The Portland daily press., 1891-03-16
AMONG MooNshINERs.
A Traveller In the Cumberland
Range has to Prove Up.
detroit Free Press

N0ISS ttGo rFoNG QRs
detroit Free Press.l
As was to take q short cut over a
spur OF the Cumberland mountains In
northern Tennessee Ihireda colored.by
about 15 years of:age togo a part ofthe
distance with me. He had solemn,
serious look, and Isoonsd iscovered that
he was philosopher. had been told
that there were moonshiners in the Cum
ber1ands, and that the chances were l
would be stopped and sharply inyesti-
gated. When ready to part from the
youth, Il asked:
"Do you think I'll meet any moon
shinersT
"Dat depends, sah."
son what?'
'sOn whedder somebody hidin' behind
de bresh or rocks doan' pop you ober be-
fo' you kin meet. If he'un's gum hangs
fab yo'un will probably meet"
Itwas a. hot day in July, but asked
him if he thought the weather would
hold, and he looked at the sky and re-
piled:
"Doan' want to say, sab. If you
should hold, you'n wouldn't give memo
credit; and if it should snow, you,n
would crss me all day. Good day, sab.
Keep to the right arter you cross de
branch. If dat doan' bring you out, den
cum back an keep to de1eft."
I had gone about mile when the trail
branched, and after debating the case
1 took the right hand again and went
forward, with the comfortable feeling
that / had half9of a big state at my per-
sonal disposal to get lost in.
IN A STRANGE PLACE.
The path suddenly ended, and about
that time mountaineer stepped from a
thicket on my left and confronted me,
and inquired:
"Whar' from, stranger
told him.
"What you'n DOM hyarY
travelling"
''Look hyar!" he said, as he came near
er. "You's kin either prove UP or ys
can't"
''That's So"
"You's either all right or you's cum
fussin'."
"Wellr'
''Kin ye prove up?"
"Tll try"
"Then walk along"
He walked beside me, or behind me,
through thickets- and over rough ground
to shanty just at the mouth of ravine.
There was man, a woman and a boy Of
II there, and my nose detected the odor
of still. The three people mentioned
stood at the door as we came up, and the
man queried of my conductor:
"Who's he'un?'
"Gwine ter prove up"
sat down on a rock, and, leaving the
boy to watch me, the other three with
drew few yards and held consulta-
ton. This lasted about five minutes,
and when they returned the man who
had captured me said:
"We 'uns is agreed on it. You's either
revenue or not. You's kin prove up or
ye can't"
''Can any or you reads'' asked.
eve kin or we can't" replied the
woman, who was smoking plug tobacco
in clay pipe.
swell, perhaps you've heard of - at
Monroe?"
1--WE mought or we moughtn't," re-
Piled the husband of the woman.
PROVING UP.
"Well, here's a line from him. If
you are moonshiners you have sold him
whisky, and know him to be all right.
Here's my card, here are letters addressed
to me at Monroe, and you can overhaul
my knapsack."
They couldn't read line of writing,
and put up a job to catch me. After
consulting together a bitthe woman said:
"What did you say he'uns first name
was-George or William?
Neither one;- ats Henry"
"And does he'm live in single or
double log housed"
sIn frame house."
(Which eye is .he'un bhnd-inP'
"Neither one. Come, now, he's big.
fieshy man, wears long whiskers, is bald
on top of the head, and has front tooth
out. His wife is little cross eyed wo-
man and has two children"
That settled it, and was at once given
| bite to eat andztold to make myself at
home. l had some tobacco for the man
and pins Sand needles for the woman, and
the present of harmoncan set the boy
wild with delight.
"'Sposin' you'n hadshot he'un down
thar!" suggested the-woman to my cap
/ tor.
"Then he'un would hev bin dead, of
co'se," he calmly replied.
By and by the men went up to attend
the still, and the woman unrolled the pa
per of pins to the last row, opened the
paper of needles, and, placing the two
spools-of thread beside them, she called
to the-boy:
DANNY, cum hy'ar."
"Yaas."
'Look inmy eyes"
'sYaas."
SIS fiighty?
''Skeercely, maam."
'sWel1, TIE either Tightly or the richest
woman on these yere mountain, an
wish pop would hurry back an tell me
L xv,1x;xl,p