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Story
March 22, 1870
The Wheeling Daily Register
Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia
What is this article about?
In Peytona during a whiskey famine, Dr. Kellum shares high-proof alcohol disguised as drink with a traveler who downs it neat, alarming the doctor who fears for his life, but the man returns fine and requests more.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
North Carolina "Straight Drink."
Some years since, when they were building the locks on Coal river, I was over thar at Peytona, an' I stopt in at Dr. Kellum's.
There was a famine just then, and great suffering among men, women and children, for want of the necessaries of life.
Leastwise it was about of the same thing. Thar was plenty of meat, an abundance of corn, and no scarcity of chickens; but the rivers were dry, an' whisky run entirely short. Some prudent people had lain in sufficient stock; but more had not, and the suffering was enormous.
Dr. Kellum was in trouble, too—he sympathized with his neighbors; but he had a half barrel of ninety-five per cent alcohol in his office, and as far as he was concerned, he managed to fix up with sugar an' water, an' gum, an' ether an' sich truck, until he made a purty fair drink. Seein' I was a friend of his, he invited me to sample it. Well, it kinder filled the room with the smell, an' just then a man from the Mud river country came in, on his way to Raleigh cote house. He smelt the smell, an' says, 'I've been nigh two days from home, an' I'm almost starved.'
'Oh,' says Kellum, pintin' to the cask, 'that's it. Help yourself.'
The chap brightened up, an' he drawed a level tumblerful of that alco-hol, an' afore you could say 'scat, you beast,' down it went.
Kellum he turned pale.
Says the man: 'I'm much obleeged to you. that's sarchin!' an' he turned and walked out.
Kellum set as if he'd bin shot, and then jumped up.
'That won't do,' says he. 'That's enough to pizen a crowd. I'll call him back and give him an emetic.'
We both went to the door. He wasn't in sight. I run up to the crick, an' Kellum, he run down the road, but it wasn't no use.
'I shouldn't wonder,' says Kellum, 'ef that chap hasn't gone an' died somewhar by himself.' Thar'll be a corpse found directly, an' lots of trouble.'
Well, we sot thar for about an hour talking about the poor chap's melancholy fate, when all to onst, in walks the chap himself, as port as a wild cat.
'Doctor,' says he, 'I'm a gwine a long way up the river, and liquor is skeerce, an' if it's all the same to you, could you spar' me another tumblerful? It's the most satisfyin' liquor I ever drank.'
Some years since, when they were building the locks on Coal river, I was over thar at Peytona, an' I stopt in at Dr. Kellum's.
There was a famine just then, and great suffering among men, women and children, for want of the necessaries of life.
Leastwise it was about of the same thing. Thar was plenty of meat, an abundance of corn, and no scarcity of chickens; but the rivers were dry, an' whisky run entirely short. Some prudent people had lain in sufficient stock; but more had not, and the suffering was enormous.
Dr. Kellum was in trouble, too—he sympathized with his neighbors; but he had a half barrel of ninety-five per cent alcohol in his office, and as far as he was concerned, he managed to fix up with sugar an' water, an' gum, an' ether an' sich truck, until he made a purty fair drink. Seein' I was a friend of his, he invited me to sample it. Well, it kinder filled the room with the smell, an' just then a man from the Mud river country came in, on his way to Raleigh cote house. He smelt the smell, an' says, 'I've been nigh two days from home, an' I'm almost starved.'
'Oh,' says Kellum, pintin' to the cask, 'that's it. Help yourself.'
The chap brightened up, an' he drawed a level tumblerful of that alco-hol, an' afore you could say 'scat, you beast,' down it went.
Kellum he turned pale.
Says the man: 'I'm much obleeged to you. that's sarchin!' an' he turned and walked out.
Kellum set as if he'd bin shot, and then jumped up.
'That won't do,' says he. 'That's enough to pizen a crowd. I'll call him back and give him an emetic.'
We both went to the door. He wasn't in sight. I run up to the crick, an' Kellum, he run down the road, but it wasn't no use.
'I shouldn't wonder,' says Kellum, 'ef that chap hasn't gone an' died somewhar by himself.' Thar'll be a corpse found directly, an' lots of trouble.'
Well, we sot thar for about an hour talking about the poor chap's melancholy fate, when all to onst, in walks the chap himself, as port as a wild cat.
'Doctor,' says he, 'I'm a gwine a long way up the river, and liquor is skeerce, an' if it's all the same to you, could you spar' me another tumblerful? It's the most satisfyin' liquor I ever drank.'
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
What themes does it cover?
Survival
Misfortune
What keywords are associated?
Whiskey Shortage
Pure Alcohol
Humorous Survival
Dialect Anecdote
What entities or persons were involved?
Dr. Kellum
Man From The Mud River Country
Where did it happen?
Peytona, Coal River
Story Details
Key Persons
Dr. Kellum
Man From The Mud River Country
Location
Peytona, Coal River
Event Date
Some Years Since, When They Were Building The Locks On Coal River
Story Details
During a whiskey shortage, Dr. Kellum offers pure alcohol mixed as a drink to a visitor from Mud river who drinks a tumblerful straight, causing worry that he might die, but he returns asking for more, unharmed.