The farmer and mechanic., 1907-02-12
Mills VERSUS MOoNsiIINERS.
Development Of Cotton Manufacturing
in Castor Puts Riockadin2 out
Of Bi-inc~-
CCharlottc Observer j

"Wherevo' you find cotton mills on
the Increase, You find LIockading and
Illicit traffic in whiskey 81 the de-
| crease, remarked a prominent manu-
facturere to an Observer reporter yes
terday. THE statistics Of any sec
ton Will demonstrate this conclu,-
lively. The facts cannot be gained al
ways from the court records. for the
enforcement of the laws is ofttimcS
neglected by the officers The gene
raj principle is true nevertheless. 1t
is a fact that the increase in the spind-
leage of any section is always followed
by 4 propOrtionate decrease in moon-
shining. blOckading and general
Illicit WhiskeY business. \ sentiment is
developed against such practices which
results sooner or 'ater in the prosecu-
tion Of the offenders. The natural
eequence is that all those who make
it regular practice 70 circumvcnt tn
! laws. either dscontue or m We to
some other section. Those who desire
to engage in other work can always
secure employment in the cotton mills.
Consequently those who are hardened
m0OnshinerS seek other climeS
Castor county furnishes such an
example. Two decades ago there were
no cotton mills in operation there and
blind tigers haunted every cove Moon
shing there in those days was as bad
as in Wilkes. The county was often
|
Der of its Illicit stills. As the years
passed by cotton mills began to spring
Up here and there. The industry de-
yeloped. giving empl 2yment to hun
dTcds and thousands Of people. The
majority of the mill operatives We're
from the country and possessed more
than ordinary strength # character.
The sentiment against the Illicit man
ufacturng and sale Of liquo~ manifes-
ted itself at once. This publice spirit
was fostered by the mill owners and
/ today there are comparatively few
violations against the revenue laws in
CASTOR county. Now and then some
old offender drives across the country
into the mountains and returns with
a wagon load of IN 1EOnShine liquor
Occurrences of this kind, howeve,s, are
on the decline. CASTOR country is one
# the best regulated and best govern
ed counties in the State.
The court records cannot serve to
prove the general principle that block
aiding dimini-hes with the increase III
cotton mills The number Of prose-
cutionS is not determined by the num-
be- of violations, but rather b. the
activity of the revenue officers.
Wilkes county is noted for the num-
ber # its blockade stills and yet last
year, the record in the office Of the
clerk of court shows that there was
bat one offender prosecuted. Two
years before there was not even one.
The court record is interesting
nevertheless. 1t is given for the past
thirty years. In 1876, there were 4
cases prosecuted iii Castor county in
Wilkes county. 3 in 1877. 1 in CASTOR
and in Wilkes; in 1S78.the officers
bes irled themselves and there were II
cases in Castor and - in Wilkes: in
t'1819. there We're I cases in Castor and
50 in Wilke-: in 1850 there were ?
! =
in 1891. , cases in Castor and II
from Wilkes. Evidently the revenue
officers neglected their work in CASTOR
county from 1882 to 1856
for here We're no cases prose-
cntod during that time In
Wilkes. on the contrary. during
that time 81 vioIators We're prosecuted
In 1886, Is cases We're brought from
CASTOR and 30 from Wilkes: in 1887. =
from Castor and 20 from Wilkes. in