Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-04-16
SOUTHERN "TACKEYS."

cts,
There are few sights in the South
more entertaining, says the Greenvllle,
S, O.. correspondent of the Philadelphia
Press. than to attend the United States
court during the trial of illicit distlllers.
Such specimens of humanity as are TO
be seen here one never dreamed OF.
They are backwoodsmen, or crackers,
some of them manufacturers of illicit
whisky. no doubt; all of them belong to
what is known as the ''po' white trash,
Take the one who stands with his hands
in his pockets not dozen yards from the
courthouse window. He is raw-boned,
svarthy-lookiug and muscular, with
bronzed skin, coal-black eyes and long,
vavy hair. that falls in masses from be-
meath his drab felt hat. For some I'M
known reason, he suggests Mephis-
topheles in s'Faust," although his attire
consists of a coat and trousers of cadet
blue homespun, an unbleached muslin
shirt without a collar, cowhide boots
with wide soles, and the previously
mentioned hat of drab felt, which is
cooked on his head at semi-defiant an
gle.
In little groups about him, within a
radius of 200 yards, are sixty-seven peo-
pie, and every visible man has both
hands plunged in his pockets. There
are two women, one in bluish-purpie
bonnet, with a yellow feather, the other
a girl of sixteen, IN a calico dress and
sun-bonnet; both of them are smoking
pipesi
IF one of these s'tackeys," as they are
called here, can get both hands III his
pockets, pipe in his mouth, and can
find post or building to lean against,
he seems to be perfectly contented.
Yesterday one man took up comfor-
table position against the courthouse,
Just where he could bask In the warm
sunshine. and there he leaned and
smoked, neither talking nor, apparent
". thinking, for two hours. They tell
me here that he is fair type of the
South Carolina Crackers. But, while
these people are, to all appearances, ig-
norant to lamentable degree, many of
them are bright aud wide awake busi-
ness men.
An amusing incident occurred in Col
umbia. The daughter of one of these
illicit distillers went to dentist In that
city to have four teeth extracted. They
were back teeth and big ones too, SO the
dentist induced the girl to take gas. As
she happened to be an extremely pretty,
buxorn lass, the dentist could not resist
the temptation to steal kiss for every
tooth lie extracted, while she was I'M
conscious. 1t happened, however, that
the girl was not so much ''under the In
huence" as he supposed when he kissed
her. and she determined to "get even"
with him in a novel manner. Before
she left the office she said that she would
send the money, 50, around In the af-
ternoon, as she had left her pocketbook
at home. That afternoon a griZzled
moonshiner, who stood six feet in his
stockings and who had dangerous look
in his eye, came into the dentists room
and presented the teoth-puller with a
paper, in which the young woman had
charged him 81 for the four kisses, and,
after crediting 50 for the dentists work,
had written, Spa will collect the
balance, ST." The dentist sized FPa"
up very quickly, from the six-shooter
IN his belt to the bowie knife in his boot
leg. He paid the bill.
In the crowd around the courtroom
may be seen all sorts and conditions of
men; broken-down politicians and ex-lead-
ers sit beside the able lawyers from Col
umbia and Charleston; professional gam
blers who run their faro banks here under
the very noses of the local authorities are
''hob-nobbing" and making friends
with the ''lambs" they desire to fleece;
the Crackers" sit IN open-mouthed
amazement and admiration as the speak
er-who is urging the conviction of an
illicit distiller-pounds on the table and
stamps his feet and pours forth his food
of eloquence; the women slyly smoke
their pipes; the judge mods drowsily,
and the clerk of the court yawns, for
this is tiresome work to them; on every
side squalor reigns supreme.
The benches are dirty and uncomfort-
able, the floors are covered with mud
of that peculiar tenacious character that
abounds here, and the windows look as
If they had not been washed since that
period from which everything dates here
-ssbefo' de wah." The court has been
in session here two weeks, and during
that time nearly half a hundred illicit
distillers have been tried, and most of
them convicted.
Mountain dew they call this illicit
whisky, and it is made in a peculiar way.
The stills are located IN caves IN the
mountains, and thither the moonshlners
repair at night to ply their trade. The
corn is first ground and made into what
is called ''meal." Water is added and
the mass is cooked for long time, at
ter which barley-malt and warm water
are added. Tie 'tmash," as it Is called.
then remains undisturbed until properly
fermented, when it is put into huge
copper still and subjected to an even
heat. Pure corn whisky is the result.
When fresh the whisky looks like water,
but it is so fiery that even the iron-clad
stomach of the brawny manufacturer
cannot stand much of it. In few years
the whisky takes on golden color and
becomes more palatable, but, even then,
the novice who takes his first drink of it
will be willing to swear that he has
swallowed buzz saw.
The other day there was a revenu