Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-02-19
IN THE CUMBERLAND RANGE
A Traveller Falls in With Moonshiners
and Has TO Prove Up.
Dsfroff FIRE. Press

IN THE CUMBERLAND hAN0E
A Traveller Falls in with MOonshiners
and Has TO Prove Up.
Detroit Free Press
ASH was To take a short cut over a
spur of the Cumberland Mountains in
northern Tennessee, hired eolored
boy about Is years Of age to go part
of the distance with ne. He had SOL
emn, curious look, and | soon discoy-
cred that he was philosopher. | had
been told that there were moonShiners
in the Cumberlands, and that the
chances were would be stopped and
sharply investigated. When ready TO
part from the youth. asked:
DO you think I'll meet any moon
Shiners?'
'Dat depends, sab"
"On what?"
son whedder somebody hidin' behind
de breSh or rocks doan' pop you ober
befo' you kin meet. II he'un's gun
hangs fab yo'un will probably meet"
IL was hot day in July, but / asked
him If he thought the weather would
hold, and he looked at the sky and
replied:
'Doan' want TO say, sab. If it should
hold, you'n wouldn't give me no credit
aud II IL should snow, yOu'n would cuSS
me all day. Good day, sab. Keep TO de
right arter you cross de branch, II dat
doan' bring you out, den cum back an
keep to de left"
had gone about q mile when the
/ trail branched, and, after debating the
case. | took the right hand again and
went forward, with the comfortable
feeling that had half of big State at
my personal disposal to get lost in. The
path suddenly ended, and about that
time mountaineer stepped from
thicket on my left and confronted me,
and inquired
"Whar' from, Stranger"
told him.
What you'n doin' hyar?"
Travelling"
Look hyar." he said, as he came
nearer. "Iou'S kin either prove up or
We can't"
"That's SO"
'.You's either all right or you's cum
fussin'"
"Wen9"
kin We prove up"
''Ill try"
Then walk along"
He walked beside me, or behind me,
through tnickets and over rough ground
TO Shanty just at the mouth of ra-
vine. There was man, woman and
boy Of twelve there, and my nose de-
tected the odor of a 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 u rock, and leaving the
boy TO watch me the other three with
drew a few yards and held cOnSulta-
ton. This lasted about five minutes,
aud when they returned the man who
had captured me said:
I'VE 'unS = agreed on ii. Iou'S
either revenue or not. Nou'S Kin prove
up or We can't"
Can any of You read?" asked.
1--WE kin or we can't" replied the
woman, who was smoking plug tobacco
in a clay pipe.
well, perhaps you've heard OF -
at Monroe"
1--WE mought or we moughtn't, re-
piled the husband of the woman.
"Wen, here's a line from him. Ii
YOU are mOOnShinerS you have sold him
whiskey and know him to be all right.
Here's my card, here are letters ad-
dressed 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 bit the woman
said:
What did he say he'unS first name
waS-George or William"
Neither one; it's Henry
And does he'un live in a single or a
double log house,
In frame house"
(Which eye is he'un blind imp
Neither one. Come, now, he's a big,
heshv man, wears long whiSkerS, is bald
on the top OF his head and has 4 front
tooth out. His wife is little croSs-eyed
woman, and has two children
That settled it, and was at once
given bite to eat and told to make my
self AT home. l had some tobacco for
the man and pins and needles for the
woman, and the present Of a harmonican
set the boy wild with delight.
''Sposin you'n had shot 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
paper of pins to the last row, opened
the paper Of needles, and placing the
two spools of thread beside them, she
called 10 the boy:
Danny. cum hyar.
''YaaS.'
Look in my eyes.
''YaaS.n
lis flighty?'
"Skeercely, ma am.
.NNeH. r1e either Eighty or the rich-
est woman on these we're mountain an
wish pop would hurry back an tell
me which,