The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-06-02
PIEDMONT MOONSHINERS
4 PREA CHER WHO MAKES WHiShhi
AND SEE NO WRONG IN 1T.
odd Customs Recalled by tho Arrest OF '"o
Rev Bsylus Hamrick-A heeio"
where an niicIt still Was Thrift.

on account of the arrest OF a bapuS'
preacher the Rev. Baylus hamrieh' W.
lives in the South Mountains buIN. On"
~. y. c. for Illicit dlstilllng anu "aum7
,n blockade whisky. The Rev. Mr' ha'''-
rick ia sixty years OF age, anu s'aiiu0
bfeb GA his church and with the noun
tsincers generally. An old friend iroin
Inc piedmont belt OF South Caroiina, VINO
doubtless has obtained his before anu
- s,o~ meal toddies from the moOnshlnel-
nreacher's still since the dispensary Ia"
has been in cffccta. called on Air. ii az,
rick. carrying him the article iIVih "a
SIN Mr.. Hamrick read II carefully, anu
looking At his friend with puzzled smile
said: <o,,,,,.s mn
.i,ore eot hold Of tits, Joe, but 1 reckon
thev got II all down just about Henr
oecsned the revenue officers long Time.
tho,oh didn't /? II officer Nanderioru
hadn't been breaking the SaDDath gay ~
shooting at the ducks on the cIeeN q,
the back Of my house ne never 49,
have found my little place OF business
You soc. the still was under the mouse
right under my bedroom. In fact, ana III.
elons were carried to the creek through
a terra-cotta pipe. II he hadn seen ".
huskings floating on the water anu hduh
got a Whit OF that good old smell tha'
comes only from a well-hidden dis'iii'ly
[ wouldn't have had all TINS uouDie'
That's all ] mind about 1t, because, VI
course. there's no disgrace at'acheu "
NV arrest. You know very well joe lha'
q man. when we were growing up was
diseracod If no didn't know how to make
GOOD whisky and brandy, and Keep d
good supply on hand to oher ms helsn'
bors and friends
SAW 10 WRONG IN 1T.
oad az the Rev. Mr.. Hamrick's closing
remark may seem 20 people in the Norli
Il ia absolutely true, for the settlers ]"
tho mountain regions Of North Carolina
and I'm upper South Carolina DeheNeu
that they had a perfect right 10 MAN.
whisky Of their corn, ana branuy Vi
their fruit without restriction. inc SCI
Tiers Of this region came from fennsyl'
vania and Virginia. and were very poor
They lived in rude log huts, ana when
one hogan 10 rise in the world his hrs'
ambition was to own a negro. lHd'
STAMPED him as a busnesslike money
making man, but even ownership OF ne
gro was not the real sign OF thrlll anu
responsibility; 1t was TO own sun aho
make whisky and brandy Every prohli-
ment man I'm the early days OF the cen
turv owned one and the secrets OF dls-
,fiiro were taught to the farmer boys.
Every worthy householder kept supply
| of liquor on hand for his own use. men
| friend or stranger called, the decahleIs
were Immediately set out. and the WEI
coming ceremony Of all taking drink
was gone through with, and OFTEN repeat
ed time and again during the Vlsl'or
STAY. At every little crossroads store
| whisky was sold Just the same as call
co. sugar. coffee tobacco, snun, ana o'hei
necessaries. and IN some account DOCKS
one fourth Of the items ran this way
cone pint of whisky 10 IL cents. Ihey
| look very much az If Falstaff's descend
ants may have peopled the Carolinas.
In the early part Of the century only
| Baptist and Presbyterian preachers were
| TO be found in the Piedmont Delt' ana
| while some of them were temperate IN
nractice and worked in the cause Of
| temperance. the majority were not averse
to bracing w a little with whisky or
| brandy OF their own make or that OF
| some member OF their congregations
| The older people say that these preach
ers would now and then get rather lively
| and seemed 10 enjoy their potatlon as
much as the unregenerate. In fact, IL ~
| pretty generally believed mat some OF
J them often enered the pulpit more or
| less tipsv. and that a good drink Of peach
| brandy. toned down with a spoonful OF
| two of honey. either inspired sermon III
| which hell fire and birthstone played
| conspicuous part or else heaven was PIC
| tured as an elysian land Of peace and
| plenty according TO the effect of drink
| on the exhorter's mind. These stories
| may be slanderous. but II is true that
during the first thirty-fve years Of the
century IL was considered entirely re-
spectacle TO make whisky, and II was
not derogatory 10 ministerial or Christian
| character TO drink IL In moderation. a
| preacher would now and then step into
a saloon and go 10 the bar and take a
drink without his character suffering In
| the least up TO 1880
In one Of the counties of outh Carolina
peoplcd almost entirely by seceders. IL
was considered the proper thing at the
! annual meetings or Presbyteries for the
! people who entertained delegates to lay in
| a few gallons OF whisky or brandy for
their guests. The seceders were consid-
cred a very temperate people, though
their Scotch characteristic OF being
mighty fond Of good whisky stuck TO
| them. and nothing was thought Of it.
| This custom was kept up until 1915, and
| the Methodists and Baptists declare now
that some Of the seceders haven't given It
| up yet.
THE PREACHERS DRANK.
A few Of the old-time distillers survived
| the war. and attempted 10 do a little
BUSINESS when II was over. one noted
| or.lf flr "a gh L