I'm unaware of any anti-pipe smoking crusade . STG simply swooped in & shut down Sutliff .....because they could.........
I'm sorry if this is pedantic , but my memory comes & goes .
Why was Mac Baren/Sutliff even up for sale ? Were they un-profitable ?
NE side , north of Coe college .
Hardee's came to CR around '72-75 . They had my all time favorite burger , but no more:
https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=hardee%27s+big+twin&mid=F24E2071E8B1A762F750F24E2071E8B1A762F750&FORM=VIRE
I don't know if this was local to Cedar Rapids or if it was corporate , but ours were Sandy's until 50 years ago . Before that I believe they were Henry's .
Worked in the yard til about 3:00 . Then about an hour mushroom hunting . Found some pheasant backs & 7 morels , but 5 of them were too deteriorated to keep .
Now relaxing with Rattray's Hal o' the Wynd in a Carey billiard .
I understand where you're coming from , and agree . Replacing Sutliff wouldn't be simple or easy . I also admit I don't at all fully grasp the tobacco industry as a whole .
I'm just not convinced this story is over .
1. I never said it could start in someone's basement . It would take a person or outfit with a lot of money '
There are a lot of slightly eccentric really wealthy pipe smokers .
2. You apparently didn't get Kevin's memo :
" Sarcastic, rhetorical, or disrespectful responses"