Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-20
FROM CURB AND CORRIDOR.
The Mountain Moonshiners of Kentucky
Where Ignorance Is Not Bliss-Cigars
Are Not shrinking-Why an Old Darkey
Laughed-Careless Handling OF Explo-

Where Ignorance Is Not BIiss-Cigars
Are Not shrinking-why an Old Darkey
Laughed-Careless Handling OF Explo-
sives.
'THE account THE DISPATCH published the
other tlav of the mob of moonshiners await
ing trial for Illicit distilling at Covington is
a mild picture of what is and has been for
many years disgrace to Kentucky and the
National Government" said Kentuckfan
who at one time served Uncle Sam as a
deputy marshal in the mountainous part OF
the Blue Grass State where moonshfners
form a heavy majority of the population.
"These ignorant mountaineers are brought
down in droves at every term OF court to
Louisville or Covington, at which the
United States Courts are held, and in
both cities the advent OF this horde
of unhappy barbarians is dreaded as small
pox epidemic might be here-only the plague
of moonshiners is fixture which no precan-
tions can prevent. The cause OF tWo-tnlros
of the arrests is that the United States mar
shall and his deputies depend upon fees for
their living, and fees can only De earned Dy
making arrests and subpnnaing witnesses.
The Marshal gets % per cent OF the Iees MS
deputies receive, and these in the moonshln-
ers' case usually amount to between S5O and
SIS. 1t is easier and less expensive to arrest
moonshiners than any other law breakers,
and, as every able-bodied man anu every
has q private still, the crop OF fees is more
certain than the corn crop by a jug full.
Kentucky Brand of Ignorance.
"Ir Is hard for q city-bred man in the
North to realize the stupendous ignorance
of these mountaineers," continued the Ken
tuckian. "They do not comprehend even in
remote degree what civilization is; their
minds are as bare as their feet, ana 1t Is
absurd to punish them for offenses against
the excise laws, absurd and useless because
their breach of the law is more technical
than real-seeing that they drink and do not
sell what they distill in nine cases out OF ten,
and that after they have served term In
Jail, for they cannot pay fines, they return
to the mountains with the tamt OF
the penitentiary and fall to making whisky
whenever it suits them. have vivid rec
sinners to Covington for trial few years
ago. There were nine of us deputies, ana
you'd think we had our hands full with
three prisoners apiece. They were men OF
them gave us the least trouble, They
seemed to regard It, indeed, rs q pleasure
excursion into regions entirely unknown to
them. Their childish curiosity and blank
city streets were pitiful Passing an ltal,
ian's fruit stand one of my prisoners espied
a bunch of bananas See thar, mister said
paws9' and at the next corner, when
we met one of Covington's bobtail
street cars drawn by mules another old fel-
low cried in amazement while all the party
halted. Lam ter goodness! that's the fust
time ever see drug store goin' round on
wheelsr-the colored lamp in the car re-
minded him of the globes he had seen on
q drug store window. If were only to save
these poor wretches from what is practically
an abominable system OF persecution
would like to see the internal revenue laws
holt Ial -,r,16 ar1x ypxya1s
Are Cigars Getting Lighter?
A RETAIL dealer in cigars said to me yes
terday: "I wonder whether the public has
tumbled to one of the results of the in
creased duty on cigars, which affects every
one who smokes the standard brands of Ha-
vana goods9 Ever since the Mckinley tariff
law went into effect the Havana manufac-
turers have been decreasing the weight OF
their cigars. The object in this move is
plain, for the cigars are taxed by weight
say an average of 81 pound on Henry Clays
and the like. l have noticed that the Ha-
vana cigars that retail at about 10 cents
straight are most affected. They have not
the same amount of filler that they used to
have, and the cigar, having something OF q
vacuum in its interior, does not smoke half
as well, but burns hotly and uneyenly: % ! 1
have heard many complaints on this score"
This complaint 1 laid before Mr. j. L. s.
Kellner who is something of cigar expert
at wholesale as well as retail, and ne said:
81 do not think there is anything IN the
story at ALL and, while am not in love with
the new taxes on cigars, don't believe they
have forced Havana manufacturers to RESORT
to such dodges as leaving out part OF the
filters There has been no change in the
weight of cigars from Havana so far as my
experience goes. There must always be- O.
variation in weight OF cigars that are made
by hand, as these which aresaid to pc get.
ting lighter are: but the variation is never
more than few ounces ut most, and as often
in the consumers favor as the contrary"
In addition to this statement Mr.. kellner
two years or more, and taking such Standard
brands as Henry Clays, Reina Victorias,
Panetelas and Conchas Especiales as ex-
amples the weight per Thousand -. clgaIrs gIc
Kinley tariff law went into effect. In some
cases the weight per thousand was an ounce
or two less, and in others an ounce or two
more. These seemed to be the customary
variation to be expected in handmade
cigars.
1t Made John Ferguson Laugh.
TRAVELLERS on the road between Sewickley
and Edgeworth the other evening mighthave
seen a colored man hopping along with the
abandon and carelessness of jack rabbit.
If the aforesaid travellers had been timid
they might have regarded the sight with
some alarm, for the gentleman of dark COM
plexion showed every sign of having on
board load OF lntONlc;' ing uuluS buI
they would have done tie somewhat ex-
cited pedestrian an injustice If they had
concluded that he was drunk. 1t was simply
a case of hope fulfilled making the heart
glad. / called to the dusky brother as he
passed and asked him whose birthday he
had been celebrating.
"Nobody's buffday, suh!' he answered
with a laugh, "but der boss he done got nah
pension terday and Use mighty glad nigsah
John Ferguson, for that is the good old
fellows name, Is ex-Speaker Henry NJ.
Longs hired man, cunning gardner, and
Jack of most all trades, who Is ending O
checkered life in the peaceful valley of
Sewickley. He was slave once on the
plantation of Bob Lee a brother Of General
Lee, in Virginia; and when the course of war
gave him his freedom he emphasized his
gratitude to his liberators by enlisting in the
Fifth Massachusetts Cavalry, with whom he
saw considerable service. He escaped sabre,
shot and shell, but caught rheumatism in
his campaigns, and of late years 1t has
crippled him so completely at times that he
has been compelled to give up his trade as q
stonemason, and take to the easier toll of
the barn and yard. Mr.. Long has been pushing
old Johns claim for years and the other day
Colonel Bayne who Is a tireless advocate of
the old soldier wherever he be, had the
pleasant news to forward OF the granting of
the pension. A goodly sum OF back pay and
So or So O month for the rest OF his life was
cause enough for the joyful progress which
old John was making when met him. DER
boss he dun got nah pensionT' he kept say
sr,rr %Nn nm hn