The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-16
THE MOON sHiNERS' HOME.
The Picturesque and Ynsclad Hills Of
Floyd County.
HOW BLOCKADE Whisky IS MADE.
The Dress and nab Q, Ola Typ.cAi Noun
tsinoor Distiuet--tnCr'nou. Quantities
ofIuega. Corn Juice"

PIZARRO. FLOYD COUNTY, VA. Dee
N-Spcc,al-ln theS, hn dc steele days
81 is 40 easy TASK tor Toe uniaiNaied To
readily believe she existence la tuls civil
tied county the arsl in tne state TO erect
public sthuo. bundues-uI tnc methods,
modes and manufactures OK nhcit WINS
Ky go thc extent tAcy really c~lst.
Amoue ala The lovely Tcsions. pic
tdrCsquc ara beautiful. INA; are scattered
along Che Appalachian range oil noun
faIuS. from tuD SNOW. bound coast al Ne"
England 90 the wide sdvaauans OF the
South can there be found a. more en-
chanting spot Than CHS region
80 statistics have ever been computed
CoLcetulue .he quantity OF ihls eIu'e p"t
potent ar.D.e of whisky ih1t is maze ana
disposed OF Iu tDIs region. but 10 is some
thing enormous the price OF corn, from
which cereal tn.s liquid essenae OF dam
nation and drunkenness ~ chiefly made.
S. always from sd per cent 20 I'D per cent
higher lu ta.- section th1u at the towns
along tle railroads. twenty on thirty miles
distant
uIs4ILLIa.rs ALL AT WORK,
Just now thes" illicit dstlleries, whose
number U.s. lesion are ia fuh blast. the
mild fan l,..- very favorable 20 their
Successful operation. During the latter
part % SUMNER aDd boa The early fall. ow-
ing % 'h, .Ir..ty OF raw material. very
little work .- done. but when the maize
IS gathered and when the leaves Of the
dense forests that usually surround the
sll-Eaa-.~ -o lately clothed In their YER
dl1t FOLIAGE, have been touched boy the
W4elc want OF autumn. and changed into
crimson and gold. then the work OF the
wiley and wary mooushincr begins in
earnest and many and dark are the
schemes that ne uses.
The typical manufacturer of the block
ode spirits, NauousE known 10y such ap-
peilatous a- Mountain dew "HOotcu-
top "MoouShIuo. etc.. is rough and UNI
C0uth in appearance. as we'll as i'm man
ners. And although ho Is, according 90
his view ~ the matter honest and mp
r6ht and. in local ptIiancc, means
we'll 10 is doubtful if he ever heard Of
the Holy Eucharist or the baptismal
fount. HIS usual dress is homespuu
trousers. iu winter jeans. ah- in summer
tow linen. tucked in high-toppol COW
leather boots. red flannel hunting shirt
and @ white wool hat. He wears no beard,
except "a little tuft OF whiskcrs on his
chm somewhat resembling that OF a billy
goat.
The grain which is % be manufactured
into whisky is usually carried 10 mill
- boz ground into meal. on the back Of
horse or steer. by O. small boy. 1his
boy early drilled in ways Of deceit. viii
tel any curious inquirer that me grain
IS 20 be chopped for the use Of the stock.
whDn 80 is we'll known iu the community
that tbe only stock possessed by the
family s.. perhaps. one horse. ono long
horned COW. and a few tapcring-nOzrd
swine OF The favOrite razor backed brand.
Yet no remarks are made I'm the com
mumty on this subject as public opinion
IS largely 80 sympathy with the dstiller
and vender Of mOonshine. and, indeed. 10
would not he safe 10 criticize his actions.
The distINsry is generally a rude log
cabin, often a. mere shed, containing the
SIN and eight or ten tubs i'm which 90
Torment the slop With the rough appI-
ances in possession of the blockader. one
bUshei or corn will make only Two or two
and a-half gallons of liquor but tobacco
Stems. hickory ashes. roots of the wild
ivy and the bark Of the native shrub
called st8rrerwcci. arc commonly added
IN large quantities. and the amount of
whisky made from a bushcl OF grain
c0rrespcnlIuGly increased. OF tho large
quantity of this rank, poisonous and ILL
smelling whisky. a great deal of IL is
used in hoBc consumption. native noun
1aiT Ger IF his constitution ir good, al
ways consuming from one 10 three puts
per day himself as well as generously
dealing 81 out 10 his family and 10 any
guests who may ind their way 10 his
Tudo domicilo. The remainder Us hauled
back and by men ON foot TO various
points along the Norfolk and Western
and other lines Of railroads favorlte mar
kets being Roanoke DauVlle, Salem
Christian burg and Hddford.
rHr BMrEmNG DONE.
Whisky i- often Hrtcred boy the noun
talu,yr 90 local "storekcepers' for mer-
ChaudL-e. and then i'm turn retailed hv
the merchant Who seldom goes through
tho fomluty II procuring license, boldly
to h.s customers
% is often claimed 10y the merchants
that ta. revenue they obtain from the
sale of Illicit whisky Is greater than the
legitimate profit ON merchandise. Very
little effort is made by the United States
internal revenue officers TO stop he manu-
facturc and sale ~ the Contrdhand liquor
ir this section. and IL has been often as
serted that various officers of the Gov
eminent have pretty fair understanding
with the Woou-hiner. Neither OF the
great political parties have managed the
official patronage iudiciously, and, as a
natural consequence, the manufacture Of
mountain dew has nourished like green
bay tree.
FRUIT ABUNDANT.
This being one of the best fruit counties
IN the State. and the laws regulating
the manufacture of fruit brandy being
comparatively lax. the disuller OF fruit
os.cnsibly conducts his business in a legal
manner lie is allowed by the Govern
ment 20 operate his machinery al pleas
urc and his monthly report usually shows
that he worked only on those days when
the United States FauEcr visited his place
Thee visits occur from one TO three times
per month. Ina this way ne makes large
quantities Of brandy that Us not reported
and which is often sold FOR less money
than the amount of the Government tax