The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-26
EXPERIENCE WITH wILD-cATTERs.
Another Indianapolis Mans Adven-
lures with Moonshfners.

Another indianapolis Mans Adven-
ture. with Moonshiners.
An Indianapolis man, who spent a winter
in the mountains OF North Carolina, tells
the following story Of his experience with
moonshiners. more commonly called wild
caters in that section IF the country:
81 had been working the central portion
of the State for a New York house." said
ne, "and as winter approached I had to cross
the mountains into Tennessee. Everything
went well until one night when I stopped at
Blowing Rock. a summer resort on top of
the Blue Ridge mountains. I had seen sew
eral wildcat stills on my trip and knew Of
the location of many more. yet it had never
entered my head that / might be mistaken
for a government officer. / was travelling
in a buggy and carried, besides my samples
a lot of advertising cards, which 1 tackled
up through the country as 1 passed along.
Blowing Rock takes its name from a
peculiar rock nearby, which, when there is
a strong wind from the northwest, makes
a peculiar sound as the air rushes through
a funnel-like formation of the rock. There
Is a small hotel and a number Of cottages,
and during the summer there is usually a
fair population, but in winter time the peo-
pie Of the place are limited to the family
OF the hotelkeeper and a blacksmith. 1t was
in December that / stopped at the hotel to
spend the night. As it was late when /
arrived, and had been raining during the
day, I retired as soon as I got my supper,
with the simple statement to the proprietor
of the hotel that I represented a New York
drug house. i was soon fast asleep and the
hours passed rapidly, but 1t seemed to me
tina I had no more than lain down In the
bed when 1 wa awakened by a noise Just
outside my door.
81 think you are mistaken, BILL I heard
the landlord say. He seemed too honest
when he told me he represented q New York
drug house,
1--WE can't help that. We came here to
see IL he Is a damned revenue detectives; so
call him and wei find out
while this was going on I got up and
slipped on my trousers. / then called to the
men that / would open the door In a minute.
I slipped on my coat, which had a revolver
in one pocket, and opened the door. Five
men stood on the outside. two Of them with
Winchester rifles In their hands, held in posi-
lions SO they could instantly be brought
into use. while one of the other men held a
lantern. another a doubled barreled shotgun.
and the third was the landlord.
IT saw at a glance that the men did not
seem bent on killing me on the spot, but
were willing to receive explanations of what
brought me into that wild country at that
time In the year. They began by asking me
a number of questions as to my business. 1
answered them all promptly and In q
straightforward maner. explaining that
Blowing Rock was the halfway point for
- A., oroa,tr. a.. ,.o.atot.a - xoooA A.
valleys OF Tennessee. and that my business
called me over there. The story was plaus-
ible enough. but the men wanted better
proof. 1 invited them into my room, for the
door opened on the outside OF the house and
I was becoming chilled. / had bought n
quart OF Lincoln county nve-year-old whisky
before starting up the mountains. and after
all were inside / took the bottle out OF my
vallse and passed It around. When 1t re-
turned to me there was enough TO make
about three fingers In an ordinary bar
whisky glass.
with hat as a bond OF good fellowship,
I took out my expense book and showed 1t
to the men. The landlord looked over my
shoulder and indicated that 1 was reading
Alright when / read of the list OF places 1
had visited. l then took out my order book
and compared IL with the expense book.
showing that / had taken orders at most
OF the places where 1 stopped. Then my
mail was examined. and IL showed that my
story was correct. The men seemed very
we'll satisfied and left my room, after which
/ turned In and slept the sleep Of the just.
THE next morning after breakfast L pre-
pared to resume my lonesome trip across
the mountains. My team was brought
around, and L saw at a glance hat 1t was
not as 1 had left IL the night before. The
buggy showed that ii had been ransacked.
On examination I found everything in dis
order. The advertising cards 1 had left In
il had been pulled out and thrown back
again without any care in placing them in
properly. I began arranging them, but to
do so l had to take every thing out. When
1 reached the bottom / found a quart bottle
of new wildcat whisky, which 1 pulled out
and examined. 1t was awful stun.
81 put that there said a voice at my
elbow. and 1 turned TO find one OF my WIS.,
itors of the night before looking at me with
a pleasant smile. we got away with your
bottle last night and / thought l would leave
some for your trip. We somehow kinder
like you. but we're going TO see that you
don't play any tricks on US: so when you're
ready TO go, we go, too
II was soon on my way toward Cranberry
Summit, which Is on the line between North
Carolina and Tennessee. and behind me,
riding mules. were three OF my visitors of
the night before. Thus we moved the en-
tire day. About 4 o'clock I was in sight of
Cranberry Summit. and the men called to
me and said they would go back row. for
they thought / was safely out Of their way.
ION my arrival at Cranberry Summit 1
learned that about a month before a revenue
officer had started across the mountains and
had not been heard OF since, except that
a traveller reported having seen MIN within
three miles OF Blowing Rock. That made
my hair stand up a little, but l was out of 1t
then"