My Memories of Kinsey Distilling

[dave ziegler]

I offten now that I am getting older think about all the guys I worked with at Kinsey Back in the day. I always Liked Shorty Tyson he was a very nice person and I will never forget my friend Frank Kurtas Both in Plant Maintaince who fixed my 1963 chevy for free for me when I broke down at work. They were like family

Then once I went into the warehouse gang there was Old John S. who needed me to get him Neutrols every morning for him to stop shaking and then whiskey and then he would get nuts and be mad and work then end of the day I would make sure he did not get locked in one of the warehouses and help him walk out alot of times. He never ate his lunch and his wife made him great lunches which he gave to me.

I had thought he was dead for many years and then one day about 8 yrs ago I was at my Ulser Doctor for a checkup and He walked into the waiting room to wait to see the heart doctor and he looked great. I said John your still around he said yeh I quit drinking about 20 yrs ago and don't shake or anything I was just a person who could not handle drinking. He died about 3 or 4 yrs ago in his late 80's.

I was amazed and happy for him and his wife and family.

Then there was George when I worked in the yard gang he was a piece of work and I called him the Dandy man because on Fridays he would go to the Farmers market in Pay Day pants with little stars and stuff sewn on by his wife.

One time I saw him there and I said whats with the pants he said these are my dandy pants I go all out when friday comes we live it up get a Sausge Sandwich and fries here and shop a big night out.

So from that day on I called him Dandy man, at work he just wore regular Pay Day overalls.

He would always get loads of Cinders from the Boiler room and I wondered why till one day he was showing one of the Goverment men Jack some pictures of his farm and I looked and there was one of the Explosion proof green Light hoods and fittings on his Garage light I said George that looks like one of ours here he quickly said heres the next picture and I walked away laughing and now knowing why all the cinders!

And of course there was always my Buddy Charlie Seipler and his 100 Horse Power Flathead Ford on a model -A -frame with no windshield or fenders or hood. Just an old Chair bolted on for him to sit, all built by Dickie Pfieher for him to use to do his building maintaince work and a home made pickup bed of wood on the back every Morning you would hear him reving up and out he would come from the bottom of the Grain drying Building smashing second gear as he turned to come out side ways behind the grain silo and around wheels spinning he would hit high gear once he got on the road and disapear with smoke blowing out of his pipe.

These are just a few of the great people I remember so well from the days of a 19 year old Kid working his first real Good job.

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest people Drink old Hickory

America's most magnificent Bourbon

[Jono]

Are there any old company photos of the employees as a group? In the old days, railroad pictures especially, would show the maintence crews posed in front of an engine etc.

[dave ziegler]

The Historic Society Has a Picture of the plant workers loading grain in a Box car after WWII for the Starving People in Russia which was donated to help those with nothing to eat after the war by Publicker and I hope to have some pictures in the plant in Lifield and Phila once I talk to my Friend from the Company in the spring, I am always looking and when I get something will 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 My Explosion Proof Phone is now operational and mounted. A friend at work in the shipping dept built me a wood box to mount it on so it is safe sitting on the counter. It also has a little top to set my small caller ID with call waiting so I now most likely am the only person crazy enough to have an Explosion Proof phone from the 1940's with caller ID and waiting hooked to it, and to use it.

Here is a picture of the Phone in its case!

This morning I was thinking of my old Boss in the Yard gang John Zuber he was a good guy and never gave me Hell for anything and I am sure at 19 yrs old there were times.

Many times after a hard day mowing and cleaning He would say lets get a load of trash to take to the dump. We would go get some trash in the old 1951 Ford Pickup then he would get out and say well go down to the dump it is 2:43 you most likely won't get back till about 3:20 take your time.

Well I would get the load pushed off in no time and just sit there which was what he was doing for me giving me a break where no one could see.

He was a good boss all you had to do was just do your days work and He would take care of you. And when I was bumped out I was sad because I really liked working in the yard gang.

But the warehouse Job was good and even paid more. We Had one guy Jim it would never fail we would be taking break in the little Break room and He would sit on the toilet eating and going during Break I always thought what a weird place to eat!

We were always busy at Kinsey and Mr Neuman would drive in to look around in his Bentley a couple times a month and It is still hard for me to believe what I see when I go there now in my wildest dreams I never thought the place would be gone and no more Old Hickory or any of our great products

But being Older I relise things always change and not always for the better!

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest people Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourrbon

[Jono]

Did Mr. Neuman speak with the employees? Was he approachable?

Did he ask questions?

[dave ziegler]

Yes Ludy told me of one time he had his driver stop at The Bottling house maintaince door and he went in and spoke to Ludy! He always tried to keep a low profile he did not want anyone to think He thought he was any better then anyone else. And he was good friends with Al Landis's father Horace who was master Distiller at Kinsey on Old Dsp-Pa 12.

He liked him so much that when the stills in Scotland were going to open He paid for him to go there and help set them up and train people right. He took pride in People who worked Hard and were good at the things they did.

He always said and I am "quoting my Friend that was a Ex at Publicker"

that he felt without good People to do his ideas they would not get done and to Have good People you have to pay them good! He said what good are my Idea's no matter how great if I do not have the right people to do them.

Those days were good days we all got along with a common goal to Make the Best whiskeys at prices regular people could aford. Working at Kinsey was wonderful and not at all like job's today where all that matters is Money quick at any cost!

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]

When I started at Kinsey it was an exciting time there as the new Bottling house had opened up the Old Kinsey Liquor Bottle house was running and there were no layoffs but instead alots of people hired.

When I started there I had a 1954 Chevy and Then I bought a 1955 Chevy Hard top and fixed it all up. Later I would buy my 1963 chev Bel Air stick on the colume first car I ever got a loan for and finally the fastest car I ever owned my 1967 Grand Sport Buick 425 Horse power 4 speed Hurst shifter because working at Kinsey I made good money and had a good job with vacation and Health Insurace I was very blessed.

After I left Kinsey because a neighbor talked me into working for him a Job that was one of the worst I ever had I wished I had never Left Kinsey, I tried to get back but they were not hiring and so that was it.

It is always very Hard even after all these years to go there and see it in ruin. I always lement why couldent someone good have bought the place instead of this slum Landlaord guy who lets it rot and who after Continental went under after He raised their Lease prices, just shut everything Off Boilers sprinklers and electric and Fired anyone there who worked for him and left it go to ruin.

It was and still is the most Historic Company in all of Limerick Township and for better then 75 yrs of its running was the biggest employer in Montgomery County.

When I left late in 1971 it was in perfect shape and up till early 1982 when they sold it to him for capital to reopen the bottling house as an industrial bottling plant and lease the tanks and buildings they needed to everything was sprinkled and had power. It was Him that basicly Murdered the Kinsey Plant just shut it down walked away and went back to NY for good.

I just wish someone would have steped in back in yr 2000 when the still was standing yet and bought the place and made the front buildings into a living History museum. But no He let some people take an option to buy they went in said they were going to fix the place and all they did till they walked away from the option to buy was steal metal and copper and knock down Old Dsp-Pa 12.

I all but cried when I saw the still was gone and that I could not get any pictures of it thankfully yrs ago I found the couple pictures I have of it on the web the day after they disapeared forever.

That is why I take all the different shots I can for the memory of Kinsey and all the people that worked there.

I hope that the stuff I put here can give you an idea of those days and what Kinsey was like and what it was like working for Publicker Industries.

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

[dave ziegler]

Here are some more Pictures I took on Sunday April 5 at the plant!

1. Warehouse H looking from 1966 Bottling house

2. Looking up from lower floor to second floor of old Kinsey bottling house

3. & 4. Front of Old Bottling house near road

5. Another shot of Old kinsey Bottle house near road

6. Brick and wood warehouse E shared a wall with warehouse D

7. thru 10. Warehouse D insideincluding ladder I had to climb up to go to upper levels to roll barrels.

11.Writting on wall in warehouse N says 1951

12. Electric switches on wall inside Warehouse N

13. thru 17. An Old Barrel Lift in warehouse N there are 3 of them sitting in this building on the first floor. I remember using them well!

I always get a strange feeling seeing the place in ruin I loved working there I loved our Products and I hate seeing it like this. It is like losing a family Member seeing it like this.

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

[dave ziegler]

I have lately been Talking to Thomas McKenzie who is the Master Distiller for a new small Distillery in Finger Lakes NY. "Finger Lakes Distilling Company. He is a member of this site and wrote me about the old Barrel Lifts at Kinsey and He was very interested in making a new Peanut Liquor I sent him a sample and He said everyone tried it and really liked it. So He saved some to get a lab test done and also to taste it against what he makes to compare to get the best of how it was made to make a new version of His own.

He said everything I said about Peanut Lolita was true it is full of good Bourbon flavor and then the roasted peanut flavor comes at you. Also I sent him about 1 1/2 shots of Old Hickory and He said its really good and the ownly Modern Bourbon that seems near he has had is 4 Roses Yellow Label. This was the 80 proof that I got from Jazz Head and was distilled right before the company gave up.

I will keep you posted on the Peanut Liquor as I know there are many on this site that would like to give Peanut Liquor a try and if he can come of with something close would be awesome.

Their web site is www.fingerlakesdistilling.com

They are just starting to to operate fully and Thomas was looking to make something special in a Liquor and then he read my writings about Peanut Lolita so I gave him a call and sent him about 80ML + of it to test and try.

He is hoping to get a few things from my friends that watch Kinsey and he needs a good Barrel stacker and the ones there are as strong as you can get.

Now if I could Find a Big Distiller to buy the name and recreat Old Hickory the right way that would even be better. Thomas said of the Old Hickory It was a delightful Bourbon -----Which fits with our Old slogan

About - Old Hickory Being America's Most Magnificent Bourbon-

Dave Z

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Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey For Unhurried Moments

[Jono]

That is terrific Dave and Thomas.....good luck to all in your new distilling efforts.

[dave ziegler]

Jono and everyone I am most excited about the chance to see someone making Peanut Liquor and I told Thomas there will be I'm sure many on here that will give it a try as a mixer or just straight with or with out Ice. It is something I look forward to seeing and I hope it sells by the tons for Him!

He plans to make the way we did using Good Bourbon with the Peanut flavor no Brandy or the other stuff they use so offten.

I wanted to share their site and this good news so lets hope He can come up with a great Bourbon recipy to recreate its flavor.

Dave

Why Not A Peanut Lolita tonight?

[Jono]

Is anybody alive who knows how it was made? Would that have been in Philly?

[dave ziegler]

I do not know who did the blending Of Liquors there but the making of the Peanut and all liquors was done in the Old Kinsey post Prohibition Bottling House there are still old vats and mixers sitting on the first floor and the way it worked there were 3 lines running front toward the road the middle line was almost always used for caffe Lolita Liquor one of my Pictures shows a caffe Lolita label on the piler where the line was as it was a giant seller.

And the other two could be used for Amareto Lolita and Peanut Lolita and Continental Ainsett and our other products of that type and also we did many lots of Liquors for Jacquins in there.

Even when whiskey was bottled in Phila at Bigler street the Old Bottle house did liquor for most of the time the company operated, it was an ideal little place to make Liquors!

I thinK even our Continental Black Berry Brandy was done in the old Bottle house for a while on the Phillip Singer Bottle machines. All Whiskeys and Gins, Vodka & Rums where done in the Big 1966 Bottling House plus contract work for Seagrams and others!

The Lines if you look back at my pictures of the Old Bottle House ran out toward the road the back room would have ladies packing them back in cases full and alot of the bottles were hand labled there at the end of the line. The new bottles and boxes came down through a trap door in the ceiling and the whiskey used was dumped in a trough which I have taken pictures of that is laying under what was the separte second floor side part explosion proof setup seperate from the rest of the second floor to dump whiskey needed.

When the cases were full they were moved on pallet by hand to the trap door lifted with a lift up through the trap door to the second floor there was a large set of doors where the pallet would be put and a fork truck would pick them up and take them to shipping when I worked there .

At a time before the front drive way was changed there is an old dock at the front doors where when Kinsey operated the Plant they would ship out at it.

I also a couple of pages back put some shots of the old front Bottle house dock. Page 46 #457 #3 through 5 Old Front Dock.

You could in a pinch get there with a small truck to get stuff too!

I always feel so dam bad when I see the old bottle House in Ruin and the reason it is in ruin is that when the People who were supposed to be fixing the place on opion to buy and build a propane Electric Plant there from the owner were burning Metal caught a tree on fire and the fire went on the roof and when it was put out it held for many years till this winter when snow on it brought it down. The fire is also the reason the old Company office that Kinsey built is just a pile of bricks.

I just feel so mad when I think how they never planed to fix the place just steal metal and knock down the still for metal all under the story they wanted to build a propane Electric plant there and were waiting for aproval which they knew they would never get from people who live near so they stole all they could opened doors on all the upper floors of the warehouses so they could see to cut all the pipes out telling the township they were fixing the place.

I have no time for people running companys like that, and when they took the heat lines down they put asbestos in bags and left it behind. The guys got someone who handles those things to take the Asbestos away safely as directed once the Owner found out after they abandon their so called project.

Poor Kinsey Once Si Neuman died continental Died and Kinsey died.

Dave Z

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It seems All the Nicest People Drink Old Hickory America's Most magnificent Bourbon

Old Hickory America;s Finest Bourbon

kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey For Unhurried Moments

Join The Swing To Kinsey

[dave ziegler]

I am looking forward to Spring and meeting the man who was a top Ex at Publicker.Once I talk to him I will put a name on here for him. I have had Fricky make me up a Barrel Stave from warehouse H with The Mans name and Publicker / Continental Distilling on it . I am going to give it to him once I meet Him.

What I am really looking forward to is getting to hear as much as I can about the operations of Publicker and the building of the Explosion Proof warehouses at Kinsey and looking forward to seeing all the Industrial Pictures of the plants he has told me about.

He has told me he has hundreds of pictures of the Phila Plant and other operations. He knows so much more then I do! I am going to try and call him tomorrow as have not talked to him for a month.

I am going to go over to the plant after I go to early Church tomorrow as I need a switch for one of the last two Explosion proof switch sets I have made up.

I am most fortunet to have a friend in electrical Maintaince who is building the last two of my living history Lighting Switch sets. I have all the parts except for one switch.

When I was there on Friday there was no one around. I just no matter how many times I go there can not believe the ruin it is in! It was always so well taken care of and everything lit up at night it just seems weird to me. I wish I could go back in time and bring it back and move

on quickly to keep it going. Seeing it is like watching an old friend die.

I went to see Ludy today he is working his way to 91 years old on 9/12/09. He was of good cheer and I enjoyed listening to him tell me about Kinsey in the Mid 1930's. I took him a picture of the plant he lent me blown up to see the #12 still and the other front buildings only.

Ludy was very Happy I gave him the picture and we talked for a good Hour +. I just hope everything works out and I can meet the Exc. and give him a tour of what is left of the place.

I never get tired of writting about what it was like working there. Kinsey was filled with lots of Peaceful hard working people and its 94 yrs of Operation is a testiment to its great History.

Dave Z

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Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey for Unhurried moments

[fishnbowljoe]

Dave, It's great you found someone interested in making the peanut liquor. I sure hope it works out. Joe

[dave ziegler]

Joe speaking about the Peanut Lolita I am sending a 750 ML. of it down with Fricky and Bourbon Joe for anyone who wants to give it a try at the bourbon Social.

I hope that anyone tasting it would give their thoughts on it once they try it!

I sure hope the Distiller From NY can come up with a good Peanut Liqour I love it all kinds of ways and Just finished a bottle tonight. He told me he was going to have it checked at a Lab in Ca.

I Had today off for vaction and took a little walk in Kinsey and came home with the top part of a Explosion proof light and I mounted the globe tonight. It came from the sealing of the old Kinsey Bottle house and I now have the Bulb,globe and hanging fixture. I will post a picture soon here.

Last Night I talked to my friend from Publicker but he does not want me to use his name however he is going to give me acess to hundreds of Industrial pictures of the Publicker site back from the 1940's and on. He said this summer I will spend days looking at Pictures.

He took my Home number to make sure he had it right to call me when He does get to Pa. I have dreamed of posting Pictures of the Continental / Publicker Phila site and it will be a dream come true. I will keep everyone posted on what is Happening!

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

[dave ziegler]

Just a note on The Fate of Guckenheimer that has been talked about! In the mid to late 1970's after American distilling quit the Drinking Alcohol Bussiness to make Gasahol Continental Bought the Guckenheimer Brand as it was made in a blended form from American with the Stillbrook and Colonial Gin brands and also the Bourbon Supreme Label and canadian Host.

I found several broken and trashed Guckenheimer Boxes in Warehouse R but they were beyond fixing up. I did see a couple of Bourbon Supreme ones. And the Boxes on some say distilled in Pekin IL bottled at DSP-Pa-12 Linfield pa. Others say Distilled at DSP-Pa-1 Phila bottled DSP-pa-12 Linfield pa and I was able to save a Bourbon Supreme Box for my collection.

Also I am fairly Sure that one of the top People At American Distilling was Phillip Publicker who I am fairly Sure was the brother of Harry Publicker, the founder of Publicker Industries and father inlaw of Si Neuman.

I am really looking forward to meeting My friend who was one of the most important People At Publicker He does not wish his name to be put out in Public but I can tell you he was a right hand man to Si Neuman and was very close to Him!

I wish everytime I go to Kinsey That I could save it and My Friend told me it is going to be very Hard for him to see it in ruin but He wants to walk through and remember it from his days of youth and how beautiful it was.

I am sure he will be able to tell me so much. He told me it will take many days for me to look through his pictures of the Phila plant & Kinsey he said he has boxes of pictures in operation. I also have to help him with some things he wants to give to Museums in pa.

I hope I get some feed back from those of you reading here and going to the Social about the peanut Lolita I am sending with Fricky & Bourbon Joe and I talked to the master Distiller at Finger Lakes last night and he is working on a small batch right now. I also told him that my friend Told me that Jock Lerux was the person that Continental paid to formualate their Liqours.

I do not Know if Mr Lerux is living but if he is Thomas the Master Distiller at Finger lakes is going to try and talk to him to try and make a liquor as close as he can to the original! My Friend was excited about it being made again and I told Thomas that!

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest people Drink old Hickory

America's Most magnificent Bourbon

[fricky]

Dave,

As you probably know, brandy and cordials are produced and bottled by Leroux & Co., Cincinnati, OH. Is or was the Leroux mentioned by your friend connected to that endeavor?

Doug

[mozilla]

Wasn't Leroux the brand that lead Beam to buy National Distillers?

[dave ziegler]

I am always amazed when I go to Kinsey and see all the things that were left behind. When My Friends let me pick out two barrels for me and Fricky there were about 47 good barrels left in the building after all these years! I picked out the two best ones I could find.

While in there they showed and a large stump Filter with the bag type filter still in it and old whiskey in there that had not evaportated yet after 30 yrs sitting there. It was about 1/2 full.

Also it is sad to think that in the one warehouse there was at one time Pallets to the roof 22ft high filled with whiskeys and Liqours that people went into and set fire to around my guess 15 yrs ago as when I saw the remains yrs later there was no smoke smell but it would have taken years for that to clear out of the building as poor air flow. Everything was black and destroyed. Yet the Building is fine it just burned till it went out and the only damage to the building is a few of the inside layer of bricks cracked a little but very little a tribute to the how well they are built.

Young Poeple going there destroying things is the worst part as they just go there to break things for fun. That is all the more reason I try to save what I can. I have chased a few of them off while there and some who are behaveing I will take around and explain things.

There were remains of Whiskey, wine we marketed called Haller's Ros'e and Liqours. All had been tax paid stuff that no one would buy when they closed and the government would not refund any monies paid in tax!

I know because I found some papers that had them asking for a reduction so they could find some one to sell them to. This is the sad end of Continental & Kinsey due to people taking over the company and losing site to what made the company great and the ruin that came upon the company. Closing that fatefull day in 1986 forever with Peoples Lunches still sitting there never to be eaten and whiskeys never to be drank and the greatest most prolic maker of Alcohol gone forever.

All because there was no one with great idea's after Mr Neuman died to come in and save them!

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest people Drink Old hickory

America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

[dave ziegler]

Sunday Afternoon I decided to go for a walk at Kinsey it was a nice day and wanted to just go there! I saw a family walking way out in front of me taking Pictures and exploring and I also saw lots of the buildings ripped open by the younger people who always do that. I saw that O building was open which is the old Government Building and found some old Paper work from 1959 about water testing and brought it and another paper home dated 1959 a small blue print of when they built the water Deionizer set up in O building.

Also an old Hazardous material shipping marking and labeling Inter office Communication from Dec17,1976.

It was sent to Mr Bill Theodosis who was plant manager then till the mid 1960's when at his late 30's he died of a heart attack, Just around the time I started there. I went into O building and found lots of Our Patented promotional Whiskey Pourers which work great they fit different sizes of Bottles and when you are done you just pull them out and cap your Bottle no spilling of Liqour pouring.

I got on my Knees and picked up 40 of them which I have washed and I am going to try and send them down to the Bourbon social with Fricky to be given out to. Also I got on my knees and picked up about 40 Coldstream British Gin sale bottle toppers. which if I can meet up with him I will send to be given out. We always had neat things to be given to customers for Promotion and they were most times very inavative!

I also found some better covers for my lighted power strips while there and hope to get back soon. I am sending a full bottle of Peanut Lolita Liquor with Fricky for anyone who wants to try and hoping for some feed back. I have yet to have anyone who did not like it!

Dave Z

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It seems All the nicest people drink Old Hickory

America's most magnificent Bourbon

[dave ziegler]

Well for anyone going to the Social There will be free 1960's/1970's Patented Continental Distilling Pourers and 30 yr old Vintage Coldstream British Gin Bottle diplay toppers as I was able to meet Fricky Yesterday after Work and give them to him to give out with the Skol Vodka Labels I gave him to give out too! And a Full 32 yr old Bottle of Peanut Lolita liquor to taste! Working For Publicker it seemed they always had something neat to give to customers and Liquor Stores for them and their Patrons!

These Pourer's work very well if you have a bottle out you are drinking and when done just pop them out and cap your bottle, they are made to fit different Sizes as they have little ribs that get bigger as they go up they are cone shapped and I use one all the time saves you from seeing your Bourbon drip on the table!

The Bottle toppers were used at the Liquor store to show the price of Product and Coldstream was Our Biggest selling Gin!

I remember Well the tops of the cases Of Skol Vodka saying "Don't Say Vodka Just Say Skol"

We had so many slogans for our Products and untill Mr Neuman Died we were one of the most Inavantive Companys around in those days.

Everytime I go back to Kinsey I just can't Believe it has come to such an end.

I hope by the next time you have a Social in the fall to have some other Publicker goodies to send down because there is no better way to save History then to give out vintage stuff from there to people who will pass it on some day to someone else so it is always worth my going and getting on my Knees or climbing whatever to save things for History.

Fricky Also Has a set of Uncut Tax strips to give to the Getz from me for history and I have through the yrs shipped them 13 bottles and other things and I hope to send some good stuff down in the fall to them!

It seems anymore that I am the last person to write about pa Distillerys and I will keep Publicker/ Continental Distilling and Kinsey Alive while I am here to do it!

Dave Z

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It Seems All the Nicest People Drink Old Hickory

America's Most magnificent Bourbon

[dave ziegler]

One of the Most looked forward to things I want to do this spring and Summer is to meet My Friend who was a top person for Publicker and Knew Si Neuman as well as anyone Knew him. I am very hopeful to see Lots of Industrial pictures of Kinsey Besides the Phila Plant and look forward to borrowing them and doing some picture Posting of these one of a Kind Industrial Pictures He has told me about.

As you Know well I am most Proud to have worked For Publicker Industries and it excites me to think I may get to see many one of a kind Photos of both plants!

Everytime I walk there I lement on how sad it is to see it the way it has gotten. For When I worked there it was the most wonderful of places to work and a Very Beautiful Place with its trees and gardens and well kept old Buildings! Mr Si Neuman made sure they kept the place well and He would ride through every Month to check things out. Lawns better be neat and weeds free and Buildings better be clean and safe back in those days.

When I would ride down to Atlantic City back then on a vacation in my 1963 Chevy when I went over the Walt wittman bridge I would be so proud to see the Old Hickory Neon on the stack I would Think Wow I work for them!

Dave Z

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Old Hickory America's Finest Bourbon

[dave ziegler]

Yesterday I had to go into work an hour early to do something and got done an hour early so I took a walk through Kinsey and got something I needed for my Last Explosion proof Pilot light set. I got a double box and two nice pilot lights from Warehouse R.

I have on my Desk besides two sets of lighting switchs and pilot light sets a Large 5x5x31/2 high Explosion Proof Throw switch box I got from Warehouse #38 I now have all I will need to wire and make it light the pilot lights I got.

My Friend Paul the company Electrician is going to wire it for me Monday and then I will post a picture of my Desk with the Pilot lights all lit.

I have since having to take my Beer can collection home made my Office a sort of 1940's/50's set up and Have brought in my Old model cars I built when I was young. I have them and the explosion proof Lights on my dsek now with a large barrel Stave that Fricky made up for me with my years of Service and the dates at Kinsey!

I will post a picture here of the desk with switchs and Barrel stave and background pictures of Kinsey.

To tell you the truth I like this stuff better then the beer cans I do not miss them, home sitting boxed up in basement.

No matter how many times I go to kinsey I always have to look hard when I walk in as just does not seem possible that there is nothing going on there no security guys no one! It just does not after all these Years seem it could be that way but it is. I scarced a young guy up to something off when I walked in wearing my Security Hat, he went running out!

As Long as it is there I will go back to save things for History and will write about it as long as I can. Like The song from my Youth said

" Those Were The Days My Friend We Thought They'd never End"

Dave Z

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It Seems All The Nicest people Drink Old Hickory

America's Most magnificent Bourbon

[Jono]

Dave, you are doing what you can to keep it alive....at least in a fashion. Think of how many people now know something about a distillery most of us had not heard of and the impact on the distilling history in this country.

It may be a "dead" place...easing into disintegration...but it lives on virtually.

The local library / museum will have much to display. Who knows, there could be a small revival someday if anyone took an interest in making PA whiskey again.