The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-03-25
IN THE CUMBERLAND RANGE.
Traveller Falls in With Moonshiners
and Has to Prove Up.

A Traveller Falls in with Moonshiners
and Has to Prove Up.
As l was to take short cut over q
spur of the Cumberland mountains in
northern Tennessee, hired colored
boy about Is years of age to go part
of the distance with me. He had a
solemn, serious look, and 1 soon dis
| covered that he was philosopher. l
had been told that there were moon
sinners in the Cumberlands, and that
the chances were l would be stopped
and sharply Investigated. When ready
to part from the youth, l asked:
''Do you think FL meet any moon
shiners?''
dat depends, sah."
"On what?"
ION whedder somebody hidin' be-
hind de bresh or rocks doan' pop you
ober befo' you kin meet. If he'un's
gun hangs fiah yo'un will probably
meet"
1t was hot day in July, but I asked
him if he thought the weather would
hold, and he looked at the sky and re-
piled:
"Doan' want to say. sab. IF it
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 de right arter you cross
de branch. If dat doan' bring you
out, den cum back an keep to de left. :"
| l 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 big state
at my personal disposal to get lost in.
The path suddenly ended, ard about
that time mountaineer stepped from
thicket on my left and confronted
me and inquired:
''Whar' from, stranger?"
told him.
What you'n doin' hyarpn
Travelling"
Look hvar!" he said as he came
nearer, ''You's kin either prove up or
We can't"
That's so.''
'You's either all right or you's cum
fussin'."
"Well?"
kin ye prove up?"
''I'll try
Then walk along"
He walked beside me, or behind me,
through thickets and over rough
ground to shanty just at the mouth
| of a ravine. There was a man. a
woman and boy of II there, and my
nose detected 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?"
| ~ +o,,
sat down on rock, and, leaving
the boy to watch me, the other three
withdrew few yards and held a con-
utes, 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 of you read?'' l asked.
I'VE kin or we can't" replied the
woman, who was smoking plug to-
bacco in clay pipe.
'Well. perhaps you've heard Of
at Monroe?"
1--WE mought or we moughtn't," " re-
piled the husband of the woman.
well, here's line from him. Il
you are moonshiners you have sold
him whiskey and know him to be al
right Here's my card, here are let
tiers 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 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 single OF
double log house?"
I'm frame house."
(Which eye is he'un blind IMP"
Neither one. Come now he's g
big, fleshy man, wears long whiskers
is bald on top the head, and has /:
front tooth out. His wife is little
cross-eyed woman. and has two chill
dren."
That settled it, and 1 was at once
given bite to eat and told to maxi
myself at home. had some tobacco
for the man and pins and needles fo
the woman, and the present of har
monican set the boy wild with delight
''Sposin you'n had shot he'un dowl
tharr' suggested the woman to m.
captor.
Then he'un would hev bin dead, o
co'se." he calmly replied.
By and by the men went up to at
tend the still, and the woman unrolleC
the paper of pins to the last row
opened the paper of needles. and
placing the two spools of thread besid
them, she called to the boy:
Danny, cum hy'ar."
.'Yaas."
Look in my eyes"
''Yaas."
rs l fighty?"
"Skeercely, ma'am."
well, Tze either flighty or the rich
t est woman on these yere mountain
7 an wish pop would hurry back ar
t tell me which!"-Detrot Free Press.