As to Prince Albert....

[Bob Wright]

Old time practical jokesters would call the general store:

"Do you have Prince Albert in the can?"

"Yes, we do."

"Well, would you go and let him out!"

Goes 'waaay back. Before dial telephones, even.

Bob Wright

 

[Kevin]

My mom told me that joke. I think she played it on a few of the store keepers there in her small town of Iowa. Mostly because my grandpa smoked that brand in his pipe. I still have a couple of those old cans of tobacco.

But I'm guessing that joke wouldn't work today. Nobody would know about the Prince Albert Tobacco brand.

Do people even try jokes over the phone anymore? "Is your fridge running?" etc...

 

[jimbo1096]

known it a long time. young 'uns wouldn't understand it.
Like asking if your refrigerator was running.

 

[Fox Mike]

Much like many here probably have never seen an ice box, much less actually use one.

 

[blume357]

"Hello Mam, is your refrigerator running?"

"Well, you better go catch it!"

 

[dobegrant.45]

Wow haven’t heard that since the 60’s, oldies but goodies

 

[Watchman]

Much like many here probably have never seen an ice box, much less actually use one.

We still use them on sailboats. Besides, there's no real difference between an icebox and and an ice chest.

 

[vito]

"Is this Frank James?", "Yes?, this is Jesse, we ride at midnight".

 

[Bob Wright]

We still use them on sailboats. Besides, there's no real difference between an icebox and and an ice chest.

Oh, but there is! Ice boxes were oak wood, beautiful grain and finish. With a water tray at the bottom to catch the water as the ice melted. With big nickel plated brass latches on the doors. And painted either white or pale blue on the interior. And taking big chunks of ice, twelve or twenty five pounds in weight. And compartmented to keep foods at various levels of cold. And not an inch of plastic in its make up.

Bob Wright

And, my Mama always saved the water for her flower beds as she claimed ice-house water was better than plain tap water or rain water for her flowers. Maybe old wives' tale, but she did have the prettiest flowers in the neighborhood!

 

[Fox Mike]

We still use them on sailboats. Besides, there's no real difference between an icebox and and an ice chest.

How many levels of racks does your 'ice chest' have? What kind of wood is used in it's manufacture? I assume the chest has a separate door for the block of ice to fit. Spent lots of time on this buy boat, the "Westriver", and the 'ice box' wasn't an 'ice chest'.

 

[Watchman]

I do know the differences, and I have seen several antique ice boxes, usually at auctions where they bring pretty good money as decorator items. My point is that functionally there is not much difference. And yes, large quality ice chests do have compartments and racks to keep food separated from the ice and melt water.

I will agree, those old ice chests were (or could be) quite handsome pieces of furniture. Most of the ones I've seen are made of quarter sawed oak.

 

[blume357]

Closest I've ever come to this was when I was real young... I preschool and growing up on the farm during the summer we ran a peach stand... this was before interstates and this was the peach stand just north of Aiken S.C. and the 'yankees' coming down to see about their horses would stop to pick up a basket on the way to their summer homes.... we had a big water cooler and paper cups for folks and I would ride into the town of Johnston S.C with my grand father to the the ice house to buy big blocks of ice to cut and put in the water cooler so the customers would have cold water to drink.

The old black man that ran the peach stand, "uncle Jerry" would not serve white women if they were wearing shorts.....

I used to sit on his lap and he would tell me stories about all the critters on Rabbit Hill. (I'm not making this up)


Me and Uncle Jerry