The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1893-05-25

the successful making of 'moonshine"
is far too expensive to risk losing, and
owners take great pains to keep its
whereabout secret known only to
themselves. The still is usually sit
uated deep In some cave whose en-
frances are so carefully hidden that a
person might walk within a yard of
one and never suspect its existence,
where a stalagmite INSTRUCTED corridor
gives draught like that of pair of
bellows to the glowing fires, and
where a natural or artificial opening
gives exit to the smoke and steam.
The operating of the still is carried on
only at night, SO that no tell-tale line
of smoke shall attract too curious eyes.
The product of the coiled worm is
stored in such natural storehouse,
often remote from the place of its
birth, and there kept until again trans
ferred, this time to the place where t
is measured out in tin cups, bottles OF
jugs to the ever thirsty mountaineer.
As long as this method for its dis
position is pursued, the moonshlner is
practically safe, but after the still has
been in active operation for some time,
and considerable of its product has
accumulated, the owner looks around
for broader field of usefulness. ,
and this, sooner or later, is almost al
ways the cause of his downfall. Be
ginning in a quiet way to sell to deal
ers in the nearest town, he becomes
emboldened by success, tries Ctht +
towns, and at last, disregarding all Of
his former caution. runs plump into
the arms of revenue collector and a
couple of deputy sheriffs.
To neglect to speak of the mountain
women would be like the play cf
Hamlet with the part of Hamlet left
out, for, to the real student Of the
mountain life, the women and girls
are most interesting subjects
Imagine how complete city bred
woman of to day would consider her
summer ward robe if it consisted of a
slat calico sunbonnet, two calico dress
es, one pair of shoes be carried
about and only worn while she sat in
''meetin' If she was rich. add to
this pair of stockings, a muslin skirt
and handkerchief That's all! In
the winter a shawl over her head in
stead of the sunbonnet, the same calico
dresses is worn for week, night
and day, while the other is done up
and shoes, generally without stock
ings. This is the clothing which the
mountain woman wears from the time
she can walk until she is placed, a
withered, worn out body, in a pine
box, and consigned to five feet six
inches of Uncle Sans soil.
The mountain woman goes into the
field, plows, plants, sows, hoes, cuts,
shocks and gathers the ''crap" Of corn;
she cooks and does what little house
work is necessary, marries at from
twelve to sixteen, has dozen children,
and is WORKOUT, weakened old bag
at thirty, and rarely does consump-
ton let her live beyond forty or forty
five.
When a couple become tired of liv-
ing as husband and wife, they do not
wait the delay and formality of di-
vorce, but simply leave and take up
with others. The burdens OF daily
life give to the eyes of all these noun
tain women a haunted, hopeless look
When l told one of them that before
coming into the mountains / had al
ways seen the wife at the head of the
table and the girls eating with their
father and brothers, and that if any
preference was made at all it was in
favor of womankind, she said to me,
halfincredulous, half amused: 'Why,
how could they? He (they all call their
husbands he J would never let 'em,
and, besides, hit amt her place"
The whole situation is summed up
in that one sentence. 'Hit ant her
place." and the lives of these noun
taineers will 60 in the same grove as
they have ever since the war, until,
instead of sending missionaries to
China aud Africa, somebody sends a
| few into the mountains of eastern
Kentucky and Tennessee and North
Carolina, to teach these people that
this is the nineteenth or perhaps by
that time the twentieth century.