Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-26
HOW M0ONSHINERS
LIVE.

Before and since the days when a
United States mint f1ourished at Dah-
lonega, twenty miles into the mountains
from GAINESVILLE, Ga, making moOnshine
whisky has been one of the chief sources
of revenue to the natives. Many of these
people believe that they have an inalien-
able tight to do as they please with the
proceeds of their own labor, and the law
that molests them in exercising this right
they consider as tyrannical and oppres-
sive and will fight it even unto death.
These mourtainesrs are a hardy, brave
and fearless people, and without the least
hesitation will fire upon revenue officers,
for they consider them a nuisance and
believe they are doing the country'a SER
vice by putting them out of the way.
The average mountaineer is not the
terrible Cesperado he is painted by writ
ers of romanc and men who have never
come in close contact with them. He Is a
harmless, peaceable fellow until corner
ed, when he will fight for his liberty.
They are mostly descendants Of the old
pioneers who came from South Carolina
and Virginia, and settled while the In
.dians were yet in Georgia, n they are
a people who owe liberty and freedom
with an eaTnestness only second to that
which they have for their God. In their
estimation, a man who is dishonest and
will lie is the lowest and meanest of
creatures and such a man is ~ostracised
and stigmatised as not being worthy to
associate with honest men.
These people never forget an sinjury
and from June 16, 1875. the day the first
shot was fred at event officers in this
state, these people have solempiy kept a
Ompact to show no quarter to revenue
officers and spies. On the date named
James Findlea, a brave and dashing de-
putty marshal, with a posse, was making
a raid on the illicit distillery of old JACOB
Shane, near Leather's Ford between
GAINESVILLE and Dahlonega, where the old
man a extracted the juice of the corn
for years unmolested, when there was a
shower of balls from the mountain sides,
Fdndley's horse was shot under him, and
Findley had two Wounds in his legs,
while others of the raiders were slightly
wounded. The sound of the rifles had
scarcely died upon the mountain all
when it resounded with the yells of halt
q hundred mountaineers, who gave chaS
and folowed some of the officers right in
to the very heart of the progressive little
city of GAINESVILLE. Every moonshiner in
ahis section was in arms against the re-
venue officers, and believing that they
would reinforce themselves and come
again they met and appointed a chief
commander and he appointed other cfH-
GERS and sent out squads to a up a
vantageous positions along the roads, but
the officers had had enough and did not
return. The almost fatal wounding OF
Findfey, who vas one OF the best known
men in GAINESVILLE, caused General James
Longstreet, then United States marshal
cd Georgia, to ave government troops
ordered to this place. The boys in blue
did not get further than this city. The
coming Of the troops caused feeling tc
run to the highest possible pitch and mer
who discountenanced the making Of
illicit whisky Joined with the moon
sinners, and had the tropos attempted t.
invade the mountain districts they woulG
have been met by several thousand