The sun., 1899-02-05
NEW KIND OF MooNSnINE.
TUsSICK MAKING IN WILD PART OF
SOUTH CAROLINA.

Consoquences-The State. Not the Fede
raj Government, Defed by Its Makers
The tussick drinkers and dlstillers are the
| latest order OF moonshnsrs. Their existence
has been brought about in South Carolina by
the dispensary system. combined with the Old
Adam propensity for dabblinG in the unlawful
| and the forbidden. Seven or eight stills for
| producing the liquor. and seventy gallons OF IT,
all ready TO drink. were recently captured by
the State dispensary constabes unoer such
circumstances as to warrant the belief that
| many other stills exist.
The mountain IN oon sinner makes his whlskey
out Of corn and is the quarry OF United States
Government officers. The tusslck distillers OF
lower South Carolina. on the other hand, are
| not so much amenASle to national as to State
regulations Many OF them have their $25
license from the Government. having taken
out one to make peach or apple brandy. or to
convert little wheat or corn Into the COW
eted stimuant. They are a race OF farmers
pure and simple. with:the making Of this dis
pensary -defying tipple just now as side is
sue. Except In hardihood they bear no moro
likeness to the mountaineer type OF whiskey
distiller than tho fat fields and lowland levels
which they cultivate or their turpentlne farms
are like the abrupt ,peaks.and gushing streams
Of tho Blue Ridge sinRsonR and uneventful
AZ their lives may have been hitherto. with
the discovery that sorghum cane could be
converted into whipkey tranquility has fed
from their doors. Official notice having now
been turned In their direction. they show out
in phases all unsuspected. vendettas and fam
lily chickering's that have been settled for years
are being unearthed. and crude and unskilled
as the particlpators are In worldly ethics they
have cunning. ingenuity and personal cour-
nRe an Offset.
Ill.
name from the natural. grass matted tussocks
in the swamps. where. for convenience, the
primitive stills are situated. After the syrup
has been extracted from the SORGHUM cane
the bruised and seemingly worthless pulp yet
contains ingredients which may be brought
out by the proper processes with swamp water.
heat, disliation. The Cubans. It Ia said. have
INDUCED in tusslck tlpplinE for generations
on their island The residue and refuse from
all varieties OF cane. millet. amber cane. and
genuine sugar cane may be utilized. This Is
the first season known TO ths public. however.
that the drink has become common In South
Carolina. and 1t is only in this one part OF the
State that It has hold. The stuff when dis
TILED Is said to be almost pure alcohol It is
very nearly whte.and innocent to look at. yet
charged with an oily element said to produce
alarming and unlocked for consequences in the
mbiber Every farmer. the most unski kiled or
indifferent: every neer-do- well suuatter and
non working negro on a little unpaid-fo plot
of ground. plants patch OF sorghum cane as
the ensestraised and most certain crop The
sorghum is prolific and will grow with almost
no attention on the poorest soil so the tussick
dlstillers have end of material to draw
from. and there is no limit TO the liquor that
can be turned out-or. rather. 'dreened off,
at nominal expense. An iron kettle and worm
a Ian "a ;r,l
the cost. The water and fuel are at hand for
nothing. and labor-discreet. non -blabbing
labor-is to be had for next to that or for the
promise OF rare ibations when all shall be in
readiness. As for the bottlinR; the glass Jars
in which Quinne comes will do. or kerosene
cans orssecond- hand TASKS and bottles got
from the yard OF the town druggist or hotel
keeper. For corks. the swamp whiskey dis
tiller knows the very root that is inpervious
to air or moisture aud that will protect his
precious spirits. He has friends and col
leagues in the turpentine distillerv business.
either past or pre- sent. who cnn inform him on
such matters If he does not know himself and
who can even devise and render secure the
homemade key or cask for holding tussick.
Expert distillers can separate the pernicious
oil from the alcoholic liquid and make IL more
endurable to discriminating palates-at least
pe boes Of sk WhsRsy hee ew
stables contrived to get hold of-but the ha-
bituai tussick drinker likes the tipple best
nerve and tissue toughened race immune TO
rrudities; and is nc, whit disturbed in any fun.
knock spots out OF politely nurtured system.
The N dram stillers is same like de swamp
through maybe. but YOU cant drut em IN no. s
where's. eenside nor out" said au inky-faced
timber carter the other day. as he took leave
tton about the road. And them swamp
Thiskey fellows is dat lastin'." he added. 'Ole
three yoke mates and is good for years
stidy hagln' yet ain't nothn,, TO EN-
Dat Pat feiiow think to raid de Gethmate still.
| take II. he went on a. he watched
tho strangers buggy out Of sight. lie amt
say, So but. time he ak bout Crotch Pen Creek
,,spicion he business. But he won't fin moth
m. Dem Gethmnte too sharp, and they nam
swamp and been hunt possum and fox and
tussock cen it. and 1 amt seen nothin' on too no
one OF EN- what looks like still. with all the
tax what's R9in' bout. They ain't never 20
the young one neider dere kin. They's got the
settlement too well tied up for that! When
tell on one ,nudder. and certain sure no town
spy ,Ewine dribe through dat swamp!'
semp$ rs mere yo sp'6iF'S.sts ~ up your way Uncle
OF The county. and Immediately Uncle Semps
face puts on an inscrutnbly serious look,
aIn't seen nobody drinkin' nothin' but rs seen
some fellows fuz2le- headed what ain't been 10
town. and miss some people out de settle
ment latcly what used to be round constant /
,pec' deres stills dere." he added. 'and know
some folks dis year as amt feed dere sorghum
brash to dere mules same common but
whatever is dere now Is gwine stay dere
cause. what with dem dat's in debt, and
don't dar'st TO say nothin' and dem what's
scared to tell. and dem what can't see and
only KIN taste; desc ,yere. Lexington district
stills Is Rwl me on stillin'!'
Most OF the tuSsck distillers arc Door The
sann hats OF Lexington were always noted for
their unproductiveness and so attracted only
an unambitious and easily satisfied tenantry
whose reputation for uncOuthness and illit-
erateness passed Into byword. Until re-
cent years no railroad went anywhere near
the district. and although only about thirty
nve or forty miles from Columbia in its feItiii-
~. compared with the rich bottom lands along
the Congaree. and the prosperous plantations
That adJ9ined II In other directions. made it
prescribed region. There was nothing to
carry anybody who knew anything or valued
ANYTHING there. and so nobody went and the
people were left In isolated primitiveness as
completely cut of from communication with
the outside world and as ignorant of its move |
mgnts, customs or ambitions as though they
belonged to another realm. Occasionally young |
men from the adjoining counties In for \ !
trolic would make up u party to invade this |
out Of the way precinct Tho tales they told