the following is a reprint of an article that I originally wrote for the Davis County Clipper which the accepted and then refused to publish!
In the late 1800's Mr. Henry Ford designed and placed into production the world's first mass-produced "dual-fuel" capable vehicle, The "Model T" and later the early "Model A's".
The reasoning behind these cars with "digital" (hand operated) adjustable spark timing and variable intake tuning, was that while low quality gasoline was available in limited amounts and only in large population centers, the rural automotive enthusiast and farmers needed a ready, consistent quality and inexpensive supply. Enter home grown Alcohol, the only fuel that fit the requirements and which was readily acceptable and replaceable. These early engines would run extremely well and efficiently (read inexpensive) on most any mixture or percentage of these fuels that was available to the operator!
Production and sales of the "Dual-fuel" engines took off like a rocket until passage of the so-called "Volstead Act" (the popular name for the National Prohibition Act) and certification as the 18th amendment to our Constitution, which was ratified on January 29, 1919 and went into effect on a Federal level on January 16, 1920. Alcohol as an easily produced,quality, inexpensive and readily available fuel was dead!
Private (at home) alcohol production as a fuel in rural areas, up until this time was, extremely common and well known of. Electrification of this country was still very incomplete and spotty and a person had to go into a largish city to get gasoline of any quality (which until this time was considered to be an undesirable by-product of oil refining (kerosene was the preferred product for light and heat). The poor man used Alcohol, which was manufactured from scrap organic waste was burned as a light source and used in stoves and heaters. It wasn't until internal combustion engines became desirable that it was used as a fuel. The largest prior commercial application was, and still is, as a very effective refrigerant.
Oil Baron and general bad guy J.D.Rockefeller (Republican) in the late 1800's was concerned that he would not be making enough money from his oil wells, if the common person could just "make" fuel to burn and only used oil and oil products as a lubricant. Rockefeller became the major monetary contributor to the temperance movement and thru his contacts (bribes?) in the government, was influential in making sure that the language of the up-coming amendment, would guarantee to outlaw the possession of the equipment and materials to build and operate a "still" for alcohol production and that the manufacture of alcohol for any purpose would be strictly controlled and enforced by the government.
"Prohibition" was repealed after 13 years (interesting number),by the 21st amendment on December 5, 1933, and American was "wet" again. Alcohol as a fuel had meanwhile been completely replaced by gasoline throughout the world and the Rockefellers had won!
Interestingly enough, the Federal Government still controls and enforces the outdated and stringent regulation on what kinds of alcohol and the quantity that and "individual' may produce or have in their possession and that there is an entire Bureau (ATFE) of overpaid "porkers" dedicated to compliance enforcement
Even today, an individual cannot legally produce sufficient alcohol to fuel his (2.3) automobiles for a year, let alone heat or light his home (anybody feel like a drink? just wait until Obama thinks of the taxes)!
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