The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-03-29
WHISKEY MADE
IN GEORGIA.
Soma inside Facts About The
Land Of Many Stills.
NO PROFIT lE "NOONSRlNE. >
Csuntry 10 WhcA "ThsT Amt no Ten
Commandments and a Man Can
Raise Thirst"
NO PROFIT If "HOONSHlNE. >


proof liquor when t comes out 1t IL
little worm" on the mountain top and {
man behind "a gun. IL is keep your cy'
on guard "A hours 20 the day and come
olit az the end OF the year az poor as tn
dully respectable farmer, your neishbor
n is a risky business an the wa,
through. but when il comes right ,dowI
10 the fascination Il is the ideal II IL
''moonshine whiskey." that's what IL is
and II grows Ia the country where there
amt no Ten commandments and a sar
can raise a thirst"
In appearance the moonshiner Is an ig
norant cOuntryman. says the Birming
ham tAtp Age-Herad. but he H. "a
shrewd as a Connecticut Yankee. He Is
also a prince of hospitality, as may b'
said of nearly all Of the Georgia anc
North Carolina mountaineers.
lie lives with 4 sword OF Dsmocles con
stantly suspended above his head. and
no one Is more conscious OF this fact than
he is. As he is IN daily almost hourly
fear OF detection, he regards every one
with more or less suspicion;even his best
friends and members Of his own family
are sometimes. aud with good reason
suspected of treachery
Every stranger who arrives I'm the
neighborhOoo is looked upon az possible
revenue officer. and every knock on the
door OF his dwelling is answered with in
ward feelings OF doubt and nervousness.
The reader must not infer from this
that the moonshiner Is a coward, for he
s. not As rule. he resolutelv opposes
any Interference with his calling. even 10
the shedding OF blood. IL this can be ac-
complished without too much risk Of de
lection
EXTENT OF THE INDUSTRY.
During the year 1890, 1855 Illicit di.,il-
ieries were seized by revenue officers
within the United States. or this num-
her 673 were located I'm Georgia and 4s3
in North Carolina. Nearly all the rest
we're distributed -ift the-erder given. aver
the states OF Alabama, Virginia South
Carolina. Kentucky Tennessee Arkansas
and Mississippi.
IL Is probable that the total number
peized did not represent more than, one
half of the Illicit stills in active opera
tion. The total seizures in the ten years
last past have been 1851.
Georgia leads all other states by n,gr-
1y two 10 one. In one district alone--the
Ninth--54s Illicit stills were captured dur
fng the above mentioned period
Rabun county. situated on the northern
border ofsthis district and OF the states
moonshine whiskey traffic OF the coun-
try Ninety per cent. OF it's population
either owns, operates. deals in furnishes
material for or consumes the product OF
the large number OF Illicit stills within
dts bounds.
As may we'll he Imagined. no person.
however worthy and well qualified ne
may be. can hold an office or position OF
trust In this county unless he sympa-
1hizes with the moonshine faction
The extreme northern part of the state
cf Georgia contains some of the rough
cat. widest. and most grandly beautiful
scenery i'm the Union. Throughout this
region are numberless high mountains.
roaring torrents. deep gorges. and the
almost impenetrahe laurels
Amid such picturesque surrounding
in the most inaccessible parts. at some
distance from public roads and trails
the moonshiner sets up his still The spot
chosen is I'm most cases i'm the twilight
depths OF laurel-screened gorge. through
which rushes crystal stream OF water
Sometimes the apparatus is housed I'm
cave which has been excavated for that
purpose in the side OF the mountain
gorge but as n rule II Is IN the open air.
being simply covered Wi roof OF split
boards The dwelling OF the operator is
seldom nearer than quarter Of "A mile.
HOW "MooNsIIrNE" is MADE.
The apparatus used is not complex; a
copper still, dubbed the copper" about
ls or 20 inches In diameter and OF equal
height: a coil OF copper pipe several feet
in length called the worm. several
tubs or casks for holding the mash and
Tor catching the drippngs from the
worm. mash stick or stirring fork. and
small narrow. bottle in which. 10 test
the lIquor-these articles comprise the en-
tire outnt
THE process OF making mooushine whis-
KEY is quite simple. consisting OF four
different steps. First. scalding the corn
meal and allowing n 10 ferInent; sec
ond the addition OF malt and n second
sermentati0n: third. boiling or distllug
The beer for "singllngs" and fourth
boiling the snglngs
coarsely ground oatmeal Is carried TO
the still. and certain quantity depend
fng upon the capacity or the apparatus. rs
IS. stirred In boiling water until "a is
thoroughly cooked. This III called
mash . and r. about The consistency Of
ordinary dough.
u is allowed 20 stand In the fermenters
in which n was mixed for twelve 10
fhirty-six hours. After fermentation has
taken place water n ADDED and the mesa
broken up with = mash stick. When a.
is free from iumps and AZ about as thick
as bntternilk u j. called beer"
81 this stage thc lquld IS not an nm
pleasant drink; IN fact large quantities
~ u arc consumed ny the mooushner and
hs family and friends.
Rive. or. NOR. commonly. corn malt
urcm handful or Two go eight pounds
~ fhe buehel ~ meal or tub of bcerl. IS
then added 40 the beer. and So Is again
allowed 10 fermsnt. this time from ~ 20
"a hours. AZ the end Of this second fer
mentation the copper II hlied with a semi
LIQUID tstiil called beer ard boiled ON
wHIsKEY or POOR QUALITY.
The steam condenses ~ passins through
che worm and the frst dripDings arr
called "slngiings." When the strength of
the beer bccnmee exhausted. the refuse.
"a pot tail. h removed and fresh beer
I,t IN i's-glace.
As socS af enough singlings are ac-
cumulafed the stu IL filled up with this
iionid and Il is rcdistlled The product
uf this latter and final step 81 The process
A. corn whisksy or proof spirits
with the crude apparatus and methods
az the lreonshlner DuShsl of meal viii
rield about two gallons of whkkey.
-shfress the same measure ~ grain viii
~ffid three and even -four gallons under
<frrrovtd methods