http://www.maxwellshouse.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl? http://www.eblah.com en http://www.maxwellshouse.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1283688208/ http://www.maxwellshouse.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1283688208/#num1 His full name was Jesse Butler (JB) Motlow. He was Lem's brother and the 2nd Master Distiller at the Jack Daniel Distillery.
The letter is dated January 8, 1899.

Here is the contents:

Mr. Felix Motlow
Dear Felix:
Yours of the 4th, inst. recd. Was glad to know you got started in at school all ok. Find enclosed check for five dollars ($5.00), a little more than you asked for, but I guess you can find a use for it. Don't pay anything to get this check cashed. It is as good as the money. I would send a bill but check is the safest.
Well I have got straightened out again from my trip home and am feeling all right again. I found everything in good shape when I got back.
No Feak, I didn't get hurt at you not getting to speak to me the evening I left. I would have waited until you came to the house, but had barely time to catch the train in Tullahoma.
Feak, I would advise you to study hard, but I know it is no use. If you only do as well as you did last term, you will be perfect. We are really proud of your work in school and only hope we may send you through the same course that Tom has gone.
Hoping to hear from you soon.
I remain your brother,
JB Motlow


Again, I wait to hear your comments on the letter.]]> Sun, 5 Sep 2010 13:03:28 MikeandJack http://www.maxwellshouse.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1282309153/ http://www.maxwellshouse.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1282309153/#num1 Check these pictures from an old Green Label bottle.
They bottled "our" whiskey in Clermont, Kentucky  

Maybe Mike or someone else knows the story behind??

I think it has something to do with the prohibition, or maybe the fire??

Looking forward to "your" answers.

Andreas]]> Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:59:13 germanjack http://www.maxwellshouse.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1282259955/ http://www.maxwellshouse.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1282259955/#num1 Here is a recent picture of the building that was once the headquarters while Jack Daniels was operated out of Birmingham - but look how they spelled Jack Daniel's   the address of this building is 2331 2nd Avenue North.

It is thought that the actual distillery was located 1215-1225 Avenue B (which is now known as 2nd Avenue South), where the current "University Park Business Center" sits.
]]> Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:19:15 Max http://www.maxwellshouse.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1280450624/ http://www.maxwellshouse.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1280450624/#num1
The reason I labeled this Letter #1 is because I have several of these letters and will post a thread on each of them in the next few weeks.

I believe it gives us a look into the lives of the Motlow and Daniel Families in the late 1890's and early 1900's. They also show us what life was like in Lynchburg and Moore County during these times. There are several names in these letters that I do not know. Hopefully, as I get further into these posts, I can find who some of these people are.

The people in this letter that I do know are:
Mary Lou (Mamie) Motlow. She was Lem's younger sister and was 22 years old at the time of this letter.
Lillian (Lillie) Elizabeth Motlow. She was also a younger sister of Lem. She was 33 years old at the time of this letter. She married John Tolley and they had a son, Lem Tolley, who was the 3rd Master Distiller at the Distillery.
Pa was Felix (Stump) Motlow. He was the father of Lem, Mamie, Lillie, and 7 other brothers and sisters. Pa married Finetta (Nettie) Josephine Daniel (Jack Daniel's sister). She had been dead 14 years at the time of this letter.
Laura Evans was Ophelia Evans Motlow's sister. Ophelia was Lem's 2nd wife.
J.D. is Jack Daniel (J.D.) Motlow. He is the youngest of the Motlow brothers and sisters.
Jesse is Jesse Butler Motlow. Lem's brother and 2nd Master Distiller of the Distillery. Alice is his wife.
Felix (whom this letter is written to) is Felix Waggoner Motlow, another of Lem's brothers. He was 24 years old at the time of this letter. His nickname is "Feak".
Uncle Jack is obviously Jack Daniel and Aunt Bett is Jack Daniel's sister Bettie.


Here is what the letter says:

December 15, 1905

Dear Feak:
The slippers came Thursday and they are beautiful; so is Lillie's centerpiece. They are a great curiosity to everyone. We certainly do appreciate them more than we can tell you. I got the picture you sent from San Francisco some time ago. It is fine of you. Are the young men in it your classmates who were sent to the Philippines also? They all have fine faces.
It seems a long time since you left and we were getting anxious to hear from you before you wrote last. I guess you have reached your destination ere this. How do you like your new surroundings? A great many changes have taken place since you left. I expect you will be surprised to hear that Pa is living with us now. He is greatly afflicted with rheumatism and came up here nearly 2 months ago. He suffers so much and is almost as helpless as a baby. He can't cut up his food and can hardly feed himself. He can't sit down except on some high place. He is so quiet and seems to think he is so much trouble. I feel so sorry for him. John is awfully good to him. He is some better now than when he came up here.
Mr. Gordon has had a stroke of paralysis. At first he couldn't walk at all, but can walk on his crutches some now. The doctor's don't think he will ever fully recover.
Clara Rutledge and Arch Caughram were married the sixth of this month. They married at seven and went to Fayetteville the same night. They served the refreshments in three courses and had a very nice and pretty home wedding. They received quiet a number of handsome presents. They are boarding at Laura Evan's.
Sam Baldwin and Alla Poplin are to be married the twenty seventh. They are going to take a bridal tour up north. I have heard that Uncle Jack is going to give them a reception. He went to Nashville today to get his Christmas "goodies".
The announcement of Fannie Blythe's wedding has been made. She is to be married to a Mr. Ennoch of Nashville on the eighth of Jan.
Have you received your invitation to Sam's wedding? They sent you one but sent it to Manila.
We went to an entertainment at Mr. Tom Hay's Thursday night. I saw Daisy Haslett, and she told me that she had received a card from you.
No doubt you will be surprised to hear that Musa Moore is married. She and Tom Pearson of Flat Creek eloped about a month ago.
Berry Raby and Gertrude Bobo are to be married some time soon.
I am clerking at Terry's now. I began the twenty-fifth of October and don't know if I shall stay after Christmas. I wanted to do something and couldn't find any other work.
I had a letter from J.D. yesterday. He is anticipating a merry time Christmas. He stands his examinations next week and will come home tomorrow week. He is planning to entertain in grand style and have the refreshments served in courses.
Aunt Bett and Uncle Jack are getting along fine. They have a white girl living with them.
I haven't heard from Jesse and Alice in sometime, but I saw Bissie at Clara's wedding and she said Jesse had been sick. He is alright now or we would have heard from them.
I guess I have written enough this time so will say good night. With so much love and wishing you a Merry Christmas.
I am, your affectionate sister,
Mamie

p.s.  
Feak. Take good care of yourself and refrain from evil habits. Aunt Bett and I were talking not long ago about how badly we hated to see you go so far from home and into the cold world. Let me ask you to shun drink of all kinds, for you know they are dangerous to all Motlows, and can destroy a mortal quicker than anything.
Mamie


]]> Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:43:44 MikeandJack http://www.maxwellshouse.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1264960941/ http://www.maxwellshouse.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1264960941/#num1
The St. Louis World's Fair, or as it was familiarly known, The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, opened on April 30, 1904 and closed December 1, 1904.

The book "A Tennessee Legend with a Pictorial of old Bottles & Jugs" states:
     "In 1904 the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, more familiarly known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was held. Large expositions such as this introduced many new products and there was to be a judging of the world's finest whiskies. Naturally, Mr. Jack decided to put his whiskey to the test."

There is no mention of Mr. Jack's trip to St. Louis or anyone traveling with him.

The book "Blood and Whiskey, The Life and Times of Jack Daniel" states:
     "As the Exposition approached, a number of people, from state politicians, to still hands, to Lem, encouraged Jack to enter his whiskey into the competition. But Jack demurred, simply shrugging off the suggestion, apparently uninterested in garnering glory for himself.
     Unbeknownst to everyone, Jack was in fact laying plans to enter the competition and travel to St. Louis-he simply didn't publicize it because if he failed, he preferred to keep the whole incident under wraps. Finally, one June morning in the summer of 1904, Jack broke the news to Lem: he was going to the World's Fair. Lem's first question was whether Jack had entered their whiskey in the competition. With a grin, Jack glibly replied that he'd already sent in their entry, which included two cases of whiskey.
     After Jack won the Gold Medal, his return from the World's Fair was not exactly triumphant. While he set everyone up at the Lynchburg saloons with the best whiskey in the world and ordered a special decanter to commemorate the event, the once most-admired man in this part of the country received but scant notice in the newspapers. "Jack Daniel's No. 7 was awarded the gold medal at the St. Louis World's Fair" was all the December 8 edition of the Fayetteville Observer had to report on such a glorious moment.

The book gives details of Jack's trip to St. Louis on the train alone and his time at the World's Fair alone.

The book "Jack Daniel's Legacy" gives a few more details about the St. Louis trip. It states:

     "The name of Jack Daniel had been heard in many sections of the United States although Jack had done no advertising whatever. For a long time Uncle Jack seemed to shrug off these World's Fair suggestions - but Lem Motlow didn't let him forget it even for a day.
     As date for the whiskey competition at St. Louis approached, Lem decided it would be best not to keep pushing - but to slacken up on the pressure and just wait to see what Uncle Jack would do.
     "Lemmie, I'm going to St. Louis, Mo., and I don't want you to tell a soul about it until I get back," Jack Daniel confided to Manager Lem Motlow at the office one morning in June, 1904.
     "Glad to hear you say you are going Uncle Jack. But aren't we supposed to send some whiskey if you plan to enter the World's Fair competition?" Lem replied.
     "Already sent it, without letting you know," Jack crisply answered. "Didn't see any use of worrying somebody else with it."
     A moment of silence passed, the Jack continued: "And look here Lemmie. I don't want anybody to know if I go all the way to St. Louis and fail to do any good. So you just keep it quiet for now."
     Uncle Jack climbed swiftly into a buggy and headed for Tullahoma. He planned to leave the horse and buggy at the livery stable while he was making the train round trip to St. Louis.
     Four days passed, then he came back into town with his horse and buggy, plus his two valises and a smile on his face.
     "Lemmie, Here it is!" he exclaimed. "The World's Fair Gold Medal for the Best Whiskey in the World! That's what the judges said."
    The local effect of Jack's World's Fair triumph was largely confined to a relatively few letters or other messages of congratulations.

Again, no mention of anyone traveling with Jack or being with him at the Fair. Even his younger brother Tom tells the story of Jack being in St. Louis alone. The book does mention that a young, 4 year old Reagor Motlow and his grandmother attended the Fair.

All this leads me to a letter I have dated May 23, 1904. It is from Lem Motlow's sister Mamie to their brother Felix. At the time, Felix was at the military academy at West Point, New York. As you can see the letter says:
     "I guess you know that Lem and Ophelia are in St. Louis now. They left last Tuesday and haven't returned I don't suppose.........I am not going to feel at all disappointed if we don't get to come. I'm glad that you are going and hope you will have a nice trip. We will go home the day you leave for the Fair."

Are the history books wrong? Lem, his wife Ophelia, and brother Felix were all at the St. Louis World's Fair when Jack won the Gold Medal. This just shows that you cannot believe everything you read.

I would like to hear everyone's comments.


    
]]> Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:02:21 MikeandJack