Another favorite pastime was digging a tunnel under his home; he attributed the secret of his success to “visits by elves” while he worked in the tunnel: “While I’m digging in the tunnel, the elves will often come to me with solutions to my problem.”
Wikipedia cited a rather entertaining Time article as a citation for this.
You know now that I think of it, I could probably get a decent tunnel going through my neighborhood…
Or up into your neighbor’s house. Then slowly steal your neighbor’s house, one board at a time, and add it to your own house!
A couple years ago someone on r/TwinCities posted about finding a boarded up tunnel in their basement. Turns out that it went to the neighbor’s basement.
Apparently they aren’t that unusual in certain neighborhoods with houses of a certain age - they were used historically to move coal for heating the houses.
Prohibition. secret escapes, secret stashes. Moved quick when the need arises
And also probably to fuck the dude’s wife
Or to fuck the dude.