The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1882-01-05
SOUTHERN MOONSRINERS.
A Rugged Mouutaineer's Ideas in Regard
the Future of His People.

A Rugged AIouutainecr's Ideas in Regard to
the Future of His People.
Atlantic Monthly for January.
These mountaineer5 are q race Ola risto-
Gratis. They despise the life Of towns and
cities and think the inhabitants Of such
places much inferior to themselves in wis
dom, character and happiness. They are
all Repu blicans in politics. asked the
leaders in the mountains how they could
support the political party which makes
and executes all the laws and carries on all
the prosecutions against them; but they
said: jest SO; yes, we know; but that makes
no difference. We know lot % them big
men Is pot the Gov 'ment now an runs it for
what they can steal. But we've always
voted agin them fine chaps down thar in
the towns, amt we always she'll" Both
the moonshiners aud the business men in
the towns said that the continued manu-
facture Of whisky in violation of the laws
vas partly feature of the old warfare of
the mountaineers against the civilization
instances this caste feeling seemed to be
an abstract or general idea rather than
personal feeling, as the relations between
individuals belongingto these two opposite
classes are often very kindly. But when
ever there is any display Of the patronizing
spirit, or feeling of class superiority, it is
on the side of the mountaineers.
I was soon informed of the meaning and
origin of the old mems saying, I'D orta
know, fur I've sarved my time" He was
one Of the first men ever convicted and
FINISHED under the revenue laws in that
part of the country, and he had really
aserved his time" in the Northern peniten-
tiary. On his way home he had been in
New York and Philadelphia, and had &C.
quired some definite, il not entirely cor
rect, ideas regarding northern civilization.
Neither be norany Of his class felt that there
was any degradation or disgrace involved
in their punishment for crime against the
revenue laws. They did not regard them
selves as criminals, but appeared to accept
the resulting hardships as a part Of tie
fortune of war;" They seemed to feel no
personal hatred against officers who had az
rested them without unnecessary harshness
or insult: They often used the expression,
Il amt nothing agin him. Ho only done
his duty" But their detestation Of "tha
reformer," as their phrase is, is most in
tense, and their thurst for revenge is cot
extinguishable by time.
I asked the old man if the unlawful:dis-
tllling would always be kept up. ''No,"
he said, lit wont last long. But the gov
hyar c cont y ali a-gointo Change. lisa.
goin to be most everlastin1y improved, ye
see. sha'n't never be improved; TN too
old. But the old ways is a-comin' to an
end. They's mep a-buying up THOUSANDS Of
acres Of this land. They'll be railroads
built directly hither an yam, more'nll do
ANYBODY 90 any good. They'll cut ut Of the
kr'
they'll be mean, dirty little towns laid out
all abou'. Then instid O. people drinkin'
alittle healthy whisky, as we've always done,
they'll be forty times as much miserable pi,
son. stuff sold an drunk, an whoever drinks
it II begin to see, and I reckon there will
be some mighty fine houses built som 'eres
along this river, an they IL put up big scien-
titic locks on to their doors, an thieves
II come up from Cincinnarter an Chat
noog, Gu break into em. They amt new
er bon lock Oh to a door in these noun
tajns But they's goin' to be the all-fredest
improvements about Ayur, an s'pose our
people II larn to steal too; hat to, to keep
up an live. An they'll be some O them
city women hyur, reckon, from them big
places, with their fine feathers, and their
dresses a-draggin' on to the ground. On
they'll be the devil to pay among our young
men. That's whatthey call civil cation, AIM
it, stranger? I tell ye. this country II soon be
improvin' like hell, but 7 shan's live to see
much of it, I reckon. I've pretty nigh
about sarved my time; but Of you come
round hyer in about twenty years, mebbe
you'll remember what I've said. Our folks
is been hyur nigh on to a hundred years.
an no man nd ever say that one Of the
name 'u'd lie, or that anybody ever needed
help an didn't get it from the Foljambes:
but they'll be more enterprise after awhile,
I reckon, an we'll all be a-cuttin' one an
cfhara fbroata :"