Memphis archeology............

[Bob Wright]

Memphis is an old city, established in 1825 or so. A rowdy rough and tumble river town. Freed slaves converged on Memphis, leaving the plantations and seeking jobs along the riverfront. Mixed in were roustabouts, deckhands, gamblers, and what at the time were called "footpads." "Sporting houses" and saloons flourished, along with those willing to relieve men of their wherewithal.

As downtown Memphis rebuilds, treasures are dug up when excavating new footings. Usually found in cluster are knives and old pistols and revolvers. It has been concluded that these clusters of weapons mark where outhouses were located. Seems when some one shot or knifed a fellow, he would run into a saloon or sporting house, bribe the operators that he had been there all evening, then go out back and drop the weapon down the facility in the outhouse.

No on apparently wanted to retrieve the weapon.

Bob Wright

 

[Critch]

Memphis has always been a rough city. My grandfather worked for Boss Crump as a tax collector, my mom said he got into many fights with people that didn't want to pay the tax.

 

[phonejack]

In the 1920's my grandfather was briefly a Memphis policeman. After he killed a man in an alley fight he decided to move and pursue a safer profession.

 

[coach]

Or it could be the 19th century version of dropping your cell phone in the toilet. Only nobody's going to pull it out and put it in a bag of rice. :)

 

[SAJohn]

Another Reader's Digest "Humor in Uniform" story related to this topic involved a soldier in Korea who was caught by MP's in an off-limits bar. He ran out the back of the bar only to fall into an open cesspool. He called for help to the MP looking down at him. The MP told the soldier that he had just escaped.

 

[Valmet]

Always thought Memphis was a cool old city and wanted to spend more time exploring ther.