The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-08-02
"John, wake up! The revenues are

coming!
81 ssWh-a-ar?''
Down the road. "
And old John Crompton, the most
notorious blockader in Pauldin county
was ont Of bed quicker than lightning
and swiftly disappeared behind the
house in rayine. There he planted
keg Of freshly distilled mountain
dew in spot where he hoped it would
escape TIM eagle eyes Of Uncle Sam $
officers, whose duty it is to discourage
traffic in liquor that does not bear tax
at the rate Of $1.1O per gallon.
It was we'll that one Of his co-labor-
ers gave the warning, for in truth the
revenues were at that moment bearing
down on his lonely house, bent on
finding the corn juice that had been
run OFF that afternoon.
At 4:15 last Saturday afternoon
Deputy Revenue Collectors j. w.
j, Martin and P. FL. Moore and myself.
boarded a Southern train for Villa
Rica. There we wore joined by the
guide, John Lane, who can smell an
Illicit distillery Eve miles and has
probably located MORE copper than
any m one man in the State Of Georgia.
a drive northwara over the mountains
brought us to Pumpkinvine school
house, near which we ambushed our
hack and team and prepared to raid
the still for which the guide had fur
nished a way bill.
It was about $50 when the little
party fled out over the side of the
mountain, and after circuitous route
of what seemed to be three miles, dur
ing which many halts were made to
listen and to searcn the dense under
brush for lurking blockaders, the trail
was &C last reached. We followed,it
np the creek for probably half mile,
when the aroma so familiar in that
district told as that the object OF
which We were in quest could not be
! far off.
The raiding party came to a halt for
an instant, when the sound of scurry-
ing footsteps up the opposite hillside
told Of the fleeing blockaders, and at
the same time their ever faithful dogs
set up yelping that warned their
co-laborers for miles around. A few
pistol shots were sent after the fleeing
moonshiners, which were returned,
without effect. Guide Lane then
advanced about one hundred yards
and signalled for us to approach.
He had located the still, but it was
discovered that the run had been made
that very afternoon and the liquor
carried away or hidden. The block
aders were in the act Of removing the
copper when scared off by the raiding
party. It proved to be one Of sixty
gallon capacity and was soon cut up
into a thousand pieces and forever de-
barred from entering service again.
The fermenters were emptied Of their
beer and likewise placed hors de COM
bat.
A search was then begun for the
missing liquor, and it was while IN
pursuit of this that tie humorous,
pathetic and tragic sides Of life among
the blockaders in the Pumpkinvine
creek district Of Paulding county were
revealed.
Up the side Of the hill two hundred
yards from the still a little ramshackle
hut was reached, before which four or
Eve lank but 6erce-barking dogs stood
guard, but they were soon silenced.
The guide Informed us that the house
was occupied by Mrs. Taylor, a sis
terof John Crompton, who conducted
the distilleries when the men folks
happened to be guests of Uncle Sam.
4 a dim light inside made it possible
to get view Of the interior, showing
three beds in one room, each with
single occupant. Deputy Martin rap
ped loudly on the door, which brought
forth the query, il piping female
voice:
"Who's thar?"
Revenue officers. y
Whats yuse want?"
eve want to search your house for
liquor.
aWa-a,l, wait ill 1 git on me dress
and:I'llslet .--'ns IN, but you won .
find anyilicker ere.
In a few;moments the wooden latch
was thrown back and the party entered.
A thorough search of the room and
the loft failed to unearth any contra
band goods, and the old lady and her
two nearly grown sons who occupied