The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-03-19
OVERCOMING -
the M00NSHINERS
(E. Ma Davis, IN sunday Schoo

Big IVY River. Dig at any season, n
roaring torrent in Wintertime, and
called Ivy from the heavy growth Of
evergreen rho~dodendron, the Greek
rose tree. along its banks, Flows down
from the Black Mountains of North
Carolina with leaps and falls as the
waters do at LOdore. 1t foams and
frets, and daSheS and SplaSheS for forty
miles until it empties itself into the
French Broad half way between Ashe-
vile and Hot Springs.
Ere it does so it pOurs yer a dam
q hundred feet high.
Along the courses of such streams
in the southern mountains the moon
sinners operate-in places not easy Of
approach to strangers. and t~reacherous
To government raiders.
The coVes on the headWaters of his
particular river, not far from Mount
Mitchell. used to be choice places for
moonshiners; but not so now. The
change came about on his wise:
Within q few years mission stations
have been established there; churches
and schools are taking the place of
the diStilleries. Five years ago. the
people, led by the mission workers,
secured prohibition from the State Leg
islature, and are enforcing it. -
At first there were threats on the
part Of the liquor men against he
our tallOW-faced person. who
had gon to Raleigh in the interest of
the prohibition legislation. There were
ScurrilOuS messages sent thrOug the
mail to him., and the rnutilatiOn Of his
S2ddle-hOrSe followed. There were in
ccndiary fires in the village at the head
of one fat valley. There was the at
tempted assassination of a justice Of
the peace.
Excitement ran high. Familiar
friends feared to be familiar With the
preacher. He himself thought it wise
to insure the mission property and to
take Il policy on his life. Many advised
him to go armed or else abandon OPP
position to the liquor men.
While considering the latter PROPOSE
ton he attended q preaching service
of an aged minister. This minister
knew nothing of the danger to which
the young minister had exposed him.
self.
The young man needed strength of
heart. 1t came as the old man read
the Psalm: I'm Jehovah do l take
refuge; how say We to my SOUL, flee as
a bird to your mountain? For, 10, the
wicked bend the bow, they make ready
their arrow upon the string, that they
may shoot in darkness at the upright
III heart
When opportunity offered the young
man arose reread the Psalm and told
the people that the fight for temper
ance would be won.
Property may be destroyed; lives
may be lost; but the kingdom of glory
shall be fastened. As for my life, that
is immortal till my work is done. [
ave q mortgage on time, and not
/ even Il distiller can fOreclose that
: mortgage
He followed this statement by Of
fering Il reward for information lead
ing to the destruction of distilleries
or to the capture of mOOnShinerS. This
expressed determination to do his duty
4 go ~ tho 1lnnnIa " a1fh 1Sinct1 Ihp
announcements Of reward led to the
arrest of ten mOonshiners. Two 9TH
rise fled the State.
In the arrest of three of these there
we're dramatic incidents of more than
usual interest. The search for the dis
tillery was made, as usual, at night.
The abandoned urnace, sheltered un-
der a bluff, was all that was found: not
a tub. keg. or any part of the diStllllng
apparatus was to be seen.
The preacher was sent for n
Joined the raiders at daylight. A mans
voice was heard calling cattle. His
home was in plain view. Two others
came to the door and lOi they were
the suspects. There was CONSERVATION
If the family when the raiding parry
approached the house. 1t was UNI
usual company for q preacher. and an
unseemly hour for q pastoral call. the
mOOnshinerS eyed the marshal nef-
vOusly. They remembered his at
tempted assassination years before.
when. failing in an attempted RAID,
he left the carcass of his horse welter-
ing in his blood on their premises.
Now his u shone bright in the light
of the risen sun. The day of recon-
pense seemed to be at hand.
Nothing here but water, men;
: nothing but water The d~iStiller spoke
in jerks and fits and starts.
The search was instituted: first I'M
der the floor, then in the loft. in the
bed and under the bed, in the cup
board and under the table. Room
number one yielded no evidence: nor
room two or three. h door of the
smoke-house thrown open revealed
the apparatus hidden away and six
fermenters of mash; a thousand gal
Ions of mash poured out. ran shoe
mouth deep to mingle with the cold
water which la been offered to the
tired raiders. The cutting up the
casks was a work like unto the heW-
ing of Agag to pieces before the Lord.
Samuel did that. the preacher helped
do this. The still, swung on a pole
: between two mems shoulders, was