The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-12-03
THE FORBIDDEN INDUSTRY.
CAtching Moonshiners--D Dtsadv 4ataEes o
Law and Order In Contest With In
tersst aud LaWlessneas

Law and Order in a Contest viz In
terest aud LaUlessness
In 1873. when the active raidInc against
moon~hiners mmenced there ware
l,O24 stills seized, and Twenty-Five officers
OF the government were killed or wound
cd. Since then the seizures and casual
ties decreased down to the Commence
ment OF the last fiscal year.
One hundred and niuetv-nina s.yus
were seized in 1884 In Georgia. North
Corolina and Tennessee, the centre of
the moonshinc territory. the mountains
where these three States meet being the
toughest country in the world.
The moonshinors are as poor as church
mice ana live at the foot OF the noun
talns and in the mountains' valleys.
These valleys are fertile and the farms
productive, corn being the principal
crop. There are no railroads near and
the wagon roads are rough. often only a
halt-beaten track showing that a road Is
intended. -
These people have 10 means Of taking
thelr produce to the markets, therefore
they make the most of tkcir crops which
ever way they can. The most abundant
crop, corn, they find the most profitable
one, when converte 1 into whisky.
they cannot afford TO turn out fuice
and pay the internal revenue collector
the tax of 81 a gallon, so they sell il
without paying the tax and only the
march OF civilization can effectually stop
II. They were always firm believers in
Alexander II. Stephens, who once
said:
II q man can take his corn to the
mill and have Il ground into a little meal
without paying q tax, he is Clearly enti
tied to turn 1t into a little whisky With
out paying a tax"
The moonshiners hold that they have
n n HHFV- RI g. a
tax, and propose to do so, and in fact
carry out their Views.
Many OF them were loyal during the
war. Before the war there was no vybis
Ky tax; and why they should submit to
such tax since the war Is beyond their
reasoning. They are for all practical
purposes banded together. for tho-e who
do not distill encourage those WHO do.
These denizens of the mountains are
the most dangerous class Of law-break-
ers; those near their base have not the
facilities for escape and resistance. In
making warfare upon the former the
work must be quick, decisive and accur-
ate, and the retreat rapid. The blow
must be struck and the retrentlnr, marty
has to retreat with speed. II the oricers
do not get away rapidly they are picked
on by the mountain sharpshooters as
they retreat.
In the attack upon any number of
moonshiners gathered together there
must be a surprise. 1t is a rushing and
exciting warfare. The government Of
hcers find the greatest difficulty taking
out prisoners captured. as an attempted
rescue follows nearly every capture.
In the mountains the faVoriie location
for crooked whisky is nelr a sheet OF
water and only accessible bv f.. The
still is placed under cliffs tnat cannot
be descended from above "a approached
from the sides; only apProachable over
the wafer.
Other less favored locations are no,,ks
In the rocks and under embankments In
the deep brush. Further down the
mountain the unfrequented wood near a
stream il the favored spot
IHc stills vary in capacity from a gal
Ion u Philadelphia News