The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-04-26
Making MoOnShinc
The Copper" The ssWOrm"
and the Man Behind
the Gun"


as poor as the DULY respectable farmer
your neighbor. It's risky business all
the way through. bnf when Il comes
right down 20 the fascination it's the
ideal It's -moonshine whisky that s
what it is and It grows in the country
where ther amt no Ten Command
ments and man can raise thirst
The moonshiher IS an ignorant country
man. very uncouth in appearance. but
as shrewd as a Connecticut Yankee He
Is also q prince Of hospitality. as may
/ be said Of neariy an OF the Georgia aud
North Carolina mountaineers. lie lives
with a sword Of Damocles constantly
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. and with good reason.
suspected Of treachery. Every stranger
who arrives in the neighborhood is looked
upon as a possible revenue officer and
every knock on the door Of his dwelling
is answered with inward feelings Of doubt
and nervousness.
The reader must not infer from this
that the moonshiner is a coward, for he
IS not AS a rule he resolutely opposes
any Interference with his calling. even
TO the shedding Of blood il this can be
accomplished without too much risk
OF detection.
During the year hoo 1855 Illicit dis
tllleries were seized By revenue officers
within the United States OF this num-
ber 6a were located in Georgia and 4Sl
IN North Carollna Nearly an the rest
We're distributed IN the order given over
the States of Alabama Virginia. South
Carolina. Kentucky. Tennessee, Arkansas.
and Mississippi. IT is probable that the
total number seized did not represent
more than one-half Of the Illicit stills IN
active operation. The total seizures in
the ten years last past have been i60a.
Georgia leads nearly an other states by
nearly two to one In one district alone
1.-THE Nnth-As Illicit stills were cap-
tured during the above mentioned period.
Rabun county. situated on the northern
border Of this district and of the state.
may be called the hub center OF the moon
shine whisky traffic Of the country.
Ninety per cent of its population either
owns operates. deals IN. furnishes ma
teriaI for or consumes the product of the
large lumber 9f Illicit stills within its
bounds AS may Wen be imagined. no
person. however worthy and well quail
ned he may be. can hold an office or posi-
tion Of trust IN this county unless he
sympathizes with the moonshine faction
The extreme northern part Of the state
OF Georgia contains some Of the rough
est widest and most grandly beautiful
scenery in the Union, Throughout this
region are numbcrless high mountains,
roaring torrents. deep g0rges and almost
impenetrabe laurclr. Amid such pictur
esque surroundings-in the most inacces-
sible parts. at some distance from public
roads and trais-the moonshiner sets up
his still The spot chosen. the Blrming-
ham tAla) Age-Herald explains. Is IN
most cases in the twilight depths Of a
laurel screened gorge through which
rushes a crystal stream of water Some
times the apparatus Is housed in cave
which has been excavated for that pur-
pose in the side Of the mountain gorge
but as a rule it is In the open air, being
simply covered with roof Of split boards.
The dwelling OF the operator Is seldom
nearer than a quarter Of mile.
The apparatus used Is not complex; q
copper still. dubbed the copper" about
eighteen or twenty inches in diameter !
and Of equal height. a coil Of copper
pipe several feet in length. called the
worm" several tubs or casks for hold
ing the mash and for catching the drip
pings from the worm a mash stick or
stirring fork and small narrow bottle I
in which TO test the liquor-thcse articles I
comprise the entire outfit. The stir Is
set over a stone furnace while the worm. I
with one end connected 10 the copper. 4
rests in a barrel Of running water from .
the stream near by.
The process OF making moonshme whis I
ky is quite simple, consisting Of four
different steps. First, scalding the corn 4
neal aod allowing it % ferment; second
the addition Of malt and a second fermen-
tatioh: third, boiling or disulling the
beer for "sngilngs" and fourth. boil \
ing the singlings.
Coarsely ground corn meal IS carried
to the still and a certain quantity de-
pending upon the capacity Of the ap-
paratus IS stirred IN boiling water until
Il Is thoroughly cooked This is called
mash and is about the consistency Of
an ordinary dough. II is allowed to
stand ln the fermenters in which sc Is
mixed for twelve to thirty-six hours.
After fermentation has taken place water
is added and the mass broken up with a
mash stick When IS free from Jumps
and about as thick as buttermik 1t is
called "beer." AT this stage the liquid is
not an unpleasant drink. in fact, large
Quantities OF it are consumed by the
noonshiner and his family and friends.
Rye. or mere commonly corn malt
from a handful or two to eight pounds
10 the bushei Of meal or tub Of beer. is
hen added TO the beer and it is again
lllowed to fernent. this time from seven
y-two TO ninety-six hours Al the end
IF this second fermentation the copper Is
lned with a semi-liqu.d (stln called beer)
md boiled OF
The steam condenses fn and passes on
Trough the worm and the irsi drppings
re called -snglings' When the strength
# the beer becomes exhausted the re-
use or "pot TAIL. Is removed and fresh 5
,eer put On It's place. As soon as enough Z
ingiinss are accumulated the stil IS
lied up with this liquid and it S re,lis- Z
nled The product Of this latter and ,
at4.- a. .