Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-12
THE GEORGIA MooNsHINER.

Not an Object of Beauty, Int Pathetic
Going to Jail and Defiant ut Home.
From the New York Times.
moonshiner Is not an object of beauty,
but he is pathetic as he is seen on the
North Georgia railroad trains going to Jail,
roped together with two or three compan-
ions in bad luck and yanked around by a
guardian who is distinguished by pistols.
strange oaths and tobacco juice. This
guardian, the county sheriff, looks as
though he might with justice change places
with his prisoner, and no doubt his time
will come. For the moment his authority
yields him exquisite satisfaction. and the
height Of his bliss is shown by magnani-
nous offer Of chew all around to the
shrinking, dazed men he has In charge.
The moonshiner knows that he is in a
mighty bad fix and on his way to judgment
for something nasty. but for the life Of
him he can't tell what 1t Isl and as he re-
fleets about 1t he can't see why man may
not make what he pleases out Of the little
corn he raises on the rocky side hills of his
half-doZen acres. He can't read and he
can't think-for long at a time-but he I'M
derstands the word revenge, and he thinks
about how he'll get 1t on 1.-The Teller t Civ
infermation.'
No. decidedly, he is not pretty. as he
crouches in the car seat turning things
over in his crafty head. His weather.
beaten, patched garments a world too wide
for his lank figure, his faded hair, his
beard-covered face. from which peer small.
shifty, faded eyes. or piercing black ones;
his slouching frame and sneaking looks,
all bespeak the sympathy of the onlooker.
But it gives one quite another sensation to
stumble upon this odd specimen of human
ity in his home in the woods. There he is.
indeed, lord Of his CASTLE and makes you
recognize the fact. One day L rode far
from home and lost myself on the faint
trail of q wood road in among the foot hills
Of the Blue Ridge mountains. Suddenly
came upon a cabin, so sheltered by old ce-
dars that the weather-beaten logs were
scarcely to be seen from the distance of
the shambling fence, where l dismounted.
The hut was old, and perhaps contained
that curiosity Of Georgia. growing scarcer
daily, puncheon floor, thought to my
self as picked my way through the yard
litter to the house. Before reached 1t
woman appeared In the wide doorway.
Barefooted. scantily clad, with gray hair
flying. face dirty and snuff stick in her
mouth. the creature added further to her
plentiful lack Of charms by 'What-be-
you-adoin' here" sort Ct expression writ
| hind her lowered her .six-and-a-half-foot
son. barefooted also, regarding me with
sullen looks that deeperied as walked over
the log step to enter.
| only half satisfied the apparent suspicious
Of this lean and evh-looking pair. My de-
sire to see their handmade chairs and
Of the odds and ends of what was. even for
cracker interior a fearful tumble OF
housefirnishing. was but a meager pass
| port to their good graces. The son kept
absolute sidence. while his mother. with re-
luctance. told me- how her pop" had
'hewed out the 10 seventy-odd yeahs
befo'." She sullenly allowed me to lock at
her spinning wheel and hand loom, which
had made the stock Of precious "kivver
lids ranged around the wall on small
| tables. After examining all these and the
| powder horns and 'possum skin shot bags,
gun. gourds and hog bladders, threw open
the door of the adjoining, room before
! either mother or son realized my intention.
There. in full view, was small whisky
still. set in pine box with lid thrown,
corn, all ready for USE Here was the Sc
| cret of frowning looks and lack of well
| come. l had surprised them in the midst
of preparations for expressing mountain
dew and got myself disliked in conse-
quence. The woman half covered by my
| side and whined:
'Yo don mind a little moonshinin', miss,
| do your"
But the son leaped like an angry lion past
| both Of US, slammed down the box lid,
| planted one bare foot fiercely upon it and