Conversation with colleague Jim McTague, former Barron's editor in Washington, now a novelist in Lancaster County,

who traveled to Indiana to see his children and grandchildren and dined out in the evening.

And he describes the very crowded conditions at the Union Hall restaurant, very popular with what Jim tells us

later is excellent comfort Midwest food. I speculate it's got a lot of lard in it. That's what

my grandmother and grandfather served. They were Hoosiers from Logan's Board. Jim also adds that the

conversation with the manager of the restaurant,

even though they were on a Saturday night and all the tables were filled, does not promise.

It's just not disappoint, but does not promise business is off from last year. Here's Jim McTaghan.

The journeyman's distillery, journeyman's distillery in Porter County,

Indiana at the Union Hall, the restaurant, an historic building dating from the Civil War. Indiana

was on the right side of the war. Much more of this later from Mr. McTague about business in Porter County and in Lancaster

County for the winter ahead.

Here's Jim.

Porter County, a lovely place.

We went to dinner at the journeyman distillery, which has a Union Hall restaurant.

It's a magnificent facility.

It's in a factory that was built right after the Civil War as a woolen mill and underwent

a $40 million renovation.

I talked to the manager.

On the weekend, all 160 tables were filled

with people waiting, but he told me, in general, businesses off three to five percent this year

versus last year, as people are much more careful with their spending. Let me add that when I

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