The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-04-20

him wren he e78fsssisdr iRhillzsl -rz1s an
Irishrn an with al De brighinsss Of his race.
He setur HE siill st Berlin and supPleraensed
bis occupation IS nsskcs OF whisky y that
OF peddler. making periodical trips to Car
iisle, where be purchased his goods ~.
About this time alan By the name Of
Herman Husband reached this country,
Husband vas q man Of uncs1al shrewdness
as wen as Of some learning. lie was re-
U-soos ensbusiast ard rsan ready foT any
daring or ss.suai undertaking. He rsaeh-
ed this country while seeking refuge from
the esnissaries Of King George III He had
been captured By the British troops at
MeckIenbnrg \. c, and while on his way
to Baltimore for trial tied on the back Of
horse, he made his escape and struck out for
the mountains Of Pennsylvania Wien
Husband got up into the wilderness here he
found a trapper and squztter naned Sparks
he and Sparks formed a friendship snd
with an eye to business they both made
their long trip TO Harrisburg vhereihey sp-
Piled for and were granted = patent for this
whole region.
About this time the excitement over the
whisky or excise tax was spreading. Hus-
band, who was known as @TOw-sczpe," on
account Of bis escape from the troops or
his way to Baltimore, At once became tie
prophet OF the anii-excise men. Husband
was a bo-n leader and could sway these
rough mountaineers By a gesture Of his
hand. Meetings for the discussion Of the
whisky tax were now being held here as
they were all over this part Of The state
and at these Husband was always the orator
and leader. As an illustration OF how high
the feeling ran, Captain John Webster came
to Somerset after the close Of the Revolu-
tonary war and opened hotel. he vas
very digniied old gentleman, but there was
some doubt Of bis loyalty 70 the whisky
men, and in those days every man had to
show his eolors; mob collected il front Of
his house and demanded that be should de-
fac his position and was not satisfied until
he cheered for Tom the Tinker tie god
Of the anti-excise men.
The anti-excise excitement kept on grow
iEg until Washington and his forces arrived
Al Bedford in I7a3. Daring this year one Of
tie scouting parties Of the government
troops came 10 Berlin and went into bar
RACKS in an old house which is still pointed
out. Here Philson wEs captured. As the
troops marched on through Somerset, or
near here, they captured 4" ToE scspe" Hls-
band. Both were Afterwards taken 10 PHI
Aiclphia and tried and convicted Is eonspi-
r2iorz. Hlsbands health broke down in
prison and he died there By this time tie
whisky iEsaTection' was quelled and
Phfson came back . Somerset eounty, and
a an illustration thai it vas 10 disgrace 20
have taken part in the - iHsarrsciion' his
feliox-citiz.us elected him 70 congress.
Although the insurrection' vas sub
dued the making Of whisky has 70 a .arre
extent bsea kspt Up in this region. Up uall
ls5s little grain except rye vas raisst on
thess stony Eouataia sides. ard what wss
net made into bread vas siEssl useless. as
there was no msrkst f5- e. To make it In
10 shisky was considered the best thing f5-
the palh,ss sni pocEets oi The peoPie q
that Gay. There Ezs another reason fr
making it into whisky. Oar mountains
ab0Gnd IN springs Of puresi Wa.er. tLigs
Indispensable TO the making Of good
Ehi.ky.
Early in this century the tax or whisky
was removed, and every Eeli-t0-do farmer
considered still part Of the appliances of
tie household The ordinary retail price CT
whisky vas then about So cents per gallon,
and that allowed a good profit 10 the manu-
fctRFer. A 5gshsl Of re was thea W0Eth
about A. cents and would make fsom three
70 four gallons of the whisky Of that cay.
At this low price Ehiskey vas found in a.
ulost every farm house II the harvest fed
It tloved Ike water. Every coaEtry store
had il for sale Whcn = customer made a
p1rchass be vas always asked 70 take
nip" OF course with shisky % plenty
and cheap : foudnsss for i Eas cultivated
Ehich has not been entirely ou;gTown, ss
shown By the vote in this county ca tie
prohibitory amsudmeus
This open and general manufacture Of
whisky kept up until the United states reve-
nue. law went into sfsct in 1861. Il was
about this tine that Jonathan c. Hochstet-
ls- organized the famous Freandichoft'
order.
TIE moonShiner's still IS very primitive
affair He generally locates it IN some
deep rsvins, out Of sight Of Prying eyes, CT
in the cellar of h.s cabin, through which
stream from mountain spring flows. H;s
greatest tIoablei is 10 conceal the smoke from
his furnace, which la. habit Of going sky
ward IN great clouds.
The still in most cases IS s common cop
per kettle The kind found in almost every
farm house, where il IS used for boiling sp-
ple-bauer, making soap, etc. A wooden
done-shaped cup IS fixed tightly over tie
kettle, from the top Of which comes the
worm, generally Of copper. The worm
IS coiled pipe, about Al inch in diameter.
which passes through a tab Of cold water,
thereby oondeasing the vapor generated by
the boiling Of the nash The moor
sinner, when be can c do better. takes IL
old gas pipe and fIling it with sand, TO pre-
vent il from collapsing twists il srUund a
tree and makes q practical worm The
rye intended for whisky is first chopped and
then boiled with water, after the manner of
making 'mGsh.T The mash IS then PIT
into tub and sufficient quantity OF yeast
added 70 cause fermentation. here il IL per
ed to feTnent for from 4s 10 - hours 8;
a certain temperature. Tie "moonshiner.
lacking instruments, decides By the sense Of
taste when the mash, OF beer" IS ready
for the still Il is then distilled and pToduc-
es what IS known a. "singiings" or "ioE
wines" The stin IS then washed and tie
singing placed in il and redis,ilis5
This produces "doublngs- or high wines.
and, as in the case Of The beer, he decides
when Il IS what he calls ~wLisky.'a LIQUOR
Of little lower proof than marketable
whisky. The moonshiner's- mash is gen
erzIly four bushels Of re chop, which VIII
make sbou. 80 gallons Of ~bcer,' and this
when distilled viii yield from L 10 IG ga
Ions Of mountain dew -Four bushels Of
rye produced on the "moonshiners7 OEa
ground will probably cost him - cents ps-
bushel. converted into L gallors Of whisky
ard reiailed at s. per gallon, leaves him
Sl0s0 cents profit for what Is called days
run
But rye IS not the only resource OF the
"moonshiner." When fruit Is plentiful he