Al Dickey, who seems to have been one of the famous of canal boat captains, always tried to get down to Defiance before the saloons closed. However, he quite often failed to make it and the members of the crew would lift the top hoop on one of Dotterer's 20 gal. whiskey kegs, bore a small hole in the keg beneath where the hoop was, draw off what liquor they desired. Insert a pine plug and drove the hoop back in place.
There were cheap drinks for the crew and although Dotterer accused his distiller of giving him short measure on his whiskey purchases, it wasn't until a boat hand fell out with Dickey and went to Dotterer and told him to lift the top hoop on all the 20 gal. kegs, Dickey's theft was discovered. Reports still has it that several boat loads of goods were hauled free of charge from Toledo before Dickey's liquor bill with Dotterer was cancelled.
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