The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-06-23
Georgia's Mountain Mon.

of Georgia, bordering upon South Caro-
lima and Tennessee, is so different from
the other portions of the State, both as
to the rugged and mountainous surface
of the country and the peculiar people
who dwell among the charming little
valleys, that it constitutes little SwitZ-
erland in itself. 1t is here in these spurs
Of the Blue Ridge that the beautiful
cascade, Toccoa Falls, roars over the
precipice 1S0 feet and flows OH through
a strip of country that remains unchang-
ed from the original home of the CherO-
kee Indian. And it is here among the
picturesque hills aud valleys that the
revenue officers Keep up a. continual
series Of scouting,eampaigns against the
illicit distillers ofCorn whisky or ''moun-
tain dew.''
Hidden in the shadows of the mnrn-
tain i'll country SparSely POPULATED.
the mOOnshiner'S d0uble-roomed log
house fronts a >mountain road that
might more accurately be termed q
trail. On little branch or rivulet two
or three hundred yards away he selects
a desirable spot and, without cleaning
away the Overhanging shrubbery, plants
his boiler, worm and maSh-tubs. With
his disCillery thus constructed he trans
forms from fifty to two hundred bushels
of corn into whisky, according to the
patronage of neighbors of sympathetic
iniquity. If 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 Amer.
lean citizen. II he is captured and his
tempting fire. water destroyed he feels
that he has been outraged and curses
the laws that destroy his freedom of
action in disposing of his own property.
[ asked one Of these mountain men
why it was they persisted in distilline
their corn, and he, replied, "Darn it. be-
cause that's the only way to git rid of it,
live fifty miles from arailroad market,
over mountain road, and it's worth
the corn to haul it thar"
'Can't you sell it nearer home?n
"G es, for about thirty cents a bushel."
"But you haul your whisky over these
rough roads to market: don't you?n
eyes; but see here. stranger, you amt
seed the pint. I can haul hundred
dollars worth Of whisky at load, but
it pulls me like Old Harry to haul ten
dollars worth of corn. See2''
While these mountain men insist That
their peculiar surroundings justify them
in smuggling whisky and avoiding the
payment 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
number within the past few years, and
it Is only question Of time when they
will haze entirely bandoned the perilc-
Gus business.
n th0Un tNl
his experience with revenu officers up in
IIabersham county last February:
Gone mornings" he said, 81 took my
gun and went over to whar two neigh
bors were rlinnin' q still down on a
branch behind the mountain. When l
went into the still-house and set my gun
down at the door, hadn't been thar
ten minutes before two men jumped
from behind clunp Of bushes; one of
'em grabbed my gun and the other told
us we We're bis prisoners. ! saw he had
us, so we didn't try to getaway. When
/ told him ] didn't have nothing to do
with the still, he let me Off, but he broke
the boiler, poured out the whisky and
carried the two stillers off to Atlanta
and made 'em give bond, but l ain'L
never got my gun back yit."
why are yon here at the trial to-
dayp"
"Cause was subpoened to appear as
q witness, and had to travel bout for
ty miles to get to the railroad. This is
the first time l ever was in Atlanta, and
1 want to get away from this blasted
court bad"
care there many moonsbiners up
THEREOF
Goodies of lem. Them people will
make whisky on the sly, spite Of Satan.
They raise plenty OF corn and wheat,
but no cotton, and our only chance to
make little cash is to make two VI
three barrels of whisky and haul it over
in South Carolina and sell it or keep il
for the country stores"
"Don't you think they will quit when
a few more get sent to jail for three o.
four months iii failure to pay the fine" "
"Ah, / dunno. Blamed if l ain't
seed their wives stillin' while their hus
bands were in jail"
A good portion Of the prisoners who
are brought to Atlanta are cleared by
| reason of insufficient evidence. Others
| less Fortunate. but usually not more
guilty, are sent up for three months OF
fined a hundred dollars. If the Offence
is repeated the sentence is Imprisonment
in the government prisons.
While as a rule the revenue officer
make their arrests with little difficult,
after having diecovered the prey, j
sometimes happens that moonshiner
have noticed their movements and stalt
ready to resist. In one instance las
! winter n skirmish occurred in which al
| officer was wounded and a moonshiner
| named Hicks, was killed. The case!
recently on trial before Judge Mccoy
in the United States District Court a
Atlanta, were largely those Of illicit dis
tillers and the District Attorney, Emor!
Speer, who will be remembered as tht
dashing young Congressman who fo
| two terms represented the Independent
party of Georgia, did active service fo
the eoverment in prosecuting his formc
constituents. The moonshincr in cour
and the witnesses who are summoned
from his county present an interesting
scene in the court room, which is al
ways occupied by spectators watching
the processes and hearing their testi
mony. Thcy all dress alike and tin
fayorite costume is IA suit of brown jean
breeches stuffed in high-topped boots
and wide brimmed hat resting upon
mass of umshingled hair. They neve
wear adetached collaror crayat. Whel