Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-06-11
AaisfellaIreo1s.
MAKING MOONsHINE WmsKEY IN THE
SPURs OF THE Blue RIDGE.

The Northeastern corner oil the state Oh
Georgia, bordering upon South Carolina
aud Tennessee, is so different from the
other portions of the State, both as to the
rugged and mountainous surface OF the
State, both as to the rugged and noun
famous surface of the country and the
peculiar people who dwell among the
charming little valleys. that it constitutes
a little Switzerland in itself. 1t is here IN
the spurs of the Blue Ridge that the
beautiful cascade, Toccoa Falls, roars
over the precIpice $50 feet and flows
through strip of country that remains
unchanged from the original home OF the
Cherokee Indian. And it is here among
the picturesque hills and valleys that the
revenue officers keep up continual
series of scouting campaigns against the
illicit distillers of corn whiskey or ''moun-
tam dew
Hidden In the shadows Of the mountains
in country sparsely populated, the
moonshiner's double -roOmed log house
fronts a mountain road that might more
accurately be termed a trail. On a little
branch or rivulet two or three hundred
wards away he selects a desirable spot
and, without clearing away the over
hanging shrubbery, plants his boiler,
worm and mash tubs. With his
distillery thus constructed, he trans
Drms from 80 to 200 bushels into whisky
according to the patronage of the neigh
bors of sympathetic iniquity. II he can
be so fortunate as to evade the officers and
dispose of his dew without detection
he thinks he has only exercised his right
as an American citizen. II he is captured
and his tempting firewater destroyed he
feels that he has been outraged and curses
the laws that destroy his freedom of ac-
ton in disposing of his own property.
asked one of these mountain men why
it was they persisted in distiling their corn.
and he replied, '.Darn it, because that's
the only way to get rid OF it. live fifty
miles from railroad market over a
mountain road, and it is worth the corn to
haul it thar"
Cant you sell it nearer home? ''
Eyes, for about thirty cents bushel."
But you haul your whiskey over these
rough roads to market, don't you"
''Yes but see here, stranger, you
amt seen the pint. can haul a hundred
dollars worth of whiskey at load, but it
pulls me like Old Harry to haul ten dol
lars worth OF corn See ?''
While these mountain men insist that
their peculiar surroundings justify them
in smuggling whiskey and avoiding the
pay of tax which cuts off the profit, the
frequent capture of the mOonshiners and
the severe penalties inflicted in case OF
conviction has greatly reduced the num-
Der within the past few years, and it is
only question of time when they will
have ntirelv abandoned the perlious bust
ness.
One of these men told me Yesterday his
experience with revenue officers up in
Habersham county last February.
lone morning." he said, Il took my
gun and went over to whar two neighbOrs
were runnin' still down on branch be-
hind the mountain When went into the
still-house and set my gun down at the
door, hadn't been there ten minutes be.
fore two men jumped from behind a clump
of bushes; one of 'em grabbed my gun,
and the other told us we were his prison
ers | saw he had us, so we didn't try to
get away When told him didn't have
nothing to do with the still, he let me off,
but he broke the boiler. poured out the
whskey, and carried the two stillers off
to Atlanta and made 'em give bond. but
amt never got my gun back yet"
why are you here at the trial to day?"
cause was subpGnaed, to appear as
witness, and had to travel bout forty
miles to get to the railroad. This is the
first time ever was in Atlanta, and
want to get away from this blasted court
bad"
"Are there many moonshiners up
there? ''
Goodies of 'em. Them people will
make whiskey on the sly, spite of Satan.
They raise plenty of corn and wheat. but
no cotton, and our only chance to make a
little cash is to make two or three barrels
of whiskey and haul it over in South Caro-
lima and sell it or keep it for the country
stores"
Don't you think they will quit when a
few more get sent to Jail for three or four
months in failure to pay the fine ?''
"Ah. dunno. Blamed if hain't seed
their wives stilling while their husbands
were in jail"
A good portion of the prisoners who
are brought to Atlanta are cleared by rea-
son of insufficient evidence. Others less
fortunate. but usually not more guilty,
are sent up for three months or fined 500.
If the offense is repeated the sentence is
Imprisonment in the government prisons.
While as rule the revenue officers make
their arrests with little difficulty after hav-
ing discovered the prey, it sometimes hap
pens that moonshiners have noticed their
movements and stand ready 20 resist. In
one instance last winter a skirmsh oc-
Cured in which an officer was wounded
and moonshiner named Hicks, was
killed. The cases recently on trial before
Judge Mccoy, in the United States Dis
trict Court at Atlanta. were largely those
of illicit distillers and the District Attor-
ney, Emory Speer, who will be remem-
bered as the dashing young Congressman
who for two terms represented the indie
pendent party of Georgia, did active SER
vice for the government in prosecuting
his former constituents.
The moonshiner in court and the wit.
nesses who are summond from his county
present an interesting scene in the court
room, which is always occupied by specta-
tors watching the processes and hearing
their testimony. They all dress alike
and the favorite costume is suit OF brown
Jeans, breeches stuffed in high topped
boots, and a wide-brimmed hat resting
upon mass of unshingled hair. They
never wear detached collar or cravat.