Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-21
IN THE CUMBERLAND RANGE.
A Traveller Falls in With Moonshiners and
Has to Prove Up.


Has to Prove Up.
From the Detroit Free Press.
As was to take a short cut over spur Of the
Cumberland mountains in northern Tennessee
l hired a colored boy about fifteen years of age
to go part of the distance with me. He had q
solemn, serious look and soon discovered that
he was philosopher. had been told that
there were moonshiners in the Cumberlands
and that the chances were would DO stopped
and sharply investigated. When ready TO part
from the youth, asked:
"Do you think I'll meet any moonshiners?''
"Dat depends, sah."
"On what?'
"On 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
win probably meet"
It was hot day in July, but I 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; and if il
should snow, you'n would cuss me all day.
Good day, sab. Keep to de right arter you
SSGgsk de branch. If dat dosn' 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 q thioket on my
left and confronted me and inquired:
"Whar from, stranger"
told him.
"What you dom hyarf"
Travelling"
"Look hyarr" he said, a. he came nearer.
"You's kin either prove up or ye can't"
THAT'S So"
'You's either all right or you's cum fussin' ~
''WellY'
. ..KIp t ys prove upS"
'sFhen walk along"
He walked beside me, or behind me, through
thickots and over rough ground to shanty
just at the mouth of q ravne There WAS
man, woman and boy Of twelve there, and
my nose detected the odor of q still The three
came up, and the man queried Of my con-
ductor:
who's he'un?"
"Gwine to prove up
sat down on a rock, and leaving the boy to
watch me, the other three withdrew few
about five minutes, and when they returned
the pan who had captured me said:
nE'Meuns is agreed on it. Yous either rev.
enue or not. You's can prove up or ye can't. "
Can any Of you read?" asked.
eve kin or we can't" replied the woman, who
well, perhaps you've heard of-s at Mon
roe?''
1--WE mought or we moughtn't," replied the
husband Of the woman.
''Weii, here's line from him. If you are
moonshiners yon have sold him whisky and
know him to be all right. Here's my card, here
are letters addressed to me at Monroe and Won
can overhaul my knapsack.'
They couldn't read line of writing and put
up q job to catch me. After consulting to-
gether bit the woman said:
"What did you say he'uns first name was
George or William?''
Neither one; it's Henry"
land does he'un live in a single or double
log house?"
''In a frame house,
(which eve is cum blind imp
Neither one. Come, now, he's big, feshy
man, wears long whiskers, is bald OH top Of the
head and has a front tooth out. His wife is q
little crosS-eyed woman, and has two chill
dren''
That settled it. and was at once given bite
to eat and told to make myself at home I had
some tobacco for the man and pins and needles
for the woman. and the present Of harmonica
set the boy wild with delight.
''Sposin' you'n had shot he'un down thar -
suggested the woman to my captor.
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 nnrolled the paper 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 hyar."
"Yaas."
Look in my eyes"
2r'Y;is."
"Is fighty?''
'Skeercely, ma'am."
swell, fze either Eighty or the richest
woman on these yere mountain, an wish pop
would hurry back an tell me which,"