The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-11-02
'HOTHAM'S INCONSISTENCIES
AN INDUSTRY RlvALLiNc THAT OF
THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS.


THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS.
the City hroonshiners and Their Cumming |
big Profits Until They Are Found |
Out - CapaSiods Stills in TenSments=
How the Liquor ID Sold:
When William L. Strong, as Mayor
Of New York. visited the Atlanta Ex-
position d few years ago; with del.
egation of New York business men;
he was escorted one hight by his
Southern hosts to d far-off mountains
top that he might tnoisten his lips
with drop Of the original mountain
dew, distilled by the famous moon-
sinners Of Georgia and Tennessee, re.
iates the New York Post The trip
up the dark mountain-side to the little
distillery, tucked away in the crevices
Of huge rocks, was made with all the
mystery and secrecy with which ira
dition has surrounded such a pilgrim
age, and the Mayor was much i'm
pressed. Upon his return to Atlanta
he frequently referred to the expedi-
ton. Finally one Of his fellow-towns-
men suggested, that after all. the af-
fair. so far as the Colonel. as Mayor
of New York, was concerned, very
much resembled the carrying Of coals
to Newcastle. "You can get the same
stuff distilled with the same disre-
gard for the Government" he as
serted, fright in your own town-al-
most, in fact, under your official nose.
What's the use of breaking your back
climbing around rocks and up slip
perry mountains?"
That's just 1t, precisely" retorted
the Mayor. II never yet knew a man
bred and brought up in New York
who had the slightest regard for the
eternal fitness of things. OF course
I could get 1t in New York, but where
would the sport come in? could 60
up to Central Park and shoot grizzlies
and lions. and tigers, but that
wouldn't be hunting game. would it?
There is not one of you fellows that
has any sense Of the proprieties."
To those who have always asso-
ciated this ancient work Of moonshin-
ing with double-barrelled shot-guns
poked through the crevices in remote
mountain Businesses, with a pictur-
esque old outlaw at the butt end of
the gun ready to annihilate the Gov
eminent officer, who had been lured
within range by the "tiny wreath of
smoke curling upward from the STILL"
New York does seem to be lacking in
the proper stage setting. That metro
politan moonshining should be carried
on at the present day almost exclusive
| ly by the Russians and Poles would
seem to be almost sufficient provo
cation for the late Mayors comment
regarding the properties. And yet
New York-lacking as 1t apparently
is in all the essential details-can fur
nish some excellent sport for those
| whose business 1t is to hunt moon
shiners-in the runaways Of the ma
tive moonshiners these hunters are
known as "them fed'ral haounds." In
the capacity Of its Illicit stills, in fact,
and in its modern methods Of reduc-
ing solids to spirituous liquids New
| York is far in advance Of the old
fashioned school. In the mountains
the stills are almost universally con-
structed upon a small scale, with the
| object of moving them on consider
| ably less than a moments notice.
They are all portable and can be
taken from one place to another al
most by hand. In this city, on the
contrary, the plants are evidently put
up with some idea of permanency.
They vary in capacity from one hun
bred to one thousand gallons. Ere
quently four and five tanks have been
found by the Government officers
linked together, each tank having d
capacity of one thousand gallons. The
most elaborate moonshiners' plant
ever discovered In New York was In
West Fifty-ninth street. The camp
occupied the entire upper stories of a
large building, and contained, besides
all the necessary modern utensils for
distilling, three large tanks, with a
capacity of three thousand gallons
each. From the plant II was possible
to turn out nine hundred gallons
daily.
The "boss" moonshiner Of this still
was a Russians man looked upon by
the outside world as an eminently
proper and prosperous member OF the
community. The seizure Of his plant
meant a loss to him of several thou
sand dollars in money and a number
of years of liberty. Few Of his local
moonshining contemporaries. how
ever, cherish such ambitious plans
for defrauding the Government. The
vast majority of the Illicit stills are
found in the Easements of the East
Side tenement-houses. 1t Is neces.
sary that the Illicit distiller should
have ut least one 'inside" confeder-
ate, and he generally works In col
fusion with the janitor. Years age
the Irishmen had a practical monop
oily of the moonshining industry and
, the whisky then was distilled from
molasses. Nowadays it is made al
most altogether from sugar. The
ayerage-sized mash is made from 1O(
} pounds Of common graduated sugal
mixed in a barrel Of hot water and
with enough yeast added to produce
fermentation. This mash Is allowed
, to stand for forty-eight hours. and II
, then boiled and the vapor from 1t con
, densed. This condensed vapor is thu
, finished moonshine article. 1t Is {
colorless liquid with a sweetish odor
but although harmless to the eye ant
nose, It IL deadly to a mans fac
ulties. 1t frequently tests as high al
100 proof. The average price received
bv the city moonshiner for this dis
tillation is one cent a proof gallon
Therefore, IL his whisky tests 100 pc
cent. he receives $1.60 a gallon for II