slowmoving What I’ll do is post a link to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and if you hit enter, then search for “faggot bundle” you’ll get 10 hits. Some are good, some bad. Most are in the mid-1800’s. But it would typify what I was trying to say.
I didn’t mean to imply that the average American went around using bundle of faggots in everyday speech. And, I’m sure you’re right that around the turn of the 20th century, it was a less likely know useage than 50-100 years before.
It was certainly a rather more Britishism than an Americanism.
Mon Ami, you raise a good point, and good for you. Doubtless, you are correct, as is SlowMoving when he remarks “salacious stories travel better than the mundane truth.” But it reminds me of the old joke about the American couple visiting Scotland. (Or Ireland. Or Arkansas, take your pick…)
They meet an old man outside the pub, lamenting into the gutter, and enquire after the source of his sorrow.
“My name is Angus MacBride. Angus the builder. But nobody calls me 'Angus the Builder.”
“Why not?”
"See that bridge? I built that bridge. But does anyone talk about it? No. See that awning? I built that awning. But does anybody remember it? No. I could point out to you dozens of things in and around this village that i have assembled wit me own two hands. But does anyone remember oul Angus for that?
“No. You have sex with ONE GOAT and…”
Ah, now you are truly a doper. You have brough up goats and sex in the same sentence. Welcome! :eek: 
You know that’s why Scots wear kilts, don’t you? We’ve learned that the sheep can hear a zipper.