Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-08


Campbell, this specimen of the genus
MONO tiourished some six or eight years
ago. Believing that what he produced
ne mad perfect right TO Use when he
pleased and how be pleased, he ignored
the mandates of Uncle Sam, and, gath
erlng his apparatus for distilling "moun-
tain dew" he HE'D away to some seQues-
tered spot, where the riVulet came singing
from the mountain side, and there, sur
rounded by his friends and trusty rifle, he
piled his avocation.
Time and oft has he been driven from
his covert by the irrepressible deputies.
Anon he would see friend or perhaps
son shot down by the unerring Wtnches-
ter, but ere the clods settled above the
grave where they laid him the smoke of
his furnace could be seen ascending above
the surrounding hills, and ''corn juice"
was quietly dripping from the worm.
WHILE ON A VISIT TO THIS SECTION
in 1880 the deputies raided the neighbor-
hood of Red Oak. Coming up behind
some boys they called to them to shalt"
Seeing an armed and mounted force they
broke into run, and in an instant the
crack of dozen rifles poured forth their
deadly lead, and poor VIII Jones fell
mortally wounded. Whether he was vio-
latlng the revenue laws | know not, but
1t was said by the people OF the neighbour
hood that nobody but women and boys
need fear the valiant raiders.
In the adjoining county of Favette, some
twenty miles below Red Oak, the MOON
sinner was less molested for long time,
but the fiat was sent forth and he, too,
had to go. One OF these fellows had been
at the business for many years, and al
though he has made his antidotes for
snake bites In various places in his neigh
borhood he has never been arrested, nor,
So far as is known, has there ever been
warrant issued for him. know him we'll,
and though often having visited his still,
never knew him TO acknowledge that he
ever stilled drop. In full view of the
Savannah, Griffin and North Alabama
railroad he located his distillery. and
many gallon of "blockade'' flowed from
its capacIous mouth, unknown to the reye-
nue. gauger or the diligent deputy. Griffin
and Atlanta were his markets, and many
were the barrels OF old peach and corn that
he hid beneath his load Of fodder.
PURCHASING A PLACE.
Some six miles north of his former rem
devious he again planted his copper and
piled his loved vocation. But all was
not peace in this locality. One frosty
morning the raiders were announced in
the community, and the grape vine tele-
graph was put into requisitiOn and
worked for all it was worth. Their move
ments. were closely watched and duly re-
ported. The proprietor OF the Illicit final
ly sailed forth and. meeting the raiders,
agreed to conduct them to his former fur
mace. Accepting the offer, they journeyed
hIther, while bis boys at home tore out
the still and hid the liquor.
On another occasion. as Christmas was
approaching, our friend and several neigh
bors went forth to run their Christmas
dram. Old Jim, well known colored
character and frst-class distiller, was
taken into the copartnership. Each man
furnished his own malt, and, with the as
sistance of Jim, distilled his own spirits.
The owner of the still finished his first
and quietly conveyed it to a place of
safety. The others had their beer in fine
condition for a run. The weather was
bitter cold. The sleet had been falling
for hours. The trees were covered and
bent in every direction from the
weight of the ice. The moon
shone brightly from above, and
the lurid glare from the furnace caused
the icicles to shine and sparkle like mil
lion diamonds. No sound was heard save
the bark of some distant watchdog or the
cultural noise that emanated from old
Jim's capaci0us throat as he tried the
nectar hOt-dripping from the worm. The
white men were sitting before the fire of
the furnace warming their almost frozen
feet. Suddenly the "click, click" of
halt-dozen guns were heard. and a voice
IN a few yards cried: "Hands up, or we
will shoot" The two white men threw
their hands aloft. Jim gave utterance to
an agOnjzing grunt, took in the situation
at a glance, and, with a desperate leap,
split long crack through the frozen at
mOsphere.
EARLY NEXT MORNING
as .im's former owner came along the
road with his coored driver, Wash, out
stepped Jim fl ON the bushes skirting the
roadside. Stepping up to the buggy, he
said: MARS William, Use crucitied.''
what is the matter, jump be inquired.
"Mars William, Pse crucifed."
"Jim bin got skeered of desc reb8nue.
He bin blockadin' hcker," said Wash.
Hush, Niger replied Jim; II know
nuttin' bout maxim Ticker. [ hear UNI
say dey makes it In wurms, but | nebber
no bow dey makes 1t in wurms. Mars
William, Pse crucifed."
'Mars William" caught on, and giving
Jim some wholesome advice, proce eded
on his way. That night Jim was at his
furnace running down the beer that the
raiders, for some reason, had failed to
destroy.
The captured white men were taken to
Atlanta, but nothing could wiring from
them the names of their accomplices or
the proprietor OF the still.
have beard this mans neighbors say
that from 1868 to 1881 they could get a
drink of warm sweet mash at his house
day or night, but to-day that man ranks
among the most hOnored OF his fellow
citizens. He has ''ceased to do evil and
learned to do WE'LL" and has been honored
among his fellow men with positions of
high trust both in church and State.
IN TUE SAME NEIGHBoRHOoD
lived Jeaerson g., another frst-class
''dew' d!stiller. JET, il was SAID, could
rig up rude altar with an Old gun bar
rel, a tub and coffee pot. and in few
minutes could have 'eye-Opener' enough
TO supply the drowsy community. JEFF
kept an arsenal on small scale at his
''office," as he delighted 10 call it, and
sWore by the shades Of Cicero that no
squad OF revenue men could take
him alive. One night JEFF, in company
with a friend, went down to the ''Oflice,o
which was situated in the centre of an
almost impenetrable swamp. AS they
approached the spot in the darkness lot
of hogs suddenly broke out of the bushes
with a "booh, boohl" JEFF gave yell
and sprang out into the swamp, over
bushes, through briars, mud and
water, be finally brought up Cor DOWN
in the bottom OF a deep, bogsy ditch,
bleeding, torn and half-scared to death.
He had to keep his bed for week. But
he swore that IL he hadn't forgot he had
- l. k.,xy IA