

It was truly the Best Place I ever worked and the times were simple and Peaceful and the Bourbons were awesome!

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's most Magnificent Bourbon

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