Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-03-11
the ground.

| shS o. Oohus
The moonshiner of the mountain
region of North Carolina, South Car
olina. Georgia and Tennessee is a type
found nowhere else, which has been
well studied by Charles Egbert Grad
dock and few of the short story writ
ers, but which still possesses for lovers
of the picturesque an unfalling attrac-
tlon. To the stranger he appears at
| first glance very ordinary individual.
He is generally long, lean, slow of
| speech, mild in manner, rough In dress
and department, and apparently dull
in intellect. But, once his confidence
Is gained, he proves to be an interest
which is usually a double-roomed log
hut, he is industrious, fairly honest,
kind to his wife and children, some
times deeply religious, fond of music
and dancing, and his conversation is
by no means dull. The student OF Ian
guage will be delighted with his quaint
oPCCSh, dbOuhuih6 90 II poCo III
and obsolete words handed down
without the aid of books and manu-
scripts, and so nearly forgotten else
where that even English philologists
sometimes fall into the error of class
ing them as American provinclallsms.
Nearly always his surname shows him
to be pure English descent, and he has
preserved unimparied the old English
passionate love of personal freedom
and of home, and his unquestionable
right to defend the latter even against
the powers that be. He is English al
SO in his readiness ia resent an in
suit, and though he may lie occasion
the fact.
The moonshiner has a great respect
for the law-with few important res
ervations. All the statute books in eX-
istence cannot pursuade him that he
has not perfect right to make his
corn into whisky and to sell it. without
interference in the shape of revenue
taxes and Deputy Marshals. This
view of the matter, as explained by
himself, is quite simple. Besides 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 IN h,,ph a1 ofk ho,
from Is to 40 miles over the worst
roads in the world. The same bushel
Of corn will make three gallons of
whisky, which is easily transported,
and for which, if he is successful in
lodging the revenues he will re-
ceive from So to IS.
The laws against murder and man
slaughter are also nullifled by the
moonshiner when Deputy Marshals
become too inquisitive, when a neigh
Dor turns informer and reveals to the
officers the hiding place of STILL"
and occasionally even when a strang-
er, whose business is no: plainly evil
uShe anu dCCOtulHb "
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 mouutaineer very suspicious. A
stranger on the mountain roads is
closely watched. BY an ingenious sys-
tenn of sgnaling-a sort OF wireless
telegraphy-his coming is heralded
far before him; and If he seems too
curious,or If chance leads him too near
to some rude distillery concealed in a
ravine, he may be quietly abolished"
and his friends will never hear OF him
again.
In the ethics of the mountain region
no disgrace attaches to Imprisonment
for any of these offenses. Most of the
men in every old moonshining district
have been in Jail for one or more short
terms, but no one looks down on his
neighbor on this account. Like sick
ness and death, it is simply misfor-
tune to which all are liable.-Colum-
bus Is. c. Spe. New York Times.