The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-02-14
MOONSHINERS IN NEW YORK
They Operate Largely in the Gel
lars OH the Notorious East Side.

"Thc South ls popularity supposed
TO be the habitat Of the moOnshuer,' -
said revenue official to Il reporter of
the Atlanta Constitution. "Ip fact,
10 read the newspapers, one would
conclude that Illicit whisky is made IN
no section of the United States save
the South. The public is not TO blame
for so thinking, for every story rclat-
ing TO mOonshincrs has its scene laid
in the mountains Of Dixie. In litcra-
turc, the moonshincr is distinctly son
of the Southland.
AS a matter of fact, however,
there is more moonshnc whisky made
in New York city and in the suburbs
of the great metropolis than III the en-
tire South. The assertion may seem
surprising, but it is fact nevertheless.
The east side Of New York is hot
bed Of moonshiners. There are hun
dreds of men in that section of the
great city who make large sums of
money by manufacturing whisky ILL
city.
These New York moonshincrs
have nothing in common with the
mountain dew makers of the South
save the desire 10 oyado The revenue
| laws of the government. The moon
sinner Of the South is citizen of the
mountains, and. like aii dwcllers il rlc-
waited rec IONS IS characterized by certain
manly traits which compel admiration.
| The New York moonshincr is deni-
| zen Of the tenCmcnts, and there IS little
That is manly in his makeup. He is
nearly always foreigner and his ap-
pcarancc suggests the dynamite bombs
Of the anarchist rather than the tradi-
lional rifle Of the Southern moon
sinner.
"Thc making Of Illicit whisky in
New York is of comparatively new
origin. OF course the stuff has been
made there for long time, but it is
only in the last fifteen years that it has
been made in such quantities.
AS | have said, the foreigners
Russian Jews ycnerally--makc the
greater part of New York's illicit
whisky. In the sweat shops these men
would make probably So or IS a week,
| but some Of them make as much as $50
week out Of illicit whisky. 1t requires
little money to engage in the business,
| and the profits are so large that the
temptation is irresistible.
" Ii is hot stuff-lhls New York
moonshine whisky. The moonshinc
made in the mountains Of Georgia is
rs the nectar of the gods compared to
| this col coction brcwcd IN the New
| York tenement district. Our moon.
sinners make whisky out of corn, and j,
when properly made, ii is the best
whisky on earth. The New York
moonshincrs make their whisky out of
any old thing, and the result is the
vilcst draught that ever went down a
human throat. 1t is liquid frc-no
less. Some sugar or molasscs, plenty
OF water and few pounds of yeast are
all that the New York moonshner re-
quires to turn out a whisky which not
only makes man speedily drunk, but
seems to kindle every vile instinct of
his nature to white heat.
"Thc New York moOnshiner operates
In Il cellar, in a room, anywhere, in
fact, where one would not expect to
find an illicit still. He is usually as
sisted by his wife or daughter, and has
been known to carry on the business
for years without detection. His wo-
men folks generally pcddlc the stuff
from tenement to tenement, selling by
the drink or IN whatever quantities the
buyer may desire. have a friend in
the revenue service in New York who
writes me that the wife of one moon
sinner carried the stuff-morc than
gallon of tin rubber belt about her
waist.
1t is much more difficult to detect
these New York moonshincrs than |
their Southern brethren. The latter
do their work in their homes and are
bothered by no waste. In the South
man familiar with the odor can smell
slill for miles. But in New York
there arc so many scents more power
ful that the peculiar odor of the still
has little chance of being detected.
The government keeps large number
OF revenue officials at work in Now