Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-08
MOONSHINE WHISKY.

The Manufacture of the Article is
Very Much on the Increase.
From the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.
1 was talking yesterday to a highly in
tellgent mountaineer, who had been en-
gagged in the Illicit distilIing business for
thirty years, and who had been arrested
not less than a dozen times by NEEDLE
some marshas." He said:
81 wonder if Uncle Sam ever takes out
his pencil and figgers any on what it costs
him annually to try to keep us fellows out
of employment up in the hills. I'll venture
to state that for every gallon of whisky
Uncle Sam pours out for us not less than
fifty are safely transported and sold. I'll
bet half of my own distiilery against fifty
cents that in the mountains of east Ken
lucky and east Tennessee the Illicit bust
ness is greater by twenty-five per cent than
it was a year ago. The business increases
in ratio with Uncle Sans efforts to sup
press 1t. It's the governments constant eff
fort to destroy illicit distilling that stimu-
lates its growth as much as anything else.
There several things that operate as
causes for the increase in moonshining in
the hills. One is, of course, that in the re-
mote districts. far away from any market,
we are enabled to utilize the products of
our little farms by converting grain into
whisky. That's about the only way we
can get any money out Of our products.
The raising of cattle was one source of some
gain twenty years ago, but the low price of
cattle and the competition of the western
ranches have destroyed that industry in the
hills. We've got to have a little money, and
the conversion of corn into whisky Is the
quickest way to get it. Uncle Sam objects,
and sends his hirelings into our territory to
shoot us down like rabid dogs; and, we'll,
We shoot a little, too, but don't mean no
insults to Uncle Sam himself. though.
You wouldn't think that we've got aiders
and abettors right in Cincinnati and Louis
viii Won oil hlft or
reckon that we amt left helpless by long
shot. Hit would open Uncle Samuels eyes
to find out just the sort of friends we've
got within a circle of 800 miles. The hill
folks amt the only fellers that makes good
money out Of hill whisky. The liquor is
sent along thousand sly channels that no
one except professional would ever dream
about. There is money-an big money, too
invested in this complicated scheme Of
revenue lodging. You must know the pow
erty-stricken hill folks couldn't carry on
the business on such broad scale If they
didn't have big assistance from the outside
Expert moonshners have always got
money backing from high sources when
they get too closely involved with the old
Uncle. Men help us fearlessly, knowing
there is no danger of ever being betrayed
by us. The advantage is mutual. If we
have customers who plank up for us. in
hours of trouble, wouldn't we be a pretty
set of jackasses ever to betray one? Be
sides that we amt the treacherous kind
d
successful sinner is alters got too much
principle to betray a friend in need.
Uncle Sam hasn't got the least idea how
extensively he is tricked. For every rab-
bit caught. you know. there is not less than
a thousand in the woods.
young men are drawn into the business,
too, fer the spice of danger 1t affords.
There's a mighty broad strain of freeboot-
ers' blood in the hill veins. We like ad-
ventures where there Is peril-where there
Is chance to get a bullet in the skin
every month or two. Again, there are
scores of young fellows that don't care a
snap for serving a term in the federal
prison on account of the distinction 1t con-
fers at home. To serve a term for moon
shining IS a promotion worthy of the high
est aspirations of ambition. A conquering
hero couldn't receive a more heartfelt well
come than is extended to the young fell
low just returned from federal prison His
face is pale when he comes, but soon fiushes
with the triumph of his welcome. Hands
NY out to grip his own, and smiles of beauty
fall upon him, soft as rose petals, wher-
imprisonment with as much admiration as
you'd refer to a friends term in Congress-
There is big money, all around in moon
shning-except for Uncle Sam. There Is
money for US, money for our secret abet-
tors in the big towns and cities money for
commissioners: money for deputies and
even money for the despicable informer
Moonshining Is on a constant increase
and 1t is to the interest of all the above
named sets that the high tax on legitimate
liquor should be maintained. Our occupa-
ton would be gone, indeed, If whisky was
set at Hberty-was free from taxation"