The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-10-03

State Courts in South Carolina over the
shooting Of Iadd, by United States
Marshal under the suppositOn that he
was Redmond, noted Illicit distiller,
has again drawn public attention TO the
moonshncrs. These men live in the
mountains Of West North Carolina,
Northwest South Carolina, East Tonnes
see and Northeast Georgia. The country
IN wild, the soil excellent, and there is a
fair sprinkIng Of herdcrs and farmers
The people are reasonably honest and
passably industrious, but they lack Il
thorough knowledge Of farming. They
seldom manure the ground Moving
machines and cultiyalOrS are not seen,
Farmers pillow and reap, but cut the
grain with sickle, and use pillow 50
light that il can be lifted 10 the shout.
der with one hand. As the roads are
rough and the mountain streams bridge
less, their products do not reach n mar
kct. There are neither railroads or tClc-
graphs Silver is scarce, and green
backs more than scarce. Easy-gOing
lrappcrs and hunters turn farm hands n
few days IN each year. and take their
pay in produce. Houses are poorly fur
uished. Chairs with COwskin bottoms
are luxury, and guests at irstcIass
hotels usually sit upon rough board
benches while eating their meals. An
lquc clocks reach from the floor TO the
ceiling, and are wound up by pulling n
cord, lIOmc-spun garments are worn,
and the hum Of the spinning-w *
herd in every house. Most OF the travel
is upon horseback, Women ride as skill
fully rs men. The writer drove forty
miles and did not meet vehicle. The
country il not network Of turnpikcS.
Thousands and thousands Of unfcnccd
acres lie between the roads, over which
branded cattle roam at will, These lands
are rdgcd with towering mountains and
scanned with rocky dclilcs PurIing
brooks and dashing waterfalls I'll the
air with music.
The inhabitants are scIlsuStaining.
They export but little and import
port less They live on hog and hominy,
aud drink corn whisky the same AS Il
Northern farmer drinks cider. They
call it "8wcct NASH" Before the war
every man either made hi3 own whisky
or sent his corn 10 the STILL and got his
sweet mash in return, less the distiIler' =
percentage the same as a Northern
farmer runs his apples to a Cidcr-prcsS
drags his grain to gristmlIl. Whisky
was aS free ~ water II was found in
every house. Preachers, DcaCons, Church
Trustees, and their wives and dauph.
tcrs bush whackcrs and slaves drank it
as i|ngIShmcn drink beer or l'rcnchmcn
red wine. No one thought Of deCIHim-
ing against it. With possibly Il few cx-
ccptions, it was rated next TO hog and
hominy, and could be bought at from
fifteen 10 twenty cents gallon.
At the ClOsc Of the war the
honest mOu 1tainccrs heard that they
must pay n tax Of ~ u gallon III
their layorilc beverage. 1ncy were
lhundcrSlruck, The TAX seemed to
them particularly unjust. The same
rate on beer in Germany or red
wine in France, would create u rcvo-
luton. The mOuntaincers, however,
had had enough fighting. They pro-
tested and questioned the right Of the
Federal Government TO impose SO cx-
orbanl rate upon what they REGARDED
a3 a necessity Of life. State rights were
asserted, and they refused to pay the
demand. AS they were unrcprcsentcd
in Congress when the law was passed,
they quoted the example set by our
lorofathcrs when the British Parliament
imposed Il tax on tea
An army Of Government officials
IIockcd to the mountains. One by one
the welt known stills were destroyed.
Their owners couli not pay the tax, for
the most of them distilled whisky only
for consumption, and the mountainccrs
would not pay &2.25 gallon for what
they had been getting for twenty cents.
II thcy toted corn 10 the stills they
were obliged to allow the distller his
percentage and pay 81 per gallon for
its di,tiIation The whole country was
impo ,rri,hcd, and Il farmer with 50
capital was regarded with envy. There
was not enough money in the mountains
IT, buy a homestead for n freedman.
What was to be done? The whisky
must hc had. Many thought that they
could not live without it,
In all agricultural districts there are
men who have anatural dislike for farm
ing, They will hunt, fish, drive stage,
burn lime, or do amy labor except till
the H. These men came to the front.
They began 10 distiIl whisky surrcp-
ltiou5Iy, and were upheld by the com
munily, Ninc-tcnths were rollicking
Young fellows, who spent much of their
time squirrcl-shooting and patting and
dancing JUDAS. The other tenth were
grny-haircd veterans, with hawk-likc
eyes and bcaks. No fox or deer was
more wary or knew the mountains
better, Little stills came up like mush-
rooms. The work was done in lonely
dells and wild mountain gorges. On
moonlight nights the rough lavcrns