Comments on: Life of George L. Smith, “Boldest and Bravest Blind Tiger Man,” Now Available Online http://www.lib.unc.edu/blogs/ncm/index.php/2012/07/02/life-of-george-l-smith-boldest-and-bravest-blind-tiger-man-now-available-online/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=life-of-george-l-smith-boldest-and-bravest-blind-tiger-man-now-available-online Exploring the History, Literature, and Culture of the Tar Heel State Tue, 21 May 2013 13:21:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Burton Nicodemus http://www.lib.unc.edu/blogs/ncm/index.php/2012/07/02/life-of-george-l-smith-boldest-and-bravest-blind-tiger-man-now-available-online/comment-page-1/#comment-928078 Burton Nicodemus Thu, 25 Oct 2012 02:54:36 +0000 http://www.lib.unc.edu/blogs/ncm/?p=18637#comment-928078 I wonder if this is George’s grave? -

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=49395782

It’s the right name, right county, right birthday – but it’s one year off. In 1880, there were only about 23,000 people living in Sampson County. A lot of records were lost in the 1921 Clerk’s office fire, which could explain the one year difference. Statistically speaking, it’s got to be him.

]]> By: Kevin Cherry http://www.lib.unc.edu/blogs/ncm/index.php/2012/07/02/life-of-george-l-smith-boldest-and-bravest-blind-tiger-man-now-available-online/comment-page-1/#comment-847680 Kevin Cherry Mon, 02 Jul 2012 15:24:26 +0000 http://www.lib.unc.edu/blogs/ncm/?p=18637#comment-847680 I was reading old issues of the Tar heel yesterday afternoon, and ran across this bit about a debate in the Di Society. The query: “Resolved that the Dispensary is the best solution of the liquor question.” We now know the dispensary system as “ABC stores.”

The February 1, 1906 Tar Heel reported that “After a warm discussion during which one could see, as it were, ‘with his mind’s eye,’ the blind tigers creeping about, the judges awarded a decision in favor of the affirmative as winning and in favor of Mr. Duls as making the best speech.” Charles Henry Duls was later a judge and mill owner in Charlotte.

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