The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-19
PENNSYLVANIA MOUNTAIN DEW.
One Famous Cambrian stiII and Its
Successors.

One Famous Cambrian stiII and Its
Successors.
From the Johnstown (Pa) Tribune.
1t is fact not known TO many except
those directly Interested that since the
beginning of the rapid development in the
northern part of Cambria county, that has
been a fertile region for the moonshine
whisky distiller, and the gallons of noun
tain dew that have been made and sold
there have been far from few.
Quite a good many years ago there
moved to the region about the line divid-
ing Cambria and Indiana. counties man
who had been distiller by trade in one
of the counties to the east. He came os-
tensibly to farm, but the rocks and hem
locks and pines We're scarcely conducive to
that calling, and it was perhaps, natural
that he should drift back on a small scale
into the business with which he was best
acquainted. Anyhow, he did so drift and
the product of his little still supplied a
wide section of country roundabout with
fire water for a considerable period.
In this connection a hollow stump near
the present Germans sta ton, on the Sus-
quehanna extension of the Pennsylvania
Railroad became famous. If piece of
silver and jug were placed within, and
the prospective customer then went on his
way and over the brow of the HILL the
money would be taken and its worth in
whisky placed in the jug. In lieu of silver
a bag of rye was often left in the stump
by the farmers with the same thIrst-sat-
isfving result But unless the customer
disappeared over the hill the lightning
change never took place.
The reputation of this drink was wide.
It's maker has now passed to his reward,
The old man took into his employ when his
business /. creased sufficiently TO warrant
IL a young man born in the. eastern edge of
Indiana county, and when death headed
off the revenue officers in experimenting
the breaker of the federal laws the bust
ness naturally fell into the hands of this
assistant distiller.
when Judge White cut off all the licenses
in Indiana county this young mans bust
ness doomed. 1t was carried on so openly
mat II was a. secret to no one in the imme-
diate neighborhood, and he is known to
have unburdened himself frequently when
ne had been sampling his own ware pretty
freely. oo.
His greatest bonanza came, however
when the northern part of Cambria cohh-
~ frst started on the remarkable ca
rser of DEVELOPMENT which has resulted
IN Tho numerous good-szed and prosper
ous towns of that region. Success ana
freedom from molestation engendered sun
greater holiness, and il was not long until
a stiu was in regular operation in one OF
tboea towns-disguised in front, II is true,
Nv the appearance of the shop OF a me
cbanic but with a big chimney In the rear
that was entirely out of keeping with the
nrofess,d business of the occupant, ana
H,ith the odor about Il that could TOOL
onlv tne veriest greenhorn. Even the re-
f,,se from the operation OF distilling was
dumned out in the rear, to one side lit
tIa and allowed to trickle across the
street and flow into a small run, by which
II was carried off The very holiness OIL
the affair seemed to protect 1t, though on
The advice of friends the manager OF the
institution finally did put an Underground
sewer to carry off the waste.
This Illicit still might have oeen nour-
ishing vet had it not been that licenses
were granted in the community ana tue
saIa ~ 1ioi1ors in lawful manner began.
This not only interfeTed with the moon
shinor,s business, but the lawful dealers
CO.. sfter him and gave him SO many days
IN which 10 "vamoose." He didn't use
half tne time allotted. however, as morn
ing or SO later the smoke in the chimney
had gone. and the odor about the place
had vanished with it, and the worm
had crawled elsewhere.
The worm had not died, however ae-
cordina 10 the word of those who are sun
in touch with the situation, and 1t Is SAID
ia be vet turning out very good arlcie
Of moonshine, which finds its way to PIC
MICS. dances, and other gatherings where
the legal dealer in the ardent Is not to be
found