Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1899-03-29
rnEARs SHOWED THE WAY.
Discovery OF a MOOnshine whisky
still in The Woods of PennsyIyauia.


When Joe Stewart was first ap-
polJted GIrirty United States marshal
for a PenDsy lvania district a. wear
ago one piece of information trans
ferred Ito him by his predecessor was
coEcerning a moolgahine whisl<ev
plant suspected to be in operation
soniewhere in the Kettle creek
region of Potter county From
cook ait ore OF the lumber camps
Stewart learned that whiskey was
brought to the men in gallon demi-
johns by an ord man named Reeser.
Who 'ited near New Bergen. en-
the t:gAd waters OF Kettle Greek.
Consequently he visited Reesers
home to trace the whislley if posi-
bie. He WAS met AIT the door by as
pretty young woman as he ever
set eyes on. This was Reeser's
tl@ngihce,r Priscilla. She said her
tl,h'~T wis down Cn the creek ON am
errand. Ut was a cod blustery dav.
aus'i Deputy Stewart limited that a
man Heeded something 20 warm him
in snch weather. Priscilla seemed to
understand and from a shelf back
OF the stove took down a long-neclled
bottle poured about five fingers into
tun'bler and handed it to Stewart.
1he W'hlskey was raw, and obviously
nroonShine. although Priscilla said as
SHE pushed the bottle back on the
shelf that they got it alt Couder-
SPORT so as to have a little in the
house I'M case of sickness.
Having traced the whisl<ev so far.
Stewart left the cabin and hunted
around for ithe still. He soon GOT
into traickless waste of SNOW and
laurel and hemlock. There was no
Syn OF track or path, and he was
about to give it up in disgust when he
heard the loud ohattering and squeal-
ing of BLACK bears.
I'm a few minutes out ON the snow
from hemfocl1 thicl1et came two
neady full9Town bears. AS soon as he
cIapped eyes on them Stewart saw
THAT something was wrong with
them. They were staggering and one
OF them was carrying small demi-
john.
'By thunder!" thought Stewart
fthose bears have found old Reeser's
still"
Presented the bears stopped to
take "a drink. The one with the
de'nijohn raised it to his mouth. and
1.-THE pull he took was so long that
the oaler bear, becoming impatient.
S'raSped the demi john and soon was
getting on the outside of copious
drauShtS of whatever the Jug con-
tanned. Stewart remained in hidfno
back of big maple, and when the
drunken bears went stumbling off
into the forest he couldn't helm
halShNng at his queer 1uclt and the
queer sight Of two bears out ON a
Ja;1loo'ree. 1T WIS The easiest ,,nino
III the world for Stewart ITO baci5
track the. bears Through the hem
lock thicket, and. altholloh Tho
course taken was somewhat wobbIv
ne succeeded in following the trail.
III led back to the foot of the noun.
talh, along the side of the mountain
10 d oeep but narrow ravine, in the
otbom OF which was a little stream
he followed this ravine for nearly
nan unle. when suddenly at a
!edge of rock formed a sort of cave
ne found the still. 1t was evident
ohait somebody had. been at work there
not many days before. for tracks were
Plentiful. One of the tracks.
too, was that of "a woman
a pretty, slender foot-and visions of
rrlscllIa helping her father at the
still fitted through the head Of
Deputy Stewart And here. too
pushed further back under the rocks
were eight demij johns full of whisky
dem1l ohns such as the thieving;
drunken bears were carrying.
Keeser and Priscilla have been held
TOR trial at court on the charge OF
1ilIcrt distilling. But Stewards most
valuable witnesses refuse to obey his
suopoenas-th bears who drank the
moon shine cannot be brought into
court.