Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-09-12
On the Path Below.

trail. The cabin stood just off the
road, and all around it was silent anC
dark. 1t has always been wonder
that his dogs did not attack me. He
had three, and they were as cross and
Grabbed as old bears. They came
running down the trail to meet me
growing and barking, but as soon as
they came up they made friends
They were playing around me when ]
stood in front of the cabin and called
"Hello youl hello hello p
In about minute voice answered
"Who is yer, an what's wanted !"
stranger in search of lodgings"
He seemed to doubt it for he made
no immediate reply. After long
minute heard a woman arguing:
~ tell ye he must be all right. II
he wasn't them dogs would hev de.
voured him !"
"Wall, come in !" called the man
and l stumbled along to the cabin tc
find him in the half open door with
his rife in his hands. My explana
tions soon satisfied him that | was all
right, and he struck light, piled
some blankets in corner, and said
Stranger, that's the best lop l kin
fix ye off.hand. Jist tumble down
an doan' worry about nothin'."
was soon fast asleep, having moth
ing to keep me awake. Right in the
heart of the grim old mountain
among people whose faces l had only
glanced at-among men who settle
disputes with knife or bullet-entire.
ly at their mercy and in their power
if they wanted to rob or kill-and yet
there was no cause to be afraid. When
you are the guest of a mountaineer
you are safe.
Next morning | found the family
to consist of husband, wife and three
children. The oldest of the three
children was boy of twelve, who
had killed his bear and was dead
shot. AS soon as had looked around
me l knew tbats distillery could be
found near by. After breakfast Bur-
ton pumped me for few minutes,
sized me up in his mind as 20. K"
and said
"Come up with me and see the boys.
And 1 want to tell you that we've
been expectin' visitors fur the last
two days, an we may have scare
before night"
"What sort of visitors ?"
Omitted States chaps arter our still.
They've had spy in yere trying to
locate it. We saw him twice yester-
day."
There were three other men at the
still, which was hidden away in
dark and rugged ravine, approached
by footpath which could be ambush
ed at every rod. All the corn was
"toted" on the mems back over this
path, and the kegs of whisky were
slung to pole and carried between
two men. The still was perfect, but
small, and in the five or six months
it had been in operation the men had
not made the wages of mechanics. l
asked one of them how long since he
had had fve.dollar bill, and he
squinted his eyes, counted his fingers,
scratched his head and finally replied:
Wall, stranger, you remember the
battle of Stone River I"
Eyes"
"A right smart ago, wasn't it ="
"Yes twenty-five years ago"
"Wall, jist arter that fight | had a
fve-dollar bill, an that's the fust and
last time"
What money they made by illicit
distilling went for boots and shoes,
clothing of the plainest kind, tinware,
tobacco and tea. One Of them had
had three pounds of brown sugar in
his house within year. The others
had not had an ounce, one had not
tasted tea. coffee, sugar, wheat bread
or fresh meat (outsde of wild meat)
for over two years.
The still was about mile from the
house.
If any stranger came by the trail
one of the dogs was sent up the ra-
vine with piece of cloth tied to his
neck. Half way between the two, as
l discovered later on, was another
path intersecting. This came out of
another ravine, and was used by the
men only occasionally. The boy was
stationed at this intersection to watch
both paths and give an alarm if any
danger threatened. 1t was about IL
o'clock in the morning when he came
running in and said:
"Spy coming, pop"
Then an ins tantaneous and terrible
change took place in the bearing of
the men. We had been lying about
at ease, every man seemingly having
a heart full of kindness, but this an
nouncement started a blazing fire in