The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-04-16


to relate in regard to the 'moonshiners"
among the mountains Of North Georgia.
Speaking of his life among these hardy
mauntaineers, he said
I we'll remember. when I used to so to
school. of studying n physics Of the per
sistency Of force, but 1 never realized
what it meant until I came to operate
amons the makers of mountain dew
These people viii make whisky under any
conditions, anywhere, and IN anything I
remember one man IN particular, Deacon
Ballew, who, notwithstanding the fact
that he WAS che OF the pillars OF the local
Baptist Church OF The variety called
-hard-sheH' and was in every particular
an honest citizen. would at times engage
IN 3 little shilling. and forget to pay into
Uncle Sans Golfers the usual tax.
One dark. drizzly night. in company
Wjth q deputy marshal I paid the deacon
an unexpected call, ana caught him in the
set Of making run Of some forty gallons
OF the fluid I DESTROYED the outfit, and
turned him over to tie deputy marshal
for transportation to Atlanta
The next das the deputy Hmped into
headquarters in s0rry plight the deacon
having escaped by oveTtuTn1ng the boat in
which they were being ferried across a
stream. swimming ashore, and leaving the
deputy elingiDg to the overturned craft,
calling loudly Tor help
We lay low for ten days. then made a
sudden descent upon the deaeon's strong
hold. We lay cut in the bushes. and
watched the house until about sunset, and
made q Decline for tne spring. a quarter
mile away
'-Shadoving him. We came upon him at
the spring, where he bad established a
new booze factory We ran in on him,
threw hin down, and after tearing Up q
nalf acre or so of SGD in the struggle. I
sat on him. while the DEPUTY bound him
with plow line
His utensils for making the liquor
were most unique Two washtubs full Of
mash, an iron washpot for the still 4 cap
roughly heWn from a poplar log and a
worm made OF an old piece Of iron pipe
composed the outfit, but they had made
the com juice all right as evidenced by
a nalf-filed key Of the article concealed
in The bushes nearby To be certain Of
landing our game. We both accompanied
the deacon to Atlanta On the way TO
the city Ne got into friendly game Of
seven-up. and, 10 even up matters. the
deacon won all cur money. and would
have had our clothes had the train not
arrived ahead Of schedule time We had
TO borrow money from him to pay cab
fare 10 the prison.
The deacon was tried in the Federal
court, and got 4 good. long jail sentence
in addition TO a pretty stin fine. It would
have been reasonable 10 SUPPOSE his pre-
detection for mOonshining was over Tor
the time being, but such was not the
case Revenue prisoners were allowed a
great deal more liberty than ordinary
criminals. and we're given the run OF a
certain portion OF the jail Bountiful "a
tion5 were supplied, corn bread being a
staple article OF diet among the noun
taineers-
As soon as the deacon got his bear
ings he began to pick up odds and ends
around the prison and carry them 70 his
cell. Saving a portion Of his daily ration
Of corn bread and begging more from his
fellow prisoners, he soon had enough 10
make quite a mash Among the odds
and ends picked up was an old coffee pot
and yard or two of rubber tubing As
soon as the mash feTmentad he filed the
coffee pot, attached the rubber tube 20
the spout, and, placing the rig over gas
let had . first rate still He told the
guard he was making medicine Tor Theu-
matism.
While in jail he sold enough Of his
srheuuaastism cure TO pay his fine and
when he returned 20 his mountain bone
from the proceeds he had enough LETT TO
purchase a brand-new copper still He
Just could not be stopped from making
the stuff
one OF the best-knoVn men in any de-
nartuent OF the Government is Col Bur
ton z. Ross. OF the Record and Pension
Division. Wiuder Building. Il branch Of the
war Department. He is descendant OF
the DISTINGUISHED Ross family Of Boston,
Mass. and OF New Jersey The colonel.
however. was born in Washington. D. c,
and has lived here al his life
Colonel Ross, always a lover Of every
service Of the United States ia JHly, 1853,
and vas discharged January l. 1866 10 re-
ceivs promotion in the War Department,
being selected freEn number Of his CON-
rades in the service for his unusual in
feIIizence aad fitness for the promotion
ST. that time gse-Colonel Ross has
been a faithful official in the War Depart
ment. and . more efficient progressive,
and soldierly man never tTOd the marble
halls OF TIE State, War, and Navy Build
ing
colonel Ross always. a lover Of every
thing that appertains to the military en-
tered the citizen sBIdieFy lCDg before
the present verv efficient and SerEicable
District National Guard was organized.
He became q member Of Company 4. then
constituting the Washington Light IN
faatry. This was thirty years ago. He
held s;IccessiveIy every possible promo
ton from Lance corporal to first sergeant
in ! Company. During this time Com
pany A increased its membership SO rap
idly that another company was formed,
in which the now colonel was elected sec
ond lieutenant. he developed rapidly
into a crack drilimaster. ana vas reward
ed by being elected captain
3 Company, under Captain Ross. was
soon elevated. through successive cham
pionship drills in Richmond and Balti-
more with the best drilled companies IN
tie United States. 10 the highest pinnacle
in tactical proficiency The Washington
Light Infantry was made famous thereby,
and as result, two more companies we're
added. and it became the Washington
Light Infantry Corps. with Burton R
Ross as major. His acknowledged super
iorIty as an officer and soldier brought
further konors 20 him in time. for h. at
the present time is the lieutenant colonel
OF the First Regiment Of the District Ma
tionaI Guard.
Colonel Ross has other duLies. however.
For a great many years ne has been the
drill instructor Of the High School Cadet
Battalion The High School boys on
the drill field Us wei as in their class
rooms have ever sholsn the highest ef-
hciency. mainly throGSh Colonel Ross
superior knowledge as an instructor and
disci3iinarian.
Colonel Ross mas also acted IS q mill
fa-v crf+fe and f-IGga Of aE-arU annual argTF