The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-06-05
PIEDMONT MoONSHlNERs.
A Preacher Who Makes Whiskey and
Sees no Wrong Ia It.
New York Sun.

Sees no Wrong Ia It.
New York Sun.
The Sun recently published an ac-
count of the arrest Of a Baptist
preacher, the Rev. Baylus Hamrick,
who lives in the South Mountains,
Burke County, N. c., for illicit dis
tilling and trading in blockade whis-
KEY. The Rev. Mr.. Hemrick is 60
years Of age and stands high in his
church and with the mountaineers
generally. An old friend from the
Piedmont belt Of South Carolina, who
doubtless has obtained his before and
after meal toddies from the moon
shiner-preacher's still since the dis.
pensary law has been in effect, called
on Mr.. Hamrick, carrying him the
article from the Sun. MIR. Hamrick
read it carefully, and, looking at his
friend with puzzled smile, said:
IT don't know how them fellows up
there got hold of this, Joe, but I
reckon they got it all down just about
right. I escaped the revenue officers
long time, though, didn't I? If
Officer Vanderford hadn't been break
ing the Sabbath day by shooting at
the ducks on the creek at the back Of
my house he never would have found
my little place of business. You see,
the still was under the house, right
under my bed room, in fact, and the
slops were carried to the creek through
terra -cotta-pipe. If he .hadn.tseen
the huskings floating on the water and
hadn't got Whit Of that good old
smell that comes only from well.
hidden distillery I wouldn't have had
all this trouble. That's all I mind
about it, because, of course, there's
no disgrace attached to my arrest.
You know very well, Joe, that man,
when we were growing up, was dis
graced if he didn't know how to make
good whiskey and brandy and keep a
good supply on hand to offer his neigh
bors and friends"
( ! Oddfas the Rev. Mr.. Hamrick's
closing remark may seem to people in
the North it is absolutely true, for the
settlers in the mountain regions Of
North Carolina and in upper South
Carolina believed that they had per-
feet right to make whiskey Of their
corn and brandy of their fruit without
restriction. The settlers of this re-
gion came from Pennsylvania and
Virginia and were very poor. They
lived in rude log huts, and when one
began 20 rise in the world his first
ambition was to own negro. That
stamped him as business-like, mon
ey-making man, but even ownership Of
a negro was not the real Bign Of thrift
and respectability; it YVES to own a
still and make whiskey and brandy.
Every prominent man in the early
days Of the century owned one, and
the secrets Of distilling were taught
to the farmer boys. Every worthy
householder kept a supply Of liquor
ON hand for his own use. When
friend or stranger called the decanters
we're Immediately set out and the,
welcoming ceremony Of all taking
drink Was gone through with, and
often repeated time and again during
the visitors stay. At every little
crossroads store whiskey was sold
lust the same as calico, sugar, coffee,
tobacco, snuff and other necessaries,
and in some account books one-fourth
of the items ran in this way: HOne
pint of whiskey, 124 cents" They
look very much as if Falstaff' s descen-
dant's may have peopled the Caro-
linas.
In the early part Of the century
only Baptist and Presbyterian preach
ers were to be found in the Piedmont
belt, and while some of them were
temperate in practice, and worked in
the cause of temperance, che majority
we're not ayerse to bracing up little
with whiskey or brandy Of their own
make or that Of some member of their
congregations. The older people say
that these preachers would now and
then get rather lively and seemed to
enjoy their potations as much az the
lunregenerate.. In fact, it is pretty
generally believed that some of them
entered the pulpit more or less tipsy,
and that a good drink of peach BRAN
dy, toned down with spoonful or two
Of honey, either inspired sermon in
which hell fire and birthstone played
conspicuous part or else heaven was
pictured as an elysian land of peace
and plenty, according to the effect Of
drink on the e1horter mind. These
stories may be slanderous, but it is
true that during the first 35 years of
the century it was considered entirely
respectable to make whiskey, and it
was not derogatory to ministerial or
Christian character to drink it in
moderation. A preacher would now
and then step into q saloon and 60 to
the bar and take drink without his
character suffering in the least up to
1880.
In one of the Counties in South
Carolina, peopled almost entirely by
seceders, it was considered the proper
thing at the annual meetings Of Pres
byteries for the people who entertain
ed delegates to lay in few gallons Of
whiskey or brandy for their guests.
The seceders were considered a very
temperate people, though their Scotch
characteristic Of being mighty fond of
good whiskey stuck to them, and
nothing was thought of it. This GUS
tom was kept up until 1845, and the
Methodists and Baptists declare now
that some of the seceders haven't
given up yet.
A few of the old-time distillers sur
yiyed the war, and attempted to do a
little business when it was over. One
noted for making extraordinarily pure