This Saturday, April 19th, I will be doing a booksigning at the Old Exchange Building, located at 122 East Bay St. in Charleston, SC. The Exchange was used as a headquarters building for the Coast Guard during World War II. It was also used as a Customs House as far back as 1771. The reason I mention those two facts is because the Coast Guard and Customs play a central role in my book. Although I do not discuss South Carolina much in my book, Charleston was, and is, a major Southern port and is a smuggler's dream with its numerous waterways and marshes.
In fact, next to the exchange is a building that has been selling liquor since the days of pirates. During prohibition, there was a secret passageway underneath the building to transport liquor from the nearby wharf. Down the street from the exchange, on Broad Street, is a pub called the Blind Tiger, which served liquor during Prohibition. Under Prohibition laws, it was illegal to sell, manufacture, or transport liquor without a permit. The Blind Tiger did not "sell" liquor. That establishment, and many others like it, charged patrons an admission fee to see a "blind tiger." While the guests were inside looking at this "blind tiger," they just happened to consume the alcohol on hand, which was perfectly legal within the letter of the law.
Anyway, I'll be at the exchange from 9 AM to 5PM this Saturday. See you there!
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