Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-01-30
GEORGIA DIAMONDS
A story or the Mounshiners and Thsir
More Than Peculiar WAYS.

Moro Than Peculiar WAYS.
A Georgia mineraioPist in the JcicclcIs
Weekly: The recent discovery of small
diamonds ON a farm near Atlanta, recalls
the various occurrences which have from
time to time given evidences that Hall
County contains diamond belt You may
not have heard one Of the most character
istic Of our stories.
"The small farmers who people the
broken country west of here are densely
| ignorant and intensely supcrstitious. The
little valleys are full of moonshine whisky
stills, and the deputy United States mar
shals are kept busy routing them out and
arresting their owners. The first revenue
officers that raided through Northeast
Georgia Immediately after reconstruction
were Northern men. They literally fought
| their way through the country, and never
ventured on a raid without the protection
of squad of soldiers from the Second
| United States Infantry, which command
was at that time stationed at Ringgold bar
racks, Atlanta.
"The marshals met with only Indifferent
success at first, for they were unfamiliar
with the country and the moonshiners had
them at a disadvantage. When they had
| formed some few acquaintances among the
moonshiners they were able, by the promise
of liberal pay, TO secure the services of
skilled pilots, whose cupidity outweighed
their neighborly loyalty. These apostates
were bitterly hated by the illicit distillers,
and more than one man who betrayed the
hiding place of a still was ambushed and
shot down. Others were captured, whipped
with hickory withes and so terrorized thai
they were glad to fee the country.
"Wben General JEFF. Findlay was
deputy marshal he employed pilot named
Bud Davis, who was half hunter, half
miner, a confirmed ne'er-do-well, and
familiar with the intricate topography of
the mountains. Davis guided the revenue
officers for several months, and laughed
defiantly when the threats of the men he
had betrayed came to his ears. He always
went armed, and as he was not lacking in
bravery he journeyed back and forth be-
tween his mountain home and Gainesville
in the boldest and most open manner.
"One unlucky day he accompanied
party of the marshal's men into Haversham
County, and, being not far from his home,
left them to spend the night with his fam-
ly. He must have been watched and fol.
lowed from the rendezvous of the marshals,
for he had not gone far when he was sud
denly attacked from the rear. Before he
could defend himself he was made q prs
oner. His face paled when he recognized his
captors, and he could not help shudderng
when one of the party produced rope and
proceeded to fasten it about the prisoners
neck. i reckn I'm gwine ter die said
Bud, but ye kaint hev hit ter say thet
didn't meet death like game man, He
raised his hands as though to assist
the hangman to adjust the moose,
but instead he seized a buckskin
thong fastened about his neck and drew
from beneath his hunting shirt a little
greasy bag, on which were some rude
characters that had been written in an ink
made from pokeberry juice. He flourished
this in the face of his captors. 'Ye air
set of blamed cowards,' he cried. Stand
back or I'll kunjur ev'ry mothers son of
ye.' The moonshiners, but q minute be-
fore so full of murderous desperation,
leaped away from him and huddled to-
gether. 'Cuss ye! cuss YEP snarled
Bud, and whirllng the little bag he ad-
vanced upon them. With loud cries of
terror they broke and ran as from some
terrible danger. When they were out OF
hearing Bud picked up his rifle, buckled
on his pistol belt and chuckling grimly
continued on his way.
"He was never molested again in Hav-
ersham County, for the news that he was
'kunJerer spread like wildtire and finally
reached the ears of his friends the
marshals. They questioned HIM about the
matter and begged for glimpse of the
wonderful bag; but Bud guarded it with
jealous care, contendng that if he showed
it to any one except to protect himself the
'kunjer' would lose its power.
"a few weeks afterward the marshars
men raided out toward Ducktown, Tenn,
and Bud Davis accompanied. The party
rode INTO an ambush and fierce fight en-
sued. When the moonshiners were finally
driven away it was found that the pilot was
desperately wounded. The men gathered
around him as he lay gasping for breath,
and one among them, who had been really
attached to the fellow, raised hls head. Bud
smiled feebly, and with trembling hands
drew the 'kunjer bag from his bosom.
Take hlt,' he gasped. twill fetch ye
good l-u-u-cr The balance of the word
died away in hoarse gurgle, and he fell
back dead.
"The marshal who had been bequeathed
the amulet put it in his pocket and did not
find time to examine his legacy until he
reached Atlanta. The | ag was heavy, and
he cut it open with his knife. Out fell a
half dozen bright stones. They had a Pc
cular CLINT, and the marshal took them TO
a jeweer. He pronounced them diamonds,
and they really proved 10 be these precious
stones. The marshal had them cut, and an
expert valued them at twelve hundred dol
lars. He intended to donate the money
he had received for them to Buds family.
but when he went into the neighborhood
where the pilot had lived he found that they
had moved into the far West but exactly
to what part he was never able TO learn.
"The stones were probably found in the
neighborhood, but the exact locality is not
known"