The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-04-27
AMONG MOONSHINERS.
a TRAVELLER IN THE CUMBERLAND
f, RANGE HAS TO PROVE UP.


Shot Before Identification.
As l was to take short cut over a
spur of the Cumberland mountains in
northern Tennessee 1 hired colored boy
about Is years of age to go part of the
distance with me. He had solemn
serious look, and soon discovered that
he was a philosopher. 1 had been told
that there were moonshiners in the Cum
berlands, and that the chances were l
would be stopped and sharply investi-
gated. When ready to part from the
youth, asl;ed
''Do you think I'll meet any moon
shiners?"
s'Dat depends, sah."
stOn what?"
''On whedder somebody hidin' behind
de bresh or rocks doan' pop you ober be-
fo' you kin meet. If he'un's gun hangs
fab yo'un will probably meet
1t was 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 me no
credit; and if it should snow, you'n
would cuss 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 de left
1 had gone about mile when the trail
branched, and after debating the case
/ took the right hand again and went
forward, with the comfortable feeling
that L had half of 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
I told him.
'What you'n doin' hyarT
Travelling"
"Look hyarr' he said, as he came near
er. "You's kin either prove up or ye
can't"
: '.That's So.
''You's either all right or you's cum
fussin''
"Well?'
t'Kin ye prove upT
"Pll try
s sThen walk along"
He walked beside me, or behind me,
through thickets and over rough ground
to a shanty just at the mouth of ravine.
a
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'unY' +"
''Gwine ter prove up"
sat down on 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:
1--WE 'uns is agreed on it. You's either
revenue or not. You's kin prove up or
We can't
"Can any of you read?" asked.
I'VE kin or we can't" replied the
woman, who was smoking plug tobacco
in a clay pipe.
well. perhaps you've heard of - at
Aonroe?"
1--WE mought or we moughtn't." re-
piled the husband of the woman.
PROVING UP.
well, here's 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 job to catch me. After
consulting togethera bit the woman said:
"What did you say he'uns first name
was-George or William
Neither one; it's Henry"
'tAnd does he'un live in a single or
double log house?'
SIN frame house,
(which eye is he'un blind inT'
ssNaithar ono Coma poxr, ba,c l,;rr
feshy 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
a bite to eat and told to make myself 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.
's'Sposin' you'n had shot he'un down
tharP' 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 in my eyes"
''Yaas"
sis fiighty?"
'tSkeercely, ma'am."
well, rze either 1ighty or the richest
woman on these yere mountain, an !
wish pop would hurry back an tell me
whichr'-Detroit Free Press.