The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-07-03
PENN'S MOONSHINE.
Illicit Whisky Produced In the
Quaker State.
The Work Carried ON by the People
of the Mountainous Districts
Their System of Opera
tion and Returns.


set and Fayette counties, in Pennsyl
vania, which were more than a cen
tury ago the scene of the whisky in
.surrection, still produce illicit whisky
by wholesale. What is known as the
Moonshine district lies on the slopes
of the Laurel Ridge range of the Appa-
lachian mountain system. Within an
area of IS square miles it is estimated
that there are from Geo to 1000 per.
sons connected directly or indirectly
with the traffic. The section is remote
from railroads, and can only be reached
by mountain trails.
To protect themselves from revenue
officers the moonshiners have code OF
signals. Some years ago the presence
of stranger was heralded through
the mountains by series of lights
placed in the windows of the houses
but this code was exposed several years
ago, and the shotgun series was adopt
ed. Nowadays when a stranger passes
through the district his advent is greet
ed with the report of shotgun fired
in the underbrush- One shot means
danger" and two in rapid succession
signify captured"
The output of the illicit stills is, in
the main, sold to the foreigners in the
coke regions near Pittsburgh. Besides
being cheaper than ordinary whisky.
the moonshine brand is recommended
to them by the fast that it has the knack
of mounting to the head in a remark
ably short time. A small quantity OF
the moonshine will fit the average for
eigner for any crime in the calendar,
and for this reason it is held in espe-
cial esteem.
Friendly consumers living near the
moonshine district can procure the
stuff through the agency of the Rock
of Moses" The location of this insti-
tuition can be learned by the asking,
and one has simply to deposit a coin
il a vessel and place it on the rock. The
purchaser then retires a certain dis
tance, and on his return finds the money
gone and the vessel filled with the
proper quantity of whisky. Rocks that
can be thus smitten and made to flow
with this nectar for the thirsty abound
all through the moonshine section.
The making of moonshine is as SIM
pie as it is cheap. The material used
in distilling varies with the seasons.
When rye IS plentiful and easy to Oh
tain, "gtiN chop" is used. In the alb
sence Of this commodity, corn, apples,
CT peaches can te Substituted with
equally disastrous results 20 the con-
sumer. The stills are crude affairs.
sometimes made of common brass ket-
tic with a copper worm, a wash tub
being used to mix the mash. The timid
noonshiner uses small still-one that
can be quickly hidded at the first i'm :,
ling of danger. The capacity OF the
smaller stills ranges from three to five
gallons daily, while the largest sizes
have a capacity of about so gallons
1aily.
Notwithstanding the danger attend
ing those concerned in the illicit trade,
the s1.1O revenue tax which is saved on
every gallon seems to them to justify
the risk. The price charged for whisky
ranges from $50 to 81 a gallon. 1t can
he seen from this that q man with
tbree-galIon still can make from four
to six dollars daily.
The average moonshiner is often
seized with spirit of religious devo-
ton. On these occasions he puts away
the still and, accompanied by his family
and his shotgun loaded with slugs, goes
to the church-a rude log structure in
the heart of the mountains. Here he
will listen attentively to the preacher,
meanwhile keeping an attentive ear
for the shotgun signal. The preachers
W no hold forth in these regions unani-
mcusly agree that distilling liquor is
not forbidden either in the Command
ments or in the New Testament, and
therefore make no references to this
delicate subject.-N. Y. Sun.