Miquelon . It was a valued item for trade and was regarded as a staple by many who used it to relieve aches and pains, and no doubt, the boredom of the long winters. All of its uses were not even as orthodox as drinking it. One traveller who was returning to Charlottetown by horse and sleigh from a party at the James Jenkins shipbuilding establishment requested two bottles of rum for the trip back. The warmth they provided was of a different sort for he poured a bottle in each boot to prevent his feet from freezing. Many Islanders did not take kindly to the restrictions on obtaining alcohol or to the idea of life in a dry society. With typical Island sense of purpose they ignored the law and continued to partake in the more than occasional "wee drop". The period of Prohibition is one of the most colorful in Island history. Homes were classified as being either "wet" or "dry", although it was said some were known to leak a little. Rumrunning was not an occupation free of hazards. The ships carrying the rum, usually from St. Pierre and Miquelon , would anchor outside the three mile limit and the residents would row out to obtain their rum. Being caught by a patrol boat often meant a jail sentence and the impounding of your boat, not to mention the loss of the liquor. Well known rumrunning schooners and Captains in the area included Captain Dicks , and Captain Gillan in the schooner " Annie M.W ." Records show that a great deal of the local rum was landed from at Poplar Point and off the Lobster in in the 1920's. Captain Dicks , who was said to be "notorious" for rumrunning, was at least once arrested in 1914. Names of local residents who participated are more difficult to obtain. Many residents seemed hesitant, even after all these years, to name participants. "If you spotted a patrol boat before it spotted you, over went the rum! You could get it in bottles or in cases but more often it was obtained in kegs. Some of the rumrunners would carry bags of salt to place over the kegs if they were dropped. This would hold it down for a few days but when the salt dissolved, up popped the kegs. Many a patrol boat that fooled". Even after the rum was on land you weren't safe from discovery by the police. The kegs were often hidden under hay stacks, in fields, or in abandoned buildings. Another resident recalls the search of his barn by the law. The fork went right down next to the keg, missing it only by a few inches. Some of the rum was sold to shippers who then smuggled it to the States, where Prohibition also created a great demand for the rum. The profit realized was great enough for most to take the risk. Of course, a great deal of the rum never left the Island but was sidetracked into use right in the communities. Rumrunning was an endeavor that required a great deal of luck and co¬ operation from family and neighbors. Once the rum was brought home the re- 92