The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-29

and that Uncle Sans marshal and dis
trict attorney have plenty of time TO at
tend to his case.
Those who know by actual experience
how the ''moonshiner'' makes his noun
tain dew are loath to tell how il is done.
They reason, and not without good sense.
that II is dangerous secret. and. there
lore, II is a matter of some difficulty
to persuade one to tell his secret The
moonshiner' knows that the very
minute he starts brew, that minute
ne is a criminal in the eyes of the law.
HIS individual views as to the criminality
or MS act do not at all coincide with
the law on this subject however. The
moonshiner believes that he has as much
right TO convert his corn into whisky
as the gardener has to make sauce out
OF his tomatoes, or the grape grower to
dlstill the juice of his fruit into wine.
That is the way he looks at the crime of
Illicit distilling. All the laws in the
Kingdom cannot. change his views of the
matter. He imagines that the govern
against him, and, therefore. he regards
civilized man as his ruthless enemy He
holds the officer, whose sworn duty ii is
TO enforce the law, in as much odium as
society entertains tor the moonShiner-
He will stubbornly insist thai he is more
sinned against than SHINING.
The moonshiners of this country have
been un1uStly compared to the SmugglerS
who infest the mountainous regions of
Europe and traffic in contraband COM
modities and articles. AS a rule they
painted. Some have slain to protect
themselves from what they deem unjust
and outrageous laws. but that is done
by men in other walks of life, and such
are not denOminated deSperadoes.
But this is depressing from the subject
How is mountain dew" made? The idea
of the average person whose environ
mentS in life have been such as would
afford no opportunities for cleaning the
secret of the moonshiners would take in
some fine chemical process that could
not have mind; and yet the way in which
the rugged mOonShtner makes his dew
does not include anything that the col
lege student encountered in his study of
chemistry. from purely practical point
of view.
The process is simple. The moonshiner
sends his corn to mill to have ii ground.
1t is converted into meal. the same as is
used to make CON bread. This meal IS
put in . tub or barrel of boiling water.
In this way il is cooked. 1t sits until
il is cool enough to burn the hands when
they are put in it. II is stirred up well
and then put in the still. The sui IS
then filled with cold water. After that
the malt is added. Malt is made by put
ting corn in water and letting il soak
two or three days. or until it sprouts.
CThen it is malted) The malt is ground
the same as the corn was, and to every
bushel Of corn is added sixteen single
handfuls of malt. The malt and the
cold water are added at the same time
Then the brew stands until IL sours.
which requires several days. In that
time ii begins to work or ferment A
crust. or cap. as it is called by the moon
sinners of bran forms on the top of the
water. This cap is blush in color. 1t is
not disturbed at all. In a short time
this can" settles to the bottom where
il came from. The weight of the Sol1dined
mass of bran or husks causes it to sink.
The fire is then started under the Stiu.
and it is only matter OF two or three
hours until about two gallons of whisky
have been distilled. The moonshiner then
has two gallons of dew" which he can
sell for from 81 to s., as the needs of
the purchaser may Justify. and he has
consumed six DAYS and bushel of corn
in making il. Thus one bushel OF corn
yields two gallons of whisky. which may
bring. in the moonshiner's market. from
81 TO SO. About 80 gallons of water are
used 10 brew one bushel of corn.
DO moonshiners buy or make the
stills?' asked the representative of the
young man who explained the process or
making the whisky.
ssThey are bought" he answered.
though / have known of people making
their stills. A STILL he continued, noting
listeners. lis a large copper kettle, shaped
shaped like a cistern. They hold from
30 to so gallons. over the neck OF the
still a cap fits the same as one joint or
stovepipe fits over another. From the
top of this cap an arm runs out about
ten inches long. To this arm is attached
Of nine about 16 feet long. 1t is through
this that the evaporation of the steam
from the still passes. The worm Is colled
in the flake stand. which is filled with
water for the purpose of keeping the
worm cool. If the worm was not thus
cooled no evaporation would take place.
or at least not Immediately. The other
end of the worm runs out of the fake
stand into the mouth of a funnel. which
is placed in the keg or jug that catches
the run. From the time the hre was
started under the still until the brew IS
finished has consumed about two hours.
The whisky made by moonshlners is
pronounced the very best when it has
little age on it. They do not color it, but
sell it Just as it comes out of the still
IL is then rs clear as water.