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This photograph, taken only moments before they split up over differences in musical policy,shows Grandpa Willhelm with his sisters, Lillith,Millicent and Dillipher. Willhelm always blamed Lillith's affair with Count Thunn de Fingre for the split, and indeed she went on to have a very successful musical career with the Count, himself an accomplished pianist, having, by a freak of nature, an extra finger on each hand.
Following the breakup of the band, Willhelm threw himself whole-heartedly into his other great love, tinkering. He always claimed that the idea for the Rust-E-Can came to him fully-formed in a dream and all he had to do was turn the dream into reality.
Frustrated that nobody in the Old Country would take the idea of the Rust-E-Can seriously, Grandpa Willhelm set out to try his fortune in the New World of Missouriland. Aboard the S.S. Rustitania he soon made friends with a band of travelling musicians. Here he is (on the far left playing what looks like an E minor demolished chord on the mandolin.)
Unbeknown to Willhelm, his younger sisters, Millicent and Dilly had answered an advertisement for music teachers to a family in Chickenwire, Missouriland. We see them here in the centre of the picture waiting for the little fellow on the end to grow big enough to play the bull fiddle.
The musicians from the S.S. Rustitania had been hired by impressario Tyrone Shoelaces to tour the outlying settlements of Missouriland. Willhelm took the opportunity to tag along and see a bit of the countryside.It was Shoelaces, a man of few words and fewer syllables, who shortened the family name by refering to Willhelm as "Willie Gutt"
Tyrone Shoelaces was on opportunist of the highest order. He had in fact established"The Most High Order of Opportunists", and presented himself with a certificate to that affect.On learning of the "Rust-E-Can" manufacturing process, Shoelaces immediately saw the potential and persuaded Willhelm to go into partnership together
The tour of outlying Missouriland eventually arrived in Chickenwire, Rusticana County where Willhelm was reunited with his sisters, Millicent and Dilly. Tyrone Shoelaces won a piece of land on the outskirts of town, in a card game. It was here that he built the Rust-E-Can manufacturing plant.
By 1931 the Rust-E-Can company of Chickenwire, Rusticana county, Missouriland was the world's leading producer of pre-oxidised ferrous-metal containment units. In its heyday it was estimated that 83% of the market's supply came from this very factory.
Probably the most popular Pre-oxidised Ferrous-metal contaiment-unit trademark ever. The famous "Rusty the Rooster" label was introduced in the late 1920's. In public, Tyrone Shoelaces would often strike the same pose with a banjo, even though, despite being a musical impressario, he had a tin-ear and couldn't carry a tune in a bucket.
In 1933 the world's love affair with Rust-E-Can was over.Grandpa Willie discovered that he had been swindled by Tyrone Shoelaces who owned the manufacturing process,the brand name, and the trademarks, while Willie was left with all the debts.Natural justice was served though,when Shoelaces cut himself on the sharp edge of a Rust-E-Can and died from the resulting blood poisoning.After years of protracted legal wrangling the Gutt family eventually regained ownership and now produce Rust-E-Cans to order, mainly for wealthy japanese collectors.
The rootenist, tootenist, shootenist bob-tailed gal north, south, east and west of Rusticana. Grandpa Willie met Missouri Minnie when she came to town with the musical group "The Big Hat Boys". After a whirlwind romance ( it being tornado season at the time) they were married within a week and immediately set about raising themselves a whole mess of young Gutts.
Lillith and the Count, had been invited to play at the 50th Missouriland Independence Day celebrations in the Capital City National Auditorium. In the run-up to the big event they played a number of
low key venues around the country, including the "Tyrone Shoelaces Concert Hall." in Chickenwire, Rusticana. In an emotionally charged reunion, Willie, Millie and Dilly joined their sister on stage for one last performance by the Guttenbouquet family band.
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