A Boy Named Pearl

The Moonshine Festival is over for another year. I spent a lot of time at the Historical Society building, Two ladies who worked there and I exchanged lots of stories about the area. 

One day we talked about Pud Slatzer. I believe he was the son of James Slatzer. We all knew the man nickname Pud, but none of us knew who he really was.

I sat down with the Straitsville arrest records from 1870 to 1925.  The third time I found an arrest record for Pearl Slatzer, I ask, "Who was she?"

Pearl was a man, in those days Pearl was a man's name. Now, if I were a boy whose mother named me Pearl, I would definitely find a nickname as soon as I was old enough to know my name was Pearl.

One of the ladies believed Pearl was in fact Pud.  It made sense. In my research anyone named Pearl, I would have assumed was female. 

We had a different version of one story. We knew Pud was a moonshiner. He also everybody, along with all of their secrets. Get someone drunk, and they will tell you everything.  

Pud and another man were in the bar. There was a gambling machine of some kind. Pud said he was going to take it. The man owned the machine and told Pud he wasn't authorized to have it.

They argued until the machine owner said he was going to take the machine home, so Pud couldn't take it. Pud told the man if he picked up the machine he would shoot him.

The fool picked up the machine and Pud shot him. The sheriff took Pud to jail, because even in Straitsville, murder kind of a serious matter.

In my version of the story Pud's father, uncles, brothers, etc., took their guns and went to the jail, where they  demanded the sheriff turn him loose.

Whatever the truth, Pud never spent a night in jail. Later he was later found innocent of the murder. I guess the man just got in the way when Pud's gun was going off.  

Moonshine Fest part II

Thursday, I went to New Straitsville, you can't imagine the drive down route 595, everything looks the same as it did in 1800. I went to the cave where the miners hid to form a union. The story of the fire the miners started, I wrote once that it burned of a half a century, I was wrong the fire was started in 1884 and it is still burning, I'm told they have it contained to a certain area, but it still burns.

There is so much more to learn. My book about the people of the area will be a story of life that could happen anywhere in the USA doing any kind of work. It will be a picture of American history, who the people of that time were, what they felt, the standards of right an wrong were at different times in history. 

 

Moonshine Fest

Hi all, I'm in Ohio getting ready to go to the Moonshine Fest, the weather is lousy so I may be the only one there. I plan to return again on Saturday if it isn't pouring rain. I'll tell you about it when I return this evening. Would love for anyone in central Ohio to join me.

Virus-free. www.avast.com

HI All,

Sorry to take so long posting. Want to invite you to have some fun. Memorial Day Weekend is the Moonshine Fest in New Straitsville, Ohio. I'm going down on opening day which is the Thursday before Memorial Day, I will return on Saturday in hopes of meeting all the people who have to travel or work during the week.

Straitsville is in south eastern Ohio. I am writing a historical fiction about a German-American family who were among the first settlers in the early 1700's. I am following them from fighting Indians to the Civil War, to the first Labor Union, to the depression and how moonshine kept the family going.

If you are anywhere in the area, please come down and meet me. I will post how I will be dressed, I plan to wear something that will stand out.  Please join me if you can