Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-22


or later nc will come to grief and mo-
one can be held Responsible for man
found dead In the woods--Or for one
who goes out some day and never
comes back. or course the law makes
a feeble effort to apprchend the trans
gressor In such cases, but the forest
Is vast and the arm Of the law Is
short. and the quest is as hopeless
as hunting for a very small needle
in very large haystack. The woods
tell no tales.
A rude shed, under which is an
equally rude furnace built Of stones
plastererd together with mud. cemcnted
into one side Of 1t a copper retort
fitted to IA worm" lying in a kcg Of
running water, "A vat or two Of beer
or fermcnting meal, a vessel in which
To catch the product of distillation
such is the mOonshine still. The fire
/ Is fed with pine saplings or with logs
split lcnGthwisc, one end burning in
the furnace, the other end sticking out,
to be pushed gradually forward as the
inner end burns off. This saves the
trouble of chopping wood. The liquor
Is twice distilled. the first distillation
producing high wines" which are not
! high enough to please the cultivated
taste OF the mountaineer.
! The rude building stands in the
heart of the forest: the queer room
/ within, unlighted, save by the door.
the cracks between the logs and the
red eye of the furnace; the picturesque
man In attendance; the round watts full
of beer" or sour mash" fermenting-
these things make an impression not
likely to be forgotten by the astonished
pedestrian who unexpectedly finds
himself in the presence or moon
sinner at home. For while the still is
| inaccessible to the average stranger,
one given TO rambling around after
bugs and plants and having a con-
flrmed habit Of getting lost. Is pretty
sure sooner or later, when utterly lost
some day. to come with relief unspeak-
able. upon a path In the wilderness.
, Now a path usually, though not
always. leads somewhere. and usually.
though not always. il leads TO a cabin.
and one who Is lost always follows
any path that presents itself The
| writer Of these memoirs was one day
lost. and with the usual sigh OF relief.
came upon a path and followed IL. not
TO a cabin this time. but to "A still.
OF course not being familiar with
| them | d,d not know IL was still
at first glance. and the door being open
calmly walked in. The mountain
people are so friendly one never. has
any scrupIes about intruiing. SO one
walks in.
As the shadow OF II stranger sudden
IL darkencd the door the man inside.
kr4, Of nj yufli
OF a cat snaiched his gun-always
handy.
1t was moment for prompt-very
prompt action. Life is sweet and any
way one doesn't like To end IL suddenly
in moonstne still. The human mind
acts quickly in emergencies and mine
did. | asked him for drink Of water.
Down went the gun. and the man. all
OF a-tremble. gasped out, -Gawd al
mighty. II IL amt a woman
Yes | assented. and you may as
well put down that gun for l am not
going to hurt you
The man grinncd and then such n
black look distorted his face that
quickly explained, hoping he did not
hear my teeth chatter. Tn all alone.
| got lost in the woods. and I'm
plumb beat out" and down | sat on
something that happened to Toe handy.
| spoke helpleSsly. ! hope. and | used
the vcrnaCular to make him feel at
home. | cannot say that | felt at
home myself and | was plumb beat
out" though not from the fatigue of
walking. Not to let the conversation
flag | began at the beginning. and
told him | wanted a drink of water.
by this time l really did. He went
out. cautiously taking his gun with
him. and brought me the water Such
delicious. cold, sparkling water, How
IL did refresh and quicken ones wits,
Then | told him Circumstantially
where | came from: that had only
been there little while: that my real
home was in the North: that | was in
the mountains on visit: that | had
always wanted to see still. that
had no bad intentions towards him or
his occupation: that l was lost and
that he would have to show me the
way home.
Soon, | hardly know how it came
about he was explaining the noble art
of distlling corn juice" To me. and
showing me with pride his new retort
that held fifty gallons; the old one.
which was smaller. had been cut up the
revenues few days before and ne
showed me that. too. a sorry looking
wreck of "A retort that would never
again enclose immoral sour mash
Then opened my folding kodak and
told him 10 stand out in the sunlight
by the door while | took a picture OF
him and his still-and he did
Then he invited me to go home and
see his folks and take his children's
pictures, and l went. His wife was
hoeing corn near their cabin but she
came to meet me with the utmost
cordiality. and their six tow-headed
children crowded around their mother
and looked wondcringly and long at
the stranger. They insisted upon my
staying to dinner. and l talked to the
woman while she prepared it: the man
had gone back to his still
The childlike simplicity of these peo-
pie never ceases to astonish the
sophisticated Northerner That wo-
man told me all the family secrets
about moonshining during the three
quarters of an hour that sat with
her. 1t transpired that all the family
were reprObates-from the point of
view of the law. And yet they were
not: they were ignorant. kind hearted
| mountainous unifc pppd thar