The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1903-10-09
MINSON'S DISAPPOINTMENT.
An ocklaWaha River Romance-How
Some Ladies' Figured in an
Illicit DistiIIery.

I'D plead the statute OF Limitations,
there lived near the Ocklawaha, a man
by the name of Minson whose occu-
patton ii was To convert prime Florida
syrup into questionable rum and
barter it off to his neighbors at the
rate of two dollars per gallon. He
had an almost inaccessible place in
the river swamp, where he kept his
still and other fixtures, and it was
here that he put up his beer in the
proportion of one gallon of syrup TO
two gallons of water, and i'm nine
days Summer time) it was ready for
dlstilling. For still he had a syrup
barrel with place cut out in the
bilge about twelve inches square, and
sheet of copper tackled over il to
come next TO the fire. For cap he
had cypress Knee and the pipe was
regulation copper worm that had
had liquor enough run through it to
float government dry dock.
Upon this particular occasion We
write OF, MinsOn filled up his still and
started fire under it. Contrary to
his usual habit he had not stuck his
fingers in the beer and tasted il, as he
had been there the day before and
figured that it would be ready the
next night, 30 he confined himself 70
the task o. putting his hand on the
still once in while TO see if it WAS
warming up, aud TO warming him.
sci; about tasting the liquor when 1t
commenced running. Said he to
himself: "NOw, Minson, you blanki-
ty, blank, blank old foo, you know
that if you commence on that stuff
at the start, you'll be drunk before
you're half done, and you'll run the
low wines into the good liquor and
then dog wouldn't drink il, so be a
man for once and let it alone until
you get through"
Well, the por began to get pretty
in the worm, such a. stuck pig
would make when dying, and soon
there came n little stream of liquid as
green as poison (verdigris;) which is
always the case when "a worm is first
used after rest, and is caught on a
flannel cloth TIED Ov~r the receptacle.
The fire was duly adjusted and
MinsOn set back 10 enjoy his pipe.
Now, the rule is, that the first liquor
that comes is too strong to bead but
after SO much is run it will commence
to bead and when it quits beading
the balance Is low wine and should
be kept separate from the other.
MinsOn kept his eye on the little
stream for long time and said 10
himself: "She is sure the hot stuff
over three gallons off and no bead
yet, blast if L amt getting it down
fine-beIieve | can soon make a gal.
lon of liquor from a gallon of SYRUP
Then he eyed the seven one gallon
jugs of his patrons and mentally
calculated: "Seven times two are
fourteen dollars, and if she holds up
like she's doing III have two or three
for MinsOn." 1t was not long before
another gallon was run Off and Min
son still stuck to his resolution not to
taste it, but when the next gallon
came and no bead he could not stand
it longer so he took his glass and
sampled it. 1t had no more taste
than water. Not willing to risk his
sense of taste altogether, he threw
some of it upon the live Goals and
there WAS no flash. This was proof
positive to him that something was
wrong. Even the little spirits in low
wines will make little flash when
thrown on live Goals. He jumped to
the remaining barrel of beer, and to
his surprise he found a note pinned
on it which read as follows: 1.-THE
bees must have sucked all of the
sweetening out of this beer, for it
don't appear to have any snap to it,
and there will be dry time in the
old town for the next ten days"
Signpd HT, V T. Al