The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-04-04

'
times jcar, affords iino opportuni
ty TO study The genius lnoou.hncr.
The maker Of blockade whisky are
everywhere in cyidcncc They lounge
awkwardiy on the bcnchl Of the court
room; they rc,tlcrsy pace the corri-
dpr~: th"y ,hroug the sidewalks ans.
i; on the cn.bstnnc,, Chewing to, eco
and discussing the proceedings Of The
court
The vacant lot, Of The town are full
Of their wagons, one aud two horse We
hiclcS, sometimes canvas covered.
Beside each wagon stand a bpry mule
Or horse, Or Il patient and scraggy lit
tic steer, munching fodder and shucks
and lazily whisking his tail at the
flies. Some Of the wagons contain the
wives and babies Of the owners and
among the wheels one sees many
hounds and gaunt, nondcscript ours,
doing in the shade The mountainccr
is independent Of hotels When he
has journc; like this to make he
takes his family along, sleeps in his
wagon, and does his cooking in primi-
tive fashion on the ground
The moonshincr of the mountain.re-
gion of North Carolina, South Carroll
ma, Georgia and Tennessee is type
found nowhere else, which has been
well studied by Charles ligbcrt Grad
dock and few Of the short story
writer's, but which still possesses for
lovers Of the picturesque an unfailing
attraction. TO the stranger he appears
at first glance a very ordinary individ
ual. lie is generally long, lean, slow
Of speech: mild in manner, rough in
dress and department., and apparently
dull in intellect. But once his conf
dencc is gained, he proves to be an
interesting character. In his humble
home, which is usually double-room
log cabin, he is Industrious, fairly
honest, kind to his wife and children,
and sometimes deeply religious, fond
of music and dancing, and his convcr-
sation is by no means dull. The stu
dent of language will be delighted
with his quaint speech, Astounding, as
it does, in archaic and obsolete words
handed down:without the aid of books
or manuscripts, and so nearly forgot
ten elsewhere that even English phil
ologists sometimes fall into the error
Of CHASING them rs American provin-
ciaiisms. Nearly always his surname
shows him to be Of pure English de-
scent, and he has preserved unimpair-
ed the old English passic aate love Of
personal freedom and of home, and
his unqucstionable right to defend the
latter, even against the powers that
be. He is English also in his readi-
ness to resent an insult, and though
he may lie occasionally, it is never
safe to inform him Of the fact.
The moonshiner has great respect
for the law-with few important res
ervations. AL the statute books in
existence cannot persuade him that he
has not perfect righ. to make his
corn into whiskcy and to sell it with
out interference in the shape of rove
nue. taxes and deputy marshals. This
view Of the matter, As explained by
himself, is quite simple: Besides a
few vegetables and fruits, corn is the
only crop he can raise with his slow
OK or steer on the few spots of arabic
land belonging to him. This he can
sell for so cents per bushel after haul
ing it from Is to 40 miles over the
worst roads in the world. The same
bushcl of corn will make three gollons
Of whiskey, which is easily transport
ed, and for which, if he is successful
in lodging the revenues" he will re-
ceive from three to FIVE dollars.
The laws against murder and man
slaughter also are nullified by the
moonshincrs when deputy marshals
become too inquisitive, when neigh
Dor turns informer and reveals'to 9TH
er officers the hiding place of still, "
and occasionally even when stranger,
whose business is not plainly evident
and legitimate according to mountain
ideas, ventures too far into the high
lands. Long experience with officers
Of the law, and with the disguiscs as
sumcd by them has rendered the noun
taineer very suspicious. A stranger
on the mountain roads is closely
and constantly watched. By an in
genious system Of signalling-a sort Of
wireless telegraphy-his coming is
heralded far before him; and if ho
seems too curious, or if chence leads