Just a suggestion - He was the storehouse for a distillery. "Jack" refers to applejack, used for making hard cider. He didn't necessarily make the cider, but he "kept" or stored the product. The jack was the apple cores all ground up an left to ferment for a few weeks prior to making the hard cider, which would then sit for months to produce cider, wines, or even liquors. If the business was legit, a license would need to be issued; if not it was moonshine.