The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-29
ROANOKE, VA. SATURDAY MORNING, APRIL %. 1898 Il

uistiieI son OF SOME other small bow
generally making half dozen trips
daily, saying to curions persons, who
might ask him, thst he was having his
corn 'chapped up" to feed his cattle.
when as matter OF fact his only cestls
was horse and COW. 1t would be con.
! sidered sacrilege to- doubt the wozi of
anyone engaged in this business.
Inc price OF corn in this region rapges
from 20 cents to 81 per kusbel, this be-
Ing due to its manufacture into whiskey
and not on account OF the smousu
Sfown, which Is considerable. Qns
oushei Of corn will make three gallons
OF whfsHey, and 1t is comgsspn transac.
zion TOT farmer to barter ONO bushel of
corn TO distiller fer one gallon Of
whisksy. The merchants i'm thnt SEQ.
oton usually purchase large. osaantities
OF corn in the fall and wip ter in ex.
change for goods, and it is quite com.
mon for the merohont to be a silent
partner In the distillery, and one mem
Der OF the firm furnish the grain while
she other does the work. The waguners.
VINO are considerable number OF the
the broad-winners of this section, buy
putter, eggs ana general country pro.
duee from the merchant and make out
sne ioso" with several gallons. Of whis.
hey, or sometimes brandy, usually in
small kegs or jugs sealed and tagged.
the tags bearing fictitious names.
The whisky Is then sold at the vapious
towns conveniens to the wanoners.
Roanoke getting her full share. OF the
ntraband. A considerable trade In
this business is also done at Danyille.
Salem, Christiansburg, Radford and
Pulaski. OF course, the dealers in the
blockade liquor arc frequently appre-
hended in their violations of the laws
and are severely punished, it generally
coating as much to get out of q revenue
sro9Dle as the man has made in the
business for several years, vet there is
strange fascination in it that when
once engaged in the business a man
seiaom takes up any other occupation.
considerable quantity OF blockade
apple brandy is also made and sold in
this county. The dlstiller of brandy
usually has some pratense OF conduct
ing legal business as he takes out
Incense to manufacture and buys stamps
for about one.tenth OF his product The
nine. tenths contraband is sold to the
nelg hbors and orchard owners who sold
tne 1rult, at 81 and 81 25 per gallon,
whlle the stamped brandy is shipped to
wholesale liquor dealers in the cities
where it Is sold for about two thirds OF
its cost, the entire profits being on the
blockade brandy. The brandy distiller
usually reports to the government that
he operated his place three or four DAVIS
during the month, being careful to
place those days to corroborate with the
report OF the United States gauger who
is supposed to visit each distillery every
week or ten days.
deputy collector in one of the
Southwestern Virginia districts once
told the reporter this story: The officer
was sitting in his office when a brand
disttller came in at the close of the
season to make his report. The offic ar
asked, How much did you make during
the year?"
"Four gallons" was the reply. He
then asked what was the very least
quantity distiller was allowed to re.
port and on being told twenty GALLONS
said: We'll, Judge. made just exactly
twenty gallons"
The distillers sometimes have false
tops on the hogsheads of malt in the
distilleries on which are placed apple
pumsce 80 the concern will have the
general appearance of brandy manu-
factory while in reality common corn
whiskey is being turned out by the
gallon.
NJ ty,a