Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-03-10
HELM.
Complimentary Remarks About Gle
burne's Tax Collector-Bref History
Of Mountain Dew"

Hefin. March Especial Correspond
ence.)-Mr A. e. Carruth, the efficient
tax collector of C1eburne county. is at
home. after making his official tour of
the county. Mr.. Carruth is the oldest of
a family of five boys who were raised
without a father, he having died the
first year of Helms existence. His was
the first grave made in the cemetery.
Though Mr. Carruth was then quite
boy, he worked and went to school here
in Helm, and was numbered among the
brightest pupils. He was raised on
farm some seven miles south OF Helm
He Is young talented and has many
friends. He ran away ahead OF his ticket
in the late county election. lie IS deh-
Ocrat and Of course got tine tuli supIort
Of his party and besides many repuoh-
cans and populists cast their vote Tor
him It seemed that both parties lg-
nored Hefln in their nomination, Mr..
Carruth being the only Het1in man on the
ticket. Mr. Carruth has bsen in~buslnesS
here for several years, and now has
charge Of the Hunnett building. and IS
doing a big business, besides attending TO
the duties Of his office. He married the
oldest daughter Of Judge Huonicutt
They have a neat and pretty nome IN
South Helm. They have bright little
boy some eighteen months old, VINO is
is Willie, and Wilie's little sayings and
cute acts would fill quite a volume.
Indications of spring are on ell sides
Yet the continued rains prevent garden
ing.
The Oldest inhabitants of Hefiin re-
member when the i4th of February was
a summertime gardening day, but just in
this immediate section. which IS very
high, we do well to have any seeds IN by
April l.
1,s,,a ,,ar,.ia a., ,,-,,1o, ra,t7,i-,b M low
er Cleburne are buying more meat and
corn than for many years past. There
was a considerable drought in that sec
ton last summer, and then the multi
plicity Of stills to consume the corn is
another cause for the scarcity of corn.
The people of Randolph and Cleburne
can make whisky If you give them
little corn. an old wash-pot and tub
When they decide to make it all the rev.
enue officers In the state can't prevent.
In the big stir up caused by the inva-
sion of the revenue officers last year
some wash-pots We're stolen from the
springs of their owners. No one dared
to search or make any cutlery, for when
one of these mountain men gets his con-
sent to make whisky he will do to let
alone. Not boastng of the progressive-
ness of our counties. but there have been
several instances where the women have
given their time and attention to the
making of the mountain dew"
And In passing through lower Eleburne
l stopped at a house TO warm. Tt was
just before Christmas. and the house
was sitra ted only few steps from the
store The merchants wife often helped
him in busy times to wait on his GUS
toners. / had not been in the house
long before the merchant came in and
told his wife that there was a man who
wanted tobacco, and then thare was q
knowing smile went around among the
three. She left the room in quite hustle
and an air of Importance. The driver
told me that tobacco" just happened
to be their pass word for whisky.
After reading Gov. Jchnston's view of
the tax commission, the version is that
Gov. Johnston takes broad view of the
question, looking to the benefit of the
state. The common people, as a rule. all
look on new ventures with fears and
frowns and often fight desperately what
eventually gives great sa abstraction. If
successfully carried out. Ii will mean a
great deal for Ala ba ma. but it gives an
opening for a lot Of law cussing and
meddliHg and neighborhood worries
d. And 1t will be hard to get a high-ninded
honorable man to accept the county tax
commission. There viii be probably 100
men in each county who will be eager
for the work.
The Cleburne people have not yet re-
covered from the shock of 1.-The new
county court" extra taxa ton without
word to the people on the subject 1t is
claimed it does not have the ring of a
republican system of government.