Old City Factoids; Man Full of Trouble Tavern A cantankerous signboard marks Philadelphias only remaining colonial tavern, The Man Full of Trouble, at 2nd and Spruce Streets. The sign depicts a time-bent gent with a monkey perched on his shoulder and a parrot on his hand, walking with his wife, who is carrying a bandbox with a cat sitting upon it. Not visible from the street is a secret tunnel running from the basement kitchen to the edge of Dock Creek. The tunnel was used as a conduit for smuggled goods. Hating to pay tariffs, but avidly pursuing the good life, Colonials became artful tax dodgers. For instance, in 1765 16 chests of tea were legally imported -- but an estimated 380 found their way into the City through other means. Contributor: Ed Mauger Source: Taverns on the Green: Drinking in 18th-Century Philadelphia To contribute a Factoid, send content, source and your contact information to [email protected]
Posted on: Thu, 01 May 2014 15:56:17 +0000