The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-20

J arrives a.raid' sets ont on forced march. II .
friend Of the moonshners fnds out what is going on
he leaps into some by-path cuts across ridges and
scales mountains in order to give the alarm
OF danger before the raiding party shall arrive.
II this does not happen there Is proba-
bity that pickets VIII be out guarding every
approach to the dstillery. To avoid the possibility
OF running into these pckets the officers Chamber
over rugged bluffs and ridges. in order to approach
the spot by unexpected routes. II watchdog hears
the footsteps OF the officers as they creep through
tho fields woodlands, a howl is set up and an
swered all along the line unit. the entire community
OF dogs are barking vigorously. When this barking
of dogs begins every mothers son of the entire
lnoonshine tribe is al the watch, and If
the real danger is discovered horns blown. and
guns fired, to give the alarm to those engaged at the
dstillery To avoid detection from all these various
sources the officers must travel through unbroken
forests. avoiding roads altogether, and endure great
hardshps in order to effect complete surprise II
successful raid is made and an attempt the part
of the officers to carry the captured still. whiskey.
the alarm in all directions. and if force
OF sufficient strength can be mustered to
outnumber that OF the revenue collector
pursuit is made the object OF which is to recapture
the articles seized and the prisoners if have been
arrested. For fenr of injnrng their own men these
rescuing parties never fire into party OF officers
bearing Prisoners except it be to lire into the air in
order to confuse the guards and thus create an OPP
portunity for the escape of the prisoners.
II is extremely difficult to procure tine services Of
reliable guides in this work as men who live near
enough the infested sections understand the trails,
paths and winding mountain roads are too apprehen-
sve OF harm at the hands of the vengeful moon.
sinner. And these fears well grounded. No form
OF retribution seems for this class of
to visit their enemies. The who betrays their
haunts expect his stock killed his building set
on ire by night. II officer leaves his horse
hitched in order to make search in the woods
foot il is possible that he will lind his animals
throat cut when he it. There is a class of
rowing and totally irresponsible men about these
mountain neighborhoods who have scruples at
violations OF law If bill OF indictment is found
against of these he evacs by shying about
from house to house; scouting in the woods by day
and sleeping at night where it seems safest for him
to do so.
In the search For distilleries if guides cannot be
obtained, the officers must trust TO their skill in
locating Them Certain points always guide them in
these searches through Wild. unfrequented noun
tans. II rivulet of running water is found coming
down from very obscure dark and wild ravne, it is
closely examined for of still slop, for the
path which would make in passing to and
from a distillery Hogs are always kept near these
institutions to consume the still sop. and their
sqnealngs often betray their whereabouts The hog'
path also leads to the retreat of the moonshiner.
Another guide is the smell Of still-beer slop. &c.
arising from the works. At night the fire kept
burning under the still often leads to discovery.
ExpEDIENTs THE INCONSISTENCIES.
The persistent violator will resort to many devices
before he will suffer defeat. IL still is destroyed
and another cannot be had with which to replace it
il often that common cooking pots
used for sitting and gun-barrels are substituted
cellars, kitchens or smokehouses. Wooden
boxes lined with zinc, often used for stills Pro-
fessional tinkers go about these mountains, who
make business OF patching up stills which have
become burned out have been cut to pieces by the
of the collector. 1t is sometimes thought
that this brush whiskey is of superior kind. owing
to the absence of This is an erroneous
idea. this whiskey is always made in great hukry
and is improperly distilled.
GENERAL SMASH.
When moonshne distillery is found by the COZ
lector i'll these widernesses of underbrush, laurel
tickets &c., general smash is made of it, since il
would be impossible to the property to the gov
The still is cut to pieces with The
hoops cut from the tubs and the still-beer al
lowed to out. When the work Of destruction is
the hogs squealing, to the feast of flowing
beer.
In sections where these violations go on undis.
turbed for any considerable length of time the most
wretched state of social anarchy results. The fluid
is peddled out at cheap figures. Men and boys be-
dissipated to alarming extent. Public meet
ings annoyed by free fights. Stillhouse broils
and moonlight murders are common. High hopes
are generally entertained that the present Commits
sioner, Mr. Raum, will, by his manifest energy.
break up this lawessness in the mountainous dis
trcts of the country; yet it will be wonder If TINS
is accomplished permanently without the aid of
considerable force of regular scouts kept in the field
constantly.