didjcripey
217 posts
Mar 25, 2012
3:18 PM
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I reckon some of the good ole US of A's founding fathers could have been fun to hang out with. How about this quote from from a letter written by Abraham Lincoln during his presidency to the head of Hohner:
"Two of my favorite things are sitting on my front porch smoking a pipe of sweet hemp, and playing my Hohner harmonica."
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Lucky Lester
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eharp
1767 posts
Mar 25, 2012
4:26 PM
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and some of you may know the real meaning behind abe spent his youth splitting rails.
not that i condone that behavior or even know what that means!
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BronzeWailer
444 posts
Mar 25, 2012
5:50 PM
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"Four score and seven years ago" hmmm....
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SuperBee
180 posts
Mar 25, 2012
6:20 PM
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I have read that before, but I'm not sure how reliable the source is. Seems possible, as hemp was only outlawed/restricted in fairly recent times. In fact at some times failure to cultivate hemp was penalised. I believe George Washington grew quite a lot of old rope.
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billy_shines
319 posts
Mar 25, 2012
8:41 PM
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ditch weed what ropes and clothes were made of doesnt get you high. it grows wild along the patomic river. govt spends billions collecting it. billions to gather up weed thats useless to get high but will make good ropes. the letter in question doesnt exist at honhers archives or museum. the letter in question is supposedly dated 1855. honher didnt go into business until 1857. harmonicas didnt come here till after that with german immigrants. its a net rumor.
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LIP RIPPER
571 posts
Mar 26, 2012
4:26 AM
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Thanks Billy, you beat me to the punch.
LR
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Frank
504 posts
Mar 26, 2012
4:56 AM
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I doubt there is anything remotely "sweet" about burning hemp in a pipe - Unless he washed it down with a tablespoon of wild honey :)
Last Edited by on Mar 26, 2012 4:58 AM
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Stevelegh
442 posts
Mar 26, 2012
1:36 PM
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Du Pont was one of the biggest lobbyists for banning of hemp. It's still the best material for rope and many other fabrics. And medicines for that matter.
Reefer Madness was pre McCarthy McCarthyism.....
Hohner should make a hemp composite comb Marine Band.
If it's rubbish, you can set light to it! Ha!
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STME58
104 posts
Mar 26, 2012
6:52 PM
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I have heard that Abe carried a harmonica in his vest pocket. I have not attemped to verify it.
@Stevelegh, according to a booklet I picked up in Berkley, Henry Ford did some experimenting with hemp reinforced resins before hemp was banned.
I wonder if the term "Go smoke a rope" has anything to do with the things deicussed in this thread?
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STME58
105 posts
Mar 26, 2012
7:32 PM
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http://www.motherearthnews.com/Nature-Community/1978-07-01/How-To-Play-Hard-Core-Harmonica.aspx
I was trying to verify Lincoln played hamonica and found a very interesting article from 1978. I had not realized how old it was until I read about picking up a Hohner Marine Band at the local music store for $7.75!
On the first page there is a quote from Carl Sandbergs 1926 "Abraham Lincoln: The Prarie Years" with a anecdote about Lincoln's harp playing. There is no reference to "sweet hemp" though.
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billy_shines
322 posts
Mar 26, 2012
7:57 PM
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i read somewhere that john brown did play the banjo, and karl marx loved negro spirituals. dont know what lincoln played on harmonica. he was spiritualist and ive read that mediums often burned opium and wormwood to get their customers to see and hear ghosts better.
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