The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-02-19

/ fling. tho glass jars I'm which quinlne
comes viii 40. or kerosene cans or sec
ond-hand TASKS and bottles got from the
yard OF the town druggist or hoteI Keep
or For cOrks. the swamp Whishey uls-
filler knows the very root that is lmpeI-
,lous 10 mir or moisture and that VIII
rrotoct his precious spirits. lie has
friends and colleagues I'm the turpentlne
dfstfUerv business. either past or pres
eng. who can inform him on such matters
II he does not know himself, ana VINO
cam even devise and render secure th-
homemade key or cask for hoiolhg tus-
sick. .-.,-ro-,
Export disNlers can separate the per
nicious oh from the alcoholic liquid ana
make il more endurablc 10 dlscrlmlnallhs
piates-at least this was the Nerdlce
nassed uD0u the few sample bottles OIL
iussiclx whiskey that the cOnstables con-
trived % eet hold of-but the haoitual
tuesfcz drinkor likes the tipple best jus<
os 10 is OH and an He comes OF a D 81
dv. nerve and tissue toughened race ~
mune to crudities, and is no wmS dis
turbad i'm any fundamental manner by a
notation that would knock spots our OF
u politely nurtured system.
Them dram stillcrs Is same Ike de
swamp root. springy and tapersome
and not so big through. maybe, but you
can't drut EN- nowheres, eenside nor
out" said an inlSy-faced timber carter
the other day. as he took leave OF the
stranger who had asked for Information
.bolt the road And them swamp
vbisxev fellows IS dat lastin', he added.
cole Charlie OK dere I'm De stable, what s
v,e9red out three yoke mates and IS good
for a wears stidy haulin yet, amt moth
in % 'emi
pat fellow think to raid De Gethmate
still take it," he went on as he watch
e9 the strangers buggy out OF sight.
"He amt say so. but time he ak oout
Crotch Pen creek and IS the water TOO
high to git cross I 'spicl0n he business.
pnt he wont fin nothln'. Dem Gethmat
TOO sharp. and they mammie too sharp
ahead Of 'em. 20 be ketch up with dis
time OF dav. I Is usen TO Crotch Pen
Swami and been hunt pOssum and fox
and coon cen dere time enough 20 know
every tussock cen 49, and ] amt seen
nothin' on N one Of EN- what looks IKE
n slim with AN the talk what's go'n'
'hout They amt never gOin 10 run no
rig on Gethmate. the old man or the
,oung one. neider dere kin They's got
the settlement too well tied up for that.
when everybody eatin' Of de same PIE
dew ATM gwine tell on one 'nudder, ana
T certain sure no town spy gwine dribe
through dat swamp"
Are there tussick stills mp your way.
Uncle semp?" You ask Of negro from
another part OF the county and imme-
diatelv Uncle Semps face puts on an
inscrutably serious look.
II amt seen none yet" he answers.
"and 7 amt seen nobody drinkin' roth
in. but Is seen some fellows fuzzle-
headed what amt been 10 town, and I
miss some people out de settlement lately
what used 10 be round constant, / spec
deres stills dere." he added. "and ] know
some folks dis year as amt feed dere
sorghum brash % dere mules same as
common. but whatever IS dere now Is
gWine stay dere, cause. what with dem
OATS In debt, and don't darst 10 say
nothin'. and dem what's scared 20 tell
and dem what can't see and only kin
taste. desc yere Lexington district stills
Is gwine on stillin'F'
Most OF the tusick dlstillers are poor
The sand fats Of Lexington were al
ways noted for their appropriateness
and 50 attracted only an unambitious
and easily satised tenantry whose repu-
tation for uncouthness and illiterateness
passed into a byword Until recent years
no railroad went anywhere near the dis
trct, and although only about thirty
1--WE or forty miles from Columbia, I'm It's
fertility. compared with the rich bottom
lands along the COngareo, ard the pros
porous plantations that adjoined Il I'm
other directions. made IL a prescribed re-
giOn. There was nothing 20 carry
anybody who knew anything or valued
anything there, and so nobody went and
the people were left In Isolated primitive
ness as completely cut of from COM
munication with the outside world and
as ignorant Of its movements. customs or
ambitions as though they belonged 10
another realm. Occasionally young men
from the adjoining counties in for a frolic
would make up a party TO invade this
out-of-the-way precinct. The tales they
told on their return and the accounts
given ~ the social doings in honor OF
their visit only served 70 make more IN
erossahle the breach that existed between
these people and civilization. The Women
habitually wore 10 shoes and only tha