The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-03-22
THE GREENvILLE
MOONSHINER.
NOT SO DULL AS HE LOOKS.

Special to the New York Times.
GREENvILLE, S. G. March 3.-The
United States court for the district OF
South Carolina, which meets here
three times year, affords q fine Op-
portunlty to study the genus moon
sinner. The makers OF blockade whis
key are everywhere in evidence. They
lounge awkwardly on the benches OF the
court room :; they restlessly pace the
corridors they throng the sidewalks
and sit on the curbstOnes, chewing to-
bacc0 and discussing the proceedings
OF the court.
The vacant lots of the town are full
Of their wagons, one ana two horse
vehicles, sometimes Canvas-cOyereu
Beside each wagon stands bony
mule or horse, or u patient 1nd scraggy
little steer, munching fodder and
"shucks," and lazily whisking his tail
at the tlies. Some of the wagons con-
tain the wives and babies Of the owners
and among the wheels one sees many
hounds and gaunt, IOndescript ours,
DOING In the shade. The noun
taineer is independent Of hotels. When
he has a journey like this to make he
takes his family along, sleeps in his
wagon, and dCce his cooking in primi-
tive fashion on the ground.
Tho moonshiner Of tho mountain re-
gion Of North Carolina, SOu.h Caro-
lima, Georgia and Tennessee is Il type
found nowhere else, which has been
we'll studied by Charles Egbcrt Grad
dock and few OF tho short story
writer's, but which still passesses for
lovers Of the picturesque an unfailiEg
attraction. 10 the stranger he appears
at first glance very ordinary indiviu-
u4l. Ho Is generally long, lean, slow
OF speech, mild in manner, rough In
dress and department, and apparently
dull in Intellect. But once his cou-
fidence is gained, he proves to be an
interesting character. IN his humble
home, which is usually u dOublc-room
loog cabin, he is Industrious, fairly
honest, kind to his wife and children,
OF music and dancing, and his CONVEX
sation is by no means dull. The stu.
dent Of language will be delighted
with bis quaint speech, abounding as
it does, in archaic and obsolete words
handed down without the aid OF books
or manuscripts, and so nearly for
gotten elsewhere that even English
philOlOgists sometimes fall into the err
ror OF chasing them as American pro-
vincialisms. Nearly always his sur.
name shows him TO be of pure English
descent, and he has preserved unim-
paired the old English passionate love
Of personal freedom and OF home, and
his unques tionable right to defend the
latter, even against the powers that
be. He Is English also in his readiness
to resent an insult, and though he may
lie occasionally, it is never safe to In
form him of the fact
The mOOnshincr has great respect,
Tor the law-with few important res
ervetions. All the statute books in
existence cannot persuade him that he
has not a perfect right to make his
corn into whiskey and to sell it with.
out interference in tho shape of re-
venue taxes and deputy marshals. This
Wow OF the matter, as explained by
himself, Is quite simple Besides a
few vegetables and fruits, corn is the
only crop hc can raise with his slow
OK or steer on the few spots OF arabic
land belonging to him. This he can
ing it from Is to 40 miles over the
worst roads in the world. The Same
bushcl OF corn will make three gallons
OF whlskey, which is easily trans
ported, and for which, If he is success
ful In dodging the revenues" he will
receive from three to five dollars.
The laws against murder and man
slaughter also are nullitied by the
moOnshiners when deputy marshals
become too iuquisitive, whom q neigh.
Dor turns iniormer and reveals to
other officers the hiding place of a
"still," and occasionally even when q
stranger, whose business Is not plainly
evident and Legitimate according to
mountain ideas, ventures too far into
the highlands. Long experience with
officers Of the law, and with the dis
guises assumed by them has rendered
the mountaineer very suspicious. A
stranger on the mountain roadsis close.
ly and constantly watched. BY an in
geDious system of signalling-a sort Of
wireless telegraphy--his coming liz
heralded far before him; and if he
seems too curious, or II chance leads
him too near to sOmo rude distillery
concealed iua ravinc, he may be quiet
ly abolished" and his friends will
never hear OF him again. In the ethics
of the mountain region no disgrace at
taches to Imprisonment for any of these
oifenses. Most Of the men in every old
moonshining district have been in jail
for one or moro short terms, but no
one looks down on his neighbor on this
account. Like sickness and death, it
is simply u misfortune to which all are
liable.
Besides the manufacture and sale Of
blockade whiskey, the mountaineer has
one other important source OF income
- treasury of the United States.
{ -nsidering the trouble and risk to
which he 10 subjected by the impor-
tunities of government agents, he
thinks hlmself fully justified in draw
ing from the government all the money
ne can get his hands on. Often, there
fore, he becomes professional wit.
ness. One dollar and d half q day,
with mileage Is no email matter to the
man who rarely secs more than 500 or
5000 In q year.
1t was said fcw years ago that
great abuses had arisen in the United
States courts Of the Southern noun.
tain region from this source. A mum.
ber OF mon having united in con.
spiracy to defraud tho government,
one Of the number would be reported
for somo minor violation OF the re.
venue laws, the rest summoned as wit.
nesses, and even whom the case won't nc
fur Ner than the grand jury there was
n for all. II IT came to trial an
AGO Sal was the usual result, and the
am I &received by the cOnspirators
WA a ..a-f.A Rut fba waUa of a iury