That's a believable story. The Burnham days were days of fear and gnashing of teeth.
I remember helping my relative to fetch car tires from the seawall to their house at Crabwood Creek during the dark of night.
You sit down to eat a meal and you are committing several offenses against Burnham's laws on unaccustomed/banned goods.
Burnham's curse had the unintended consequence of creating a Tapir town in top side.