Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1879-12-11
CHILICOTHE co, MISSOURI


| "Do you see there beyond on the far
island curl of smokc?" asked the po-
theen-makcr, pointing to what | had sup
posed to be the blue mist hanging over
the lake. THAT is our island, and on it
i still, which by the blessing of God we
have run, father and son, among these
hills AMI islands for hundred years"
We descended a steep path, carved
among the bog and rocks, into a rude stair
way and arriving at the border Of the
lake, saw tethered there miserable, drow-
zy-looling pony, which could do his forty
miles with load on his back, was told,
on handful of oatmeal and a drain of
water, and moored to a clump of brush n
rickety boat, half filled with water. My
compadions set to work baillng out the
skitf while | stood in the mud, feeling my
curiosity growing cooler every moment
Before reaching the island to which the
skiff now served to carry MS, the potheen
man rose three times to his feet, at the
imminent risk of capsizng the craft. |
| learned that his movements would be ta-
ken as a signal that all was right to those
who were watching from the island; with
OFT H. all the appliances of their trade
would be hidden, and the spirits either
buried or thrown into the lake before our
arrival. On landing, we were accosted by
STRAIGHTFORWARD, widc-browed youth of
seventeen, as handsome as Apollo, but
with great deal more vivacity of express
sion. Through the deepening twilight |
descued the rank underbrush and the
long ferns forming a very romantlc-loOk.
ing retreat for so vulgar and reprehensi-
BILE an occupation rs the Illicit distillation
of whisky.
In wretched hovel, without window or
chimney, three men were seen through the
smoke, busted with the fire and the still.
They looked more like gnomcs than hui
man beings. The suifocating smoke, COM
bined with the odor of the pOtheen, was
more than my inexperienced olfactOrics
could endure, and retired prccipitatedly
to the purer air without. Here, seated on
stone, we partook Of a repast of potatoes
and buttermilk. profted by this occa-
sion to make sketch of my host, while
he entertained me with some particulars
concern & his trade. Thirty years ago,
he inior ed me, there were between forty
and fiY thousand private stills
at work il Ireland, but now there are not
many hundred, the most of it being made
by small farmers who have surplus of
grain, Although it is sold for one-half
the price Of the Parliamentary whisky"
as he termed it, the profits are still so
large that, Notwithstanding the severe
punishment inflicted on detection it seems
impossible for the government to thorough
ly eradicate the evil. The islands off the
Connemara coast are even more extensive
ly occupied in its manufacture. One OF
the principal duties of the coast-guards, |
we are told, is the prevention of illicit
distillation in the islands, and in con-
junction with the police they have to make |
visits as frequently as practicable for the |
purpose. When the chance offers, the
islanders have their stills at work, and at |
such times have sentinel with a tele-
scope on a high rock to give warning of |
the approach Of the enemy. Manpiact-
urcrs from the mainland also frequently
avail themselves of the favorable situation
Of the island to come across and make
venture. If the lookout is viglant, a
capture is rarely made. When the ap-
proach of the coast-guards or police Is
announced, the rapidity Of the WORK of
conceament is said to be marvellous.
The still Is taken to pieces and hidden
amongst the rocks or buried in the sand,
sometimes taken out to sea and sunk, with
a small floating mark attached, and the
materials secreted in various ways. Every
one gives help except the lighthouse
keeper and his assistants, as it is Il point
ofhonor to do all that is possible to out.
wit the revenue.