surfaceone
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Hey Justin,
That is an interesting piece. Do you have it in hand, or is it over at that other place.
I'm gonna throw out an alternate theory. It looks like it has the patina of age. I'm thinking it could be a piece of political folk art.
Pitchfork Ben Tillman was the Governator of South Carolina and later it's Senator. "The South Carolina Dispensary system was a state-run monopoly on liquor sales in the United States state of South Carolina which operated from 1893 to 1907 statewide and until 1916 in some counties. The system was the brainchild of Governor Benjamin Tillman, a farmer from Edgefield known as “Pitchfork Ben†who served as governor from 1890-1894 and as a U.S. Senator from 1895 until his death in 1918. This interesting experiment had never before been tried at the state level, and proved to be the last time a state would require all liquor sold within its borders to be bottled and dispensed through state-run facilities.[1] The South Carolina Dispensary system came to be known as “Ben Tillman’s Babyâ€.[2]" From Wiki-Dispensary.
Pitchfork Ben was quite the orator and an unreconstructed agent-provacateur of the Sweetwater Sabre Club. You can get the Wiki-Tillman here.
There's more Tillman History here. His "vision" does not translate well in this era.
Here's an interesting picture of Pitchfork Ben
havin a shake with President Wilson. Notice the bulge in Tillman's right coat pocket.
The little flask you showed looks hand scratched to me. The "Palmatto" spelling is a quaint touch. I'm thinking it might be a period piece with an editorial message. I betcha it was not a production whiskey. You, or that other guy somewhere else, may have a "one-of" there. Can you get any background info on the piece, or link to where you saw it?
That is an interesting piece. Do you have it in hand, or is it over at that other place.
I'm gonna throw out an alternate theory. It looks like it has the patina of age. I'm thinking it could be a piece of political folk art.
Pitchfork Ben Tillman was the Governator of South Carolina and later it's Senator. "The South Carolina Dispensary system was a state-run monopoly on liquor sales in the United States state of South Carolina which operated from 1893 to 1907 statewide and until 1916 in some counties. The system was the brainchild of Governor Benjamin Tillman, a farmer from Edgefield known as “Pitchfork Ben†who served as governor from 1890-1894 and as a U.S. Senator from 1895 until his death in 1918. This interesting experiment had never before been tried at the state level, and proved to be the last time a state would require all liquor sold within its borders to be bottled and dispensed through state-run facilities.[1] The South Carolina Dispensary system came to be known as “Ben Tillman’s Babyâ€.[2]" From Wiki-Dispensary.
Pitchfork Ben was quite the orator and an unreconstructed agent-provacateur of the Sweetwater Sabre Club. You can get the Wiki-Tillman here.
Here's an interesting picture of Pitchfork Ben
The little flask you showed looks hand scratched to me. The "Palmatto" spelling is a quaint touch. I'm thinking it might be a period piece with an editorial message. I betcha it was not a production whiskey. You, or that other guy somewhere else, may have a "one-of" there. Can you get any background info on the piece, or link to where you saw it?
