The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-16
VISIT TO MOONSH|NtRS
A Drummer Sees an Illicit Still
in Operation.
IS FORCED TO POKE UP
The ettil Fire 30 - u Make Him Parti-
cep Criminis-No Lives Have
Been Lost in an Attempt TO
Find the Still.

Did you w visit an Illicit distillery.
where the operators were armed to the
teeth and where the life OF a revenue
officer was held Of no more value than
hat Of a squirrel?" asked the travel
ing man Of the smoking room company
on the northbound train.
Nobody had. although one mar ad-
mitted making a try at IL the last
time his business took him south. Then
the travelling man. who was young and
good looking and talked with the
twang peculiar to Kentuckians, re-
sumed:
i've been three years building up a
trade back In the West Virginia noun
tains. and on my first trip ! made an
ers. just for the experience. I failed
dismally. m every effort after that
was In vain up to two weeks ago.. when,
through the friendship OF a mountain
storekeeper. who is himself up to the
neck In the Illicit distilling business.
I managed to get out among these
people for a night. and 1t was an ex-
BtTltntts ditIlOuku u may rDufu pilit
what commonplace in the telling.
There are parts Of West Virginia
where the people are scarcely civilized.
but they wear clothes. which was the
thing that took me out among them.
II generally me from three to
five weeks to make my round of this
country n on my first trip l was re-
garded with suspicion everywhere. I
new that Illicit distilling was the
chief industry OF the region and 1
knew that h arrival of a stranger
in any part of IL was known every
where as fast as messengers could car
ry the news. So I went straight about
my business. sold a few bills of goods.
suggested to a storekeeper hat he
show me how whiskey was made. only
to be met with the solemn declaration
that none was made in that vicinity.
and worked out the rest Of my trip
without incident.
Eight months later I went over this
same ground n met with a more cor
dial reception. You see the goods hat
/ had sold had been delivered prompt
ly, and this fact had gone n long way
to convince the natives that / was n
business man and not a revenue spy.
My friend, the storekeeper. whom I
have already mentioned, actually shook
hands with me when I dropped In on
him. but ne froze up the minute 1
mentioned the subject Of a visit to n
still
"-'See here. young man. he said.
don't be a burned fool. Don't you
know that men who poke their noses
into what dor concern them some
times get into trouble?
IT replied that i supposed this to be
true. but that II was only the expert
ence I sought. I was not a spy, I said.
and could be trusted. Well. the upshot
Of II was that he promised me I should
have a drink of moonshine whiskey,
and that afternoon he took me out two
miles into the woods. where he came
to a small opening with a tree stump
In the center. He laid a 25-cent piece
on the stump and then walked me a
hundred yards back in the woods. We
waited there five minutes n then re-
turne to the opening. The silver coin
had disappeared and in its place on
the stump was n tin cup half full of
whiskey. I drank It. and right here I
to give you all a tip never to
touch moonshine whiskey unless there's
plenty of water at hand. IL nearly
burned the lining out of my stomach.
II was so strong. You see. it's the alb
~solutely pure product. but IL made me
a firm believer In the adulteration of
spirits.
This little experience only made me
more curious to observe the workings
of a still. but my friend. the store
keeper. was obdurate and all my en-
treaties failed to move him. So once
more I left this interesting region
without having a nance to study its
principal industry.
We'll. five weeks ago I started out on
my annual trip. resolved to see one of
these stills or bust. ] reached the store
OF my friend two weeks ago., and went
at HIM hammer n tongs. There vas
a rough-looking crowd OF men around
his place. all armed with Winchester
rifles. N they looked at me curiously
when ] walked in and asked my host IL
he hadn't changed his mind about show
Ing me a still. He gave me a hard look.
and a little later. when the rest had
gone away. told me that IL I valued a
whole skin I'd better not talk about
stills before strangers. / didn't again,
but kept at him until ne finally prom
ised to take me out the nex night IL he
could rrange II. How he arranged IL
I don't know to this day. but I made
my visit and this Is what happened:
AT about s o'clock in the evening,
while I was sorting out my samples. the
storekeeper came into my room. attired
in seemed to be a hunting outfit.
He set his rifle In a corner Of the room.
sat down on the edge of my bed, and
said: I'm agoin' ter take you out to
see the boys tonight. You needn't act
any uiHerent wnen you meet them than
you do usually. but remember I'm re-
sponsible fer you. and what you see is
for your eyes alone. You understand
1T was one OF the blacklist nights |
have ever seen. IL seemed to me hat
we beat around the side of that noun
tain. cutting our way through the un-
derbrush, for an hou l suspected at
the time that there was motive in my
guides difficulty in finding his way to
the still. and I'm yet OF the same opin-
ion. But we finally stopped. and. point
ing to "A tree, my friend suggested hat
] retire to a point by the side OF IL.
Then walking about a hundred feet
ahead he threw down his rifle. put his
hands To his mouth and CAV a long
drawn-out call that I cannot liken to
anything I ever heard before. He did IL
three times. then picked up his gun n
walked over to me. Just as he reached
me a soft voice. that sounded right in