Roaring​ ​20’s​ ​Journal

Journal​ ​entry​ ​#1​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​1920,​ ​February​ ​4th Journal​ ​entry​ ​#2​ ​1921,​ ​February​ ​12

My​ ​name​ ​is​ ​Edward​ ​Smith,​ ​I​ ​lived​ ​a​ ​somewhat​ ​gentle Dear​ ​Diary,​ ​ ​it’s​ ​been​ ​a​ ​long​ ​year​ ​since​ ​I​ ​have​ ​relocated

and​ ​relaxed​ ​lifestyle​ ​before​ ​the​ ​1920’s.​ ​I’ve​ ​returned​ ​to to​ ​Toronto​ ​and​ ​I​ ​must​ ​say​ ​things​ ​are​ ​going​ ​quite​ ​well,

my​ ​home​ ​in​ ​Winnipeg​ ​with​ ​an​ ​ungrateful​ ​welcome;​ ​even I’ve​ ​brought​ ​my​ ​whole​ ​lumber​ ​operation​ ​close​ ​to​ ​Toronto

walking​ ​towards​ ​my​ ​own​ ​home​ ​people​ ​stare,​ ​smirk​ ​and and​ ​now​ ​own​ ​a​ ​successful​ ​lumberyard​ ​off​ ​the​ ​American

remembered​ ​me​ ​to​ ​be​ ​coward.​ ​Though,​ ​such​ ​is​ ​the​ ​price border.​ ​The​ ​new​ ​prohibition​ ​law​ ​is​ ​all​ ​wet​ ​the​ ​way​ ​I​ ​see

for​ ​enlisting​ ​late​ ​in​ ​the​ ​war.​ ​Only​ ​if​ ​they​ ​knew​ ​that​ ​my it,​ ​only​ ​ever​ ​having​ ​small​ ​sips​ ​of​ ​wine​ ​I’m​ ​desperate​ ​to

lumber​ ​business​ ​could​ ​not​ ​have​ ​been​ ​run​ ​by​ ​any​ ​other​ ​in try​ ​alcohol​ ​when​ ​returning​ ​from​ ​the​ ​war.​ ​Wowee,​ ​today

my​ ​absence.​ ​I’d​ ​needed​ ​to​ ​be​ ​pushed​ ​before​ ​enlisting​ ​at I​ ​read​ ​in​ ​the​ ​newspaper​ ​about​ ​a​ ​treatment​ ​for

all.​ ​I​ ​didn't​ ​think​ ​i'd​ ​make​ ​it​ ​through​ ​with​ ​my​ ​diabetes. diabeties​ ​from​ ​the​ ​scientists​ ​Banting​ ​and​ ​Best,​ ​this​ ​is

I​ ​lived​ ​on​ ​a​ ​strict​ ​diet​ ​but​ ​had​ ​been​ ​shamed​ ​into a​ ​miracle​ ​I​ ​can​ ​live​ ​freely​ ​now​ ​with​ ​this​ ​swanky​ ​insulin

enlistment.​ ​I’d​ ​lived​ ​in​ ​a​ ​neighborhood​ ​all​ ​with​ ​high​ ​hats everyone's​ ​talking​ ​about.​ ​The​ ​diabetes​ ​article​ ​stated

and​ ​a​ ​sense​ ​of​ ​honor​ ​for​ ​the​ ​country,​ ​and​ ​me​ ​enlisting that​ ​a​ ​young​ ​man​ ​named​ ​Leonard​ ​Thompson​ ​was

so​ ​late​ ​angered​ ​them​ ​so.​ ​I​ ​can’t​ ​deny​ ​the​ ​inevitable, treated​ ​with​ ​insulin​ ​shots​ ​and​ ​could​ ​live​ ​with​ ​diabetes.

I’m​ ​not​ ​wanted​ ​or​ ​welcome​ ​here.​ ​I'll​ ​leave​ ​Winnipeg.​ ​My Along​ ​with​ ​this​ ​article​ ​I’d​ ​been​ ​peeping​ ​at​ ​the​ ​comics​ ​in

next​ ​entry​ ​will​ ​be​ ​in​ ​Toronto. the​ ​paper​ ​and​ ​I​ ​found​ ​just​ ​a​ ​swell​ ​picture,​ ​I​ ​pasted​ ​it

above.
Journal​ ​entry​ ​#3​ ​1922,​ ​March​ ​13 Journal​ ​entry​ ​#4​ ​ ​ ​1923,​ ​June​ ​27

Dear​ ​Diary,​ ​ ​today​ ​will​ ​be​ ​a​ ​short​ ​entry​ ​speaking​ ​only Dear​ ​Diary,​ ​as​ ​the​ ​years​ ​move​ ​on​ ​new​ ​faces​ ​come​ ​and​ ​go

about​ ​one​ ​thing,​ ​Alcohol.​ ​Yesterday​ ​I​ ​went​ ​over​ ​to​ ​a recently​ ​I’ve​ ​been​ ​hearing​ ​lots​ ​about​ ​a​ ​woman​ ​called

powerful​ ​business​ ​friend’s​ ​residence​ ​and​ ​I’ve​ ​got​ ​to​ ​say Agnes​ ​Macphail​ ​and​ ​how​ ​she’s​ ​been​ ​elected​ ​for​ ​two​ ​years

the​ ​place​ ​was​ ​really​ ​the​ ​bee’s​ ​knees,​ ​It​ ​was​ ​something now,​ ​people​ ​around​ ​here​ ​are​ ​calling​ ​a​ ​woman​ ​in​ ​politics

from​ ​a​ ​dream.​ ​Though​ ​at​ ​supper​ ​we​ ​had​ ​been​ ​served baloney​ ​and​ ​applesauce​ ​but​ ​I​ ​think​ ​that​ ​it's​ ​just​ ​hotsy-

wine​ ​and​ ​any​ ​liquor​ ​to​ ​choose​ ​from,​ ​I​ ​watched​ ​as​ ​others totsy,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​about​ ​time​ ​for​ ​a​ ​change​ ​anyway.​ ​Today

drank​ ​and​ ​drank​ ​but​ ​still​ ​I​ ​refused​ ​to​ ​partake​ ​in​ ​such we​ ​need​ ​to​ ​see​ ​things​ ​for​ ​the​ ​good..​ ​The​ ​real​ ​baloney​ ​is

blasphemy.​ ​I​ ​follow​ ​the​ ​law,​ ​God​ ​never​ ​intended​ ​for​ ​such all​ ​these​ ​bad​ ​egg​ ​Americans​ ​sending​ ​their​ ​bimbo’s​ ​up

a​ ​drink​ ​to​ ​be​ ​created​ ​so​ ​I​ ​shall​ ​never​ ​consume​ ​the here​ ​in​ ​Toronto​ ​to​ ​sell​ ​lumber.​ ​Damm,​ ​American​ ​branch

devil’s​ ​nectar.​ ​In​ ​my​ ​opinion​ ​the​ ​prohibition​ ​was​ ​the​ ​best companies​ ​are​ ​taking​ ​all​ ​my​ ​business​ ​away.​ ​How​ ​am​ ​I

thing​ ​that​ ​ever​ ​that​ ​ever​ ​happened​ ​to​ ​this​ ​country,​ ​no supposed​ ​to​ ​sell​ ​lumber​ ​from​ ​a​ ​small​ ​company​ ​while​ ​big

more​ ​drunks​ ​or​ ​fights,​ ​ ​putting​ ​people​ ​in​ ​the​ ​right American​ ​companies​ ​gyp​ ​me​ ​and​ ​ ​come​ ​up​ ​to​ ​Canada​ ​and

direction​ ​into​ ​God’s​ ​open​ ​arms. label​ ​themselves

Canadians​ ​and​ ​strip​ ​the​ ​land​ ​of​ ​timber

.Although​ ​a​ ​good​ ​egg​ ​supervisor​ ​from​ ​a​ ​branch​ ​plant​ ​told Journal​ ​entry​ ​#5​ ​1926,​ ​May​ ​17

me​ ​he​ ​heard​ ​rumors​ ​about​ ​my​ ​workers​ ​having​ ​giggle By​ ​God​ ​they​ ​were​ ​right,​ ​all​ ​this​ ​time​ ​they​ ​were​ ​right

water​ ​being​ ​brewed​ ​in​ ​my​ ​yards,​ ​but​ ​they're​ ​all​ ​wrong​ ​- there​ ​are​ ​some​ ​dewdropper​ ​lumber​ ​workers​ ​that​ ​were

my​ ​yard​ ​could​ ​never​ ​produce​ ​such​ ​a​ ​thing. brewing​ ​moonshine​ ​in​ ​my​ ​lumber​ ​yard.​ ​They​ ​were​ ​upfront

when​ ​I​ ​confronted​ ​them​ ​during​ ​a​ ​routine​ ​yard​ ​check.

I’d​ ​recognize​ ​one​ ​of​ ​them​ ​as​ ​Leonardo​ ​an​ ​Italian​ ​man

I​ ​myself​ ​hired​ ​recently.​ ​They​ ​told​ ​me​ ​they​ ​could​ ​not

move​ ​to​ ​brew​ ​hooch​ ​anywhere​ ​else​ ​because​ ​my​ ​yard​ ​was

positioned​ ​right​ ​on​ ​the​ ​border​ ​and​ ​they​ ​could​ ​transport

it​ ​easily​ ​here.​ ​Leonardo​ ​said​ ​that​ ​I​ ​needed​ ​to​ ​visit​ ​a

blind​ ​pig​ ​in​ ​downtown​ ​Toronto​ ​ ​so​ ​that​ ​I​ ​could​ ​talk​ ​to

their​ ​boss.​ ​I’d​ ​never​ ​been​ ​to​ ​a​ ​speakeasy​ ​before​ ​and

never​ ​intended​ ​too​ ​but​ ​nevertheless​ ​I’m​ ​being​ ​forced

to​ ​do​ ​so​ ​by​ ​Bimbos,​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​time​ ​to​ ​run​ ​around​ ​as

soon​ ​as​ ​I​ ​am​ ​able​ ​to​ ​hear​ ​this​ ​mafia’s​ ​proposition​ ​I’m

heading​ ​straight​ ​to​ ​the​ ​fuzz.

Journal​ ​entry​ ​#6​ ​1926,​ ​May​ ​20 like​ ​this​ ​flapper’s​ ​friend​ ​joined​ ​in​ ​and​ ​synchronized​ ​their

Dear​ ​Diary,​ ​tonight​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Blind​ ​Pig​ ​had​ ​gone​ ​more movements​ ​together.​ ​I’d​ ​watched​ ​in​ ​awe​ ​never​ ​seeing

smoothly​ ​than​ ​I’d​ ​anticipated.​ ​When​ ​I​ ​arrived​ ​at​ ​the anything​ ​quite​ ​like​ ​it.​ ​I​ ​spotted​ ​Leonardo​ ​sitting​ ​with​ ​a

speakeasy​ ​I​ ​knocked​ ​at​ ​the​ ​door​ ​and​ ​through​ ​the goons​ ​along​ ​with​ ​a​ ​ ​chubby​ ​Italian​ ​man​ ​wearing​ ​a​ ​suit

peephole​ ​a​ ​man’s​ ​eye’s​ ​was​ ​unveiled​ ​and​ ​from​ ​behind​ ​the and​ ​a​ ​phadorah​ ​at​ ​the​ ​head​ ​of​ ​the​ ​table.​ ​As​ ​soon​ ​as​ ​I’d

door​ ​her​ ​muttered​ ​“password”.​ ​I​ ​whispered​ ​the​ ​password approached​ ​a​ ​small​ ​man​ ​who​ ​looked​ ​totally​ ​ossified

that​ ​Leonardo​ ​told​ ​me​ ​when​ ​we’d​ ​meet​ ​and​ ​I​ ​was tripped​ ​walking​ ​over​ ​and​ ​spilt​ ​his​ ​cup​ ​over​ ​the​ ​mob​ ​group.

allowed​ ​to​ ​enter.​ ​As​ ​soon​ ​as​ ​I​ ​passed​ ​through​ ​a​ ​dark The​ ​man​ ​sitting​ ​at​ ​the​ ​tables​ ​head​ ​turned​ ​and​ ​sneered,

corridor​ ​I​ ​began​ ​to​ ​hear​ ​the​ ​sweet​ ​hum​ ​of​ ​jazz​ ​music. before​ ​I​ ​could​ ​even​ ​blink​ ​the​ ​dropped​ ​glass​ ​had​ ​not

I​ ​was​ ​welcomed​ ​into​ ​a​ ​room​ ​of​ ​dancing​ ​woman​ ​and been​ ​in​ ​the​ ​drunk​ ​man's​ ​hand​ ​but​ ​in​ ​his​ ​face.​ ​I’d​ ​decided

barrels​ ​and​ ​bottles​ ​of​ ​alcohol.​ ​I​ ​noticed​ ​a​ ​woman​ ​doing to​ ​walk​ ​over​ ​as​ ​soon​ ​as​ ​everyone​ ​else​ ​disregarded​ ​the

a​ ​spiffy​ ​dance​ ​with​ ​a​ ​friend.​ ​I’d​ ​heard​ ​of​ ​this man​ ​as​ ​he​ ​hobble​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​bar.​ ​As​ ​I​ ​sat​ ​down

“Charleston”​ ​dance​ ​before​ ​and​ ​watched​ ​as​ ​her​ ​arms Leonardo​ ​introduced​ ​me​ ​as​ ​his​ ​friend​ ​and​ ​the​ ​lumber

moved​ ​back​ ​and​ ​forth,​ ​crossing​ ​her​ ​opposite​ ​leg​ ​yet​ ​it yard​ ​owner​ ​and​ ​the​ ​man​ ​at​ ​the​ ​tables​ ​head​ ​as​ ​Rocco

appeared​ ​as​ ​if​ ​she​ ​did​ ​not​ ​move​ ​and​ ​performed​ ​the Perri.​ ​I​ ​refused​ ​the​ ​offers​ ​of​ ​alcohol​ ​and​ ​decided​ ​to

dance​ ​in​ ​place.​ ​Soon​ ​someone​ ​who​ ​looked get​ ​down​ ​to​ ​business​ ​and​ ​skip​ ​the
runaround​ ​but​ ​Rocco​ ​beat​ ​me​ ​too​ ​it.​ ​Rocco​ ​said​ ​that​ ​as Journal​ ​entry​ ​#7​ ​1926,​ ​May​ ​21

long​ ​as​ ​his​ ​bimbos​ ​could​ ​transport​ ​alcohol​ ​through​ ​my Dear​ ​Diary,​ ​today’s​ ​the​ ​big​ ​day​ ​it's’​ ​my​ ​birthday!​ ​In​ ​had

yard​ ​his​ ​guys​ ​wouldn't​ ​do​ ​anything​ ​to​ ​me,​ ​I​ ​refused​ ​and a​ ​swell​ ​celebration​ ​with​ ​my​ ​friends​ ​all​ ​day​ ​and​ ​it​ ​was​ ​a

made​ ​a​ ​counteroffer​ ​stating​ ​that​ ​I​ ​would​ ​receive​ ​5% great​ ​whoopee​ ​but​ ​they​ ​have​ ​left​ ​now​ ​and​ ​I​ ​will​ ​soon

of​ ​all​ ​profit​ ​made​ ​from​ ​their​ ​rumrunners.​ ​They​ ​talked meet​ ​with​ ​Rocco​ ​Perri​ ​about​ ​our​ ​little​ ​deal​ ​and​ ​I’ll​ ​be

amongst​ ​themselves​ ​quietly​ ​and​ ​eventually​ ​agreed​ ​and raking​ ​in​ ​the​ ​mazuma.I​ ​meet​ ​him​ ​later​ ​tonight​ ​at​ ​the

asked​ ​me​ ​to​ ​come​ ​back​ ​tomorrow​ ​so​ ​that​ ​we​ ​could​ ​sort same​ ​speakeasy.​ ​This​ ​will​ ​be​ ​great​ ​I’m​ ​so​ ​excited​ ​begin

out​ ​details.​ ​This​ ​whole​ ​mob​ ​thing​ ​is​ ​going​ ​better​ ​that​ ​I my​ ​new​ ​career​ ​with​ ​the​ ​the​ ​mob,​ ​what​ ​a​ ​way​ ​to​ ​live.

thought​ ​after​ ​all,​ ​I’ll​ ​show​ ​the​ ​other​ ​lumber​ ​companies

who’s​ ​really​ ​the​ ​big​ ​cheese​ ​when​ ​I've​ ​got​ ​all​ ​the​ ​dough.
It​ ​was​ ​a​ ​trap,​ ​I​ ​got​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Blind​ ​Pig​ ​and​ ​it​ ​was​ ​empty.

The​ ​mob​ ​chased​ ​me​ ​all​ ​around​ ​the​ ​city​ ​and​ ​i’m​ ​dying,​ ​I'm

dying.​ ​They​ ​chased​ ​me​ ​to​ ​my​ ​own​ ​lumber​ ​yard​ ​and​ ​I​ ​got

of​ ​my​ ​T-ford​ ​and​ ​engaged​ ​in​ ​a​ ​heated​ ​runaway,​ ​I​ ​don’t

remember​ ​much​ ​other​ ​then​ ​the​ ​bullets​ ​flying​ ​past​ ​my

head​ ​and​ ​a​ ​sharp​ ​pain​ ​in​ ​my​ ​leg​ ​as​ ​bullet​ ​passed​ ​through

it.​ ​I​ ​managed​ ​to​ ​crawl​ ​into​ ​a​ ​nearby​ ​bush​ ​and​ ​hide.

before​ ​they​ ​could​ ​bump​ ​me​ ​off​ ​.​ ​It's​ ​been​ ​hours​ ​now

but​ ​I​ ​know​ ​they're​ ​still​ ​looking.​ ​Should​ ​anyone​ ​find​ ​this

tell​ ​the​ ​world​ ​about​ ​my​ ​story.,​ ​or​ ​if​ ​it’s​ ​not​ ​too​ ​late

come​ ​find​ ​me​ ​please​ ​someone​ ​the​ ​mob​ ​has​ ​me​ ​help​ ​m.