Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-22
MOONsHINE WHISKY.
Something About the Illegal Stills
Dangers OF Attacking Them In Tonnes
.Fron, Ia .Memphis 4 ralanohs.

see.
From the Memphis a UdLanohe.
The "wild-cat' still is usually quite q
primitive affair, consisting Of copper
still Of small capacity, the necessary
worms and one or two barrels or hogs
heads in which is kept the mash. The
still is usually owned and operated by one
family, some male member Of which is
always to be found at the shed or cabin of
brush and logs in which it is located. The
corn from which the whisky is made Is
secured from the surrounding farmers or
raised by the owners, and the liquor sold
to anyone in the neighborhood who is
willing to pay soc. a gallon for it and
keep mum. BY reason of this, enabling
them to secure fair quality OF whisky
cheap, the mOOnshiner makes friends of
all his nelghbOrs, and, as a rule, they are
! ever ready to warn him Of i'm pending
danger, and at the approach OF an officer
or even a uspicious-lOOking stranger all
evidences of the still are quickly re-
moved. This fact makes it an exceeding
ly difficult task to apprehend the ViOlators
OF the law, and IL is necessary to use the
utmost caution and discretion In order TO
apprehend them at all. The chief source
OF revenue derived by West Tennessee
mOonshiners comes from the whisky they
sell TO stOrekeepers in small towns, in
dealing with whom they adopt such pre-.
cautions that while the stOTe-keeper may
have an idea, he never knows precisely
with whom he is trading.
These mOOnshine stills are great resorts
for the men who dwell in the vicinity
where they are located, and on Saturdays
and Sundays and other idle days dozens
cOngregate around them and pass the
time drinking, smoking. and telling sto.
rles. While the West Tennessee moon
sinner is fully as shiftless as his brother
In the Tennessee mountains, about whom
so much has been written, he is not near
as blOodthirsty, probably because be has
never been hunted 20 persistently, having
been allowed, in manner, 70 pursue his
business unmOlested by meddlesOme off,
cials. Hence. while many a revenue OIL
Ger has dropped from his horse dead at the
crack Of the mOuntaineer moOnshiner'B
rifle, there is but one or two instances on
record where officers have been killed In
West Tennessee.
Years ago when revenue officers hunted
the festive mOOnshiner in his lair, the
method of entrapping them was 10 induce
some one familiar with the country, gen
orally "A man who had a grudge against
the mOOushiners or some negro who
would. for a consideration. agree 10 pilot
the officers 10 the still. Then a Deputy
Marshal went 20 the town nearest the
point he wished 20 reach. and summon
ing posse started out. In all Of this IL
was necessary tO preserve the utmost Sc
crecy. as the mOODshiners invariably have
friends TO warn them. PilOted by the
guide the officers would approach until
they could see the smoke Of the still curl
Ing above the tree tops, and then charged
down. Sometimes they were successful
In capturing the men, but generally these
cut up the worm, chopped up the still,
tore down the shantY and poured out the
mash and whisky that happened 10 be on
hand.
A raid on a moonshine distlllery is al
ways interesting and exciting because
fraught with 50 much danger, one never
knowing when o ride ball will tear its
way through his body.