Comments on: In The Archives: Story Makes Full Circuit

By: Laura Bien

Laura Bien — Fri, 06 May 2011 13:42:42 +0000

Well, given that evidence I have to break with tradition and say that Jim and Irene are correct. It’s a manual tater planter. Great deduction!

By: Jim Rees

Jim Rees — Fri, 06 May 2011 12:47:28 +0000

That seems to be it. Here's one in the open position: [link]

By: Irene Hieber

Irene Hieber — Thu, 05 May 2011 19:44:39 +0000

Laura,
My daughter and I agree with Jim. It looks like a potato planter to us.

Irene Hieber

By: Jim Rees

Jim Rees — Wed, 04 May 2011 03:18:54 +0000

It’s for planting potatoes? Or harvesting them?

By: Laura Bien

Laura Bien — Tue, 03 May 2011 12:06:06 +0000

Interesting guess Jim…but I have to confess that this doodad is closer to vodka than to whiskey…

By: Jim Rees

Jim Rees — Tue, 03 May 2011 03:53:22 +0000

So then it’s an all-in-one whiskey making tool. First you use it to plant the corn, then to funnel the whiskey into the bottles, and finally you snuff out the fire under the still with it.

By: Laura Bien

Laura Bien — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 16:47:16 +0000

Joan: Thank you very much for reading! Moonshine funnel! :) But then there’s that odd handle…hmm…

By: Laura Bien

Laura Bien — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 16:46:07 +0000

Jim: Interesting guess. Hmm, turns out that little foot is actually part of a moving component.

By: Joan Lowenstein

Joan Lowenstein — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 15:31:13 +0000

As usual, Laura, interesting story with delightful details.

I think the object is some kind of funnel, perhaps useful in making moonshine.

By: Jim Rees

Jim Rees — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 14:26:01 +0000

It could be a snuffer, but the shape is wrong and I can’t find any photos of old snuffers that look anything like this. It looks to me like the foot is fixed, and is only there so the thing will stand up.