The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-28
M%OONSHINING IN THE CITY.
HUCH ILLICIT WHIsEEY MADE IN
NEW FORK IN a SMALL WAY.

~ AODA -"
The D,st,ier- Are mostly roi-s Jews
whe Learned Their Trade II lxur.is-
Tia Work Is Hard. the Proats s-sn.
ass the Product Psrtie-isriy vile.
There IL q tinge Of romance about the moon
sinners Of the Southern mountains which the
Northern illicit distillers lack. Usually the
former are American citizens and small farm
ers who believe that they have the right to
make whiskey. while the latter are generally
unnaturalised Polish Jews. The southern moon
sinner will fight for his property. and II that lie
not involved he will have a brush with revenue
edacsrs for love Of fighting; but the Northerner
generally runs away or turns traitor.
Revenue officers say that there are very few
Illicit stills in or near New York or Brooklyn.
There Is reason. however. TO believe that many
are operated with such secrecy that only acci-
Gent reveals their existence. The other day the
boiler of q still in an east side tenement exploded
and exposed q complete outfit for making q low
Grade Of whiskey. Less than two weeks ago a
noonshiner was found at work in his dlstilery
IN vesey street, while last week q complete and
inaeniously hidden Illicit still was found in the
cellar Of an old pottery works In Brooklyn.
When revenue officers make a raid the goods
sound are onnscated and the plant Is destroyed.
Captures Of moonshiners about New York have
been rare, as warnings Of raids have preceded
the raiders in most caees. This ls due to the
fact that while the moonshlners are at work
tickets are always posted and a secret outlet Is
crowded for emergencies. Complete systems Of
signals are also arranged.
A man intending to go into moonshining in
this city generally has to purchase an outfit
from a junkman. The junkman buys WORKOUT
apparatus from dlstillers at the market prices
Of old iron and copper. When he resells the
apparatus to a moonshiner he charges IN ex-
erbitant price. The moonshiner cannot obtain the
SAIL from the licensed dealer directly for dealers
ere cautious about whom they sell things TO, not
desiring 10 foster moonshining. They do not
care usually whether the law Is violated or not,
but they do object 10 rivals. Law-abiding distill-
ers are therefore the best detectors of moonshin-
ers in the service. Every violation Of the law
they discover Is promptly reported by them.
As the still sold by the juukman to the moon
sinner il out Of repair, q plumber must be en-
ployed. The plumber charges four or Ave times
Is much for the Job as he would got for similar
legitimate work. Any one who has had expert
ence with plumbers bills can imagine the
amount the moonshiner must pay his plumber.
To secure q place in which to carry on business
70 easy enough. The landlord may not know to
what uses his property has descended. but
agents are not always scrupulous. A wide
chimney and q good water supply are the
necessary adjuncts. The one is TO carry of the
vapors. and the other to be used In distilling.
Water Is secured, by tapping a main or supply
would attract attention. It requires care and
secrecy, to set up the still. Hard work, is in
Glucose and molasses are the materials from
which the whiskey Is made. As IL Is easily pro-
factory. Glucose is a constituent OF the Juice Of
grapes and sweet fruits. ana may be seen IN a
less sweet than. ordinary sugar and is soluble
in water, Chemically, and this is the method
S %RiHsf in diluted i Ssh s nj 3%na," acid IRON in about st%ran ha AZ
an hour the starch is converted into
, ;Ss acid Tbs IS n liquid is f Sy the on adal; HoS
OF chalk. Sulphatc of lime is deposited, and
. .1s, sleS sy s sSrsSns %s9lT !. se, n Aside 9 TO- csy s9nifn,
Glucose, readily undergoes fermentation. Yeast
siG %issd AND %i'e ea IT snd the acid dFy ss.. This 2fsas slG S 3 iHiS
mixture is known as wash. and from 1t whiskey
With molasses, the process is similar. Only
T msS.o y .n nG' di. afisSed With r su glucose sed iO thsn parts sft,
!&fI,s's 20 p, s 4 ' Of ssss sss; 'S ss,j fles S ssii
As little care Is exercised by moonshiners, the
stpf 1t they o,b produce aUisoD contains aims G quantities !, % Of m iHisi
IN color when It leaves the still, but by adding
i HuTh I. TO sas stand az in ea a eRSrr edq bi prTlf In Which a hews
been placed oak shavings and heating IL for, two
a no%Ts e the c sS%p OF sond B So + rSsn' w II IS ; mSae to
II costs the moonshiper 40 cents a gallon to
barrel is a fair days work, He sells the stun at
70 cents or 81 a gallon; There are from forty.
nights work brings him about S3t. The stuff
has cost hun $3.50. so that his profit is s2l.5o.
But out of this he must pay heavy tolls To
every one with whom be has any dealings
sna,,S TaG has ,Ss s the RoY Ss b to , Sstrsy him r;
profits are not g FSs p Pppriicg1i sT wS as his is y work mnSL is
sinner has generally learned his trade as u vodka
maker in Russia.
This moonshine whiskey is sold to dealers of
the lnyNaaf UFaha Mona hnf the most ron Hrma1 |
whiskey drinker could swallow a glass OF il
without di!ptinE il; Pnre s!cohpl would be a
grees proof, and has a biting power of %infnity.
Retail dealers dilute, IL with water. making II
average drlpker., Although the saloon keeper
his PROFITS On n barrel is ashe'' Of the
secrets OF his rapid accumulation OF money.
toxication in IA novice, and he becomes fit for
murder. spoils, and treason. Half a dozen
One OF the greatest difficulties the moon
making will out, Night work lessons tie chances
Gus odor OF the product Of the Blue Grass, sug-
gestive Of eloquenee and good company. but q
calls a decided halt to all dreaming. Chimneys
may carry the vapOrs high in the air, but no
svery still that has been detected ia this city
has been traced through the odors.
20 retail dealers. there is "a class OF men who sell
II, direct 10 consumers. some disguise, is
adopted. usually that of a dealer in old clothes,
and the whiskey Is carried about in pop bottles.
which are sold at 5 cents apiece, Sometimes IL
Is put into Jugs or kerosene oil cans. Moon
sinners have their agents, Just like wine houses,
and keep sets OF books, which would Hstonlsh
not on account OF the standing OF The buyers,
but owing TO the wide extent % the dealings.
City moonshiners are not. as a class, shrewd or
clever, but they possess "A low cunning, and by
pm assumption OF ignorance are often able TO
bAffie the most SIX ilful detectives.
One Illicit still Is like another, and a descrip-
tiOn of one will apply to all. One recently un-
eArthed was situated in the cellar Of an old pot
terry works. whose walls were falling and floors
rotting. pathway led from the door TO "a flight
of stairs that threatened a. 20 fall under the weight
of the trespassers. Two immense pottery kilns,
twenty feet wide and bricked about fifteen feet
overhead had been converted into "a still. A
wooden door hid the entrance. over Il was
a heavy piece OF canvas, completely eX-