Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-02-02
GEORGIA DIAMONDS.
a story Of the Moonsbiner- and 1heh
More Than Peculiar ways.

"A
Weekly: The recent discovery Of small 1
diamonds on a farm near Atlanta. recalls /
the various occurrences which have from
time 10 time given evidences that Hall I
County contains diamond belt. You may
not have heard one Of the most character
istic Of our stories.
The small farmers who people the
broken country west Of here are deusely
ignorant and intensely superstiuous. The
little valleys are full Of mOOnshIne whisky
stills. and the deputy United States mar
shals are kept busy routing them out and
arresting their owners. The first revenue
officers that raided through Northeast
Georgia Immediately after reconstruction
were Northern men. They literally fought
their way through the country, and never
yentured On a raid without the protection
Of a squad Of soldiers from the Second
United States Infantry, which command
was al that time stationed al RinggOid bar
racks, Atlanta
The marshals met with only Indifferent
success at first, for they were unfamiliar
with the country and the mO0nshlners had
them at a disadvantage. When they had
formed some few acguaintances among the
mo0ushincrs they were able, by the promise
Of liberal pay, 70 secure the services Of
skilled pilots, whose cupidIty outweighed
their neighborly loyalty. sThese apostates
were bitterly bated by the illicit distillers,
auI mere taAa one man who betrayed the
hiding place Of a still was ambushed and
shot down. Others were captured, whipped
with hickory withes aud 80 terrOriZed thas
they were glad 70 fee the country.
when General JET. Findlay was
deputy marshal he employed pilot named
Bud Davis, who was half hunter, half
miner. confirmed ne'er-do-weu, and
familiar with the intricate topography Of
the mountains Davis guided the revenue
officers for several months, and laughed
defantly when the threats Of the men be
had betrayed came TO mis- ears. He always
went armed, and as be was not lacking in
bravery he jOurneyed back and forth be
tween his mountain home and Gainesville
in the bOldest and most open manner.
"One unlucky day he accompanied
party OF the marshals men INTO Hayersham
County, and, being not far from his home,
left them % spend the night with his fami-
ly. He must have been watched and fol-
lowed from the rendezvous Of the marshals,
for be had not gone far when he was sud
denly attacked from the rear Before he
could defend himself he was made a pr1s-
OuEIs hlh ldLE PdAth NAlGiA nI lGABE AaIGA AAAa
captors, and he could not help shuddering
when one Of the party produced rope aud
proceeded TO fasten il about the prisoners
neck. 4 reckin I'm gwiue ter die said
Bud, but ye KANT hev hit ter say thet
didn't meet death like a game man He
raised his hands as though 10 assist
the hangman to ADJUST the moose,
but instead he seized a buckskn
thong fastened about his neck and drew
from beneath MS hunting shirt a little
greasy bag, on which were some rude
characters that had been written In an ink
made from pokeberry juice. He iourished
this in the face OF bis captors. 'Ye air a
set Of blamed cowards,' he cried. Stand
back or I'll kunjur ev'ry mothers son Of
ye' The mOOnshiners, but a minute be-
fore so full OF murderOus desperation
leaped away from him and huddled to-
gether. 'Cuss ye! cuss yer snared
Bud, and whirlIng the little bag be ad-
vanced upon them With loud cries Of
terror thew broke and ran as from s0ne
terrible danger. When they were out Of
hearing Bud picked up his rife, buekled
on his pistol belt and chuckIing grimly
continued on his way.
He was never mOlested again in Hav-
ersham County, for the news that he was a
'kunleTer spread ike wildtre and finally
reached the ears OF his friends the
marshals. They questioned hum about the
matter and begged for a glimpse ot the
wonderful bag, but Bud guarded 10 with
jealous care, couteudIng that II he showed
Il 10 any one except 20 protect himself the
'kuujer' would lose is power.
a few weeks afterward the marshars
men raided out toward Ducktowp, Tenn,
a D
rode into an ambush aud a fierce light en-
sued When the mOoushIuers were finally
driven away II was found that the pilot was
desperately wounded. The men gathered
around him as he lay gasp.ug for breath,
and one among them, who had been really
attached 20 the fellow, raised als head Bud
smiled feebly, and with trembling hands
drew the kunier bag from his bosom
Take hut he gasped. Twill fetch ya
good l-u-u-cn The balance Of the word
died away in a hoarse gurgle, and be teI
back dead.
The marshal who had been bequeathed
the amulet put il 10 his pocket and dld NOT
ind time 10 examine ms legacy until BE
reached Atlanta The gag was heavy, aud
he cut IL open with has knife Out ZEN a
half dozen bright stones They hal a pc
cular ghnt, and the marshal took them tl
lcweler. He pronounced them diamonds.
and they really proved 20 be these precious
stones. The marshal had them eat. and on
expert valued them az twelve hundred da.-
lars. He lntended % donate tue money
he bad received for them 20 Buds ftu.y
but when be went into the ueiElbrr1a.I
where the pilot had lived be found th.tr.ev
had moved into the Gar West out exactly
70 what part be was never able 10 learn
The stoaes were probably found 10 the
neighoorho0d, but The eXac. locality IS not