Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-03-26
From the New Moon.
IN THE TENNESSEE MOUNTAINS.

IN The TENNESSEE MUM A|hS.
Among the Red Knobs of the Tonnes
see Valley the people are mostly of the
poorer class of small farmers. Along
the railroad ''Red Knobber" is known
by the purple hue of his boots, usually
we'll stained by the hematitic dust OF
MS patrlmonial acres. Lying at the
foot of the ChiihOWee Mountains, the
rocky Businesses behind them were
long the congenial sphere of the moon
sinners hidden toll and trouble.
Little Mart Dodson bad peddled
wildcat whisky" from the time he
became able to take gallon key
along the country roads after dark. He
had been arrested, bound over before
commissioners, tried, released, or con-
victed so many times that the varied
phases of federal justice or leniency
had long lost the spice and novelty, I'M
der a nonotonous conviction OF their
tyranny and general futility, as related
10 moonshining in general and little
Mart IN particular.
But one summer there came q lady
and her daughter from Chattanooga to
board at Hawk Cliff, ragged spur of
the Chilhowees, where mineral spring
or two dubbed out from beneath the
precipices.
Mrs. Baird needed some pure whisky
for medicinal purposes. Following the
instructions of the "Widder Green"
with whom they boarded, Agnes, the
daughter of the former, left bottle and
some money one night in a cleft of 8
large rock called the Devils Anvil"
On going back the next morning she
found the money gone and the bottle
filed with "mount'in dew"
Little Mart air always up ter time"
said the Widow Green. "He gifts TO
thst thar rock every Chusd'y night ez
regular as clock-wuk."
There was no society, in social sense,
st Hawk Cliff, and Agnes, q lively girl
not yet out OF her teens, when not read
ing to or waiting upon her mother,
found herself at some loss to pass the
time. There was no one to dress for or
firt with, and the country folk, ever
suspicious of social superiority, were
shy and evasive. She sought solace II
long rambles over the mountains, and,
though warned against the danger of
getting lost ventured farther and farther,
with feminine perversity, until one day
she found herself in that unenviable
pre0lcament.
4 thunder-cloud had yelled the sun,
the blue sky was vanishing, and the
depths Of the mountain seemed 10 moan
as softly as though the earth was lever
ISL and in dread. Agnes stood at the
junction Of several winding ravines. all
equally wild and misleading, with great
forest trees frownlng over her, and with
out a definite idea as to her proper
course.
oval, mis-, air We sure huff lost, or
what air the matter ?'
The sound of any human voice YVES
welcome In that solitude. Turning, she
saw before her a short, stout, freckle-
faced young man, having a sack swung
over bis shoulder with key in each
end of it. In a few hurried words she
explained who she was, and that she
was lost.
"Yo're good three mile from the
Widder Green's" he said, "n' / was
a-goin' the yuther way"
Agnes instantly suggested pecuniary
Inducement as 2 reason for guiding her
home, but the young fellow looked at
the clouds and said hurriedly:
s.You Jest wait hyur minute"
Then he disappeared round a huge
boWlder before Agnes could remon-
strate. In two II inutes he reappeared,
minus his sack and kegs, with the re-
mark:
"Now, miss, We mus hurry ter get ter
the Hangin' Rock afore that shower
vets US. :"
They plunged into a wild gorge-the
very one Agnes would not have taken il
lett TO herself-and soon came upon q
trail that wound here and there among
the ridges, over rocks. through shadowy
laurel brakes, and across several small
brooks. The rain approached, and the
guide kept increasing his speed until
-, HI
about to ask him TO 60 slower. But al
this junction a sudden turn round q
beetling crag brought them out on q
rocky platform, fronting the valley ly-
ing along the foot OF the mountain.
Overhead the cliffs projected, 80 that
they were sheltered from the drops al
ready falling. The young man brought
her drink from spring near by, and
she sat down to survey IN security the
solid wall of gray rain now sweeping
over the Instantaneous and up the inter.
yening valley.
ST don't believe I know your name, .
she remarked, as he stood awkwardly
gazing at her upon d new revelation in
the line of feminine loneliness.
''I'm Little Mart" be replied.
ooh. to be sure; you ale the person
who put the whisky in mammals bot
tIe."
"Wal, now, miss. I'd be a purity foo
ter own up ter sech as that" he re-
turEed, with, however, very knowing
look.
81 suppose you are afraid of detec
ton; yet you need not fear me. But
don't you wish you were IN some nicel
business? Fave you ever thought OF
the trouble whisky brings upon peo
ple?"
Mart could not say that he had, yet
for the first time he felt vague shame
of his occupation, but said:
"Poor folks has ter make money
somehow 'thout stealth it"