The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1908-09-18

Down behind natural fortress of
huge powders in eastern Kentucky a
woman who has not yet seen her thir-
tleth birthday is calmly, intrepidly
and successfully defying the mighty
government of the United States.
A few days ago, single-handed, she
beat back posse of the best revenue
officers Uncle Sam could muster. Her
aim is true and her belief in her SOW
ereign right to make her own brand
Of whisky from her own corn is SUI
preme and immoVable.
Mary Fouts, aged q, is Americas
only moonshine maid, and she is a
moonshiner by birth, inclination and
training. Her father was a moon
sinner before her, and the several ram
ifcations of her family hold records
for battle with revenue officers that
any mountaineer might envy.
For 40 years the Beaver Creek dis
trict, on the neutrality-suspicious. Dor,
DER has been a moonshine stronghold,
the scene of many a pitched battle
between moonshiners and government
officials Blood of both sides has
stained its narrow ravines and pic,
turesque mountain paths If a record
of lives sold for the mountain brew
had been kept doubtless the greater
number of notches would have been
cut by Uncle Sam. But when it came
to this woman, this tall, stalWart
calmeyed, sure aiming young woman
on her native heath, Uncle Sam was
bafHed. Chivalry died hard, even when
backed by L, md justice, and to send
his picked shots against a woman was
more than even Uncle Sam wanted tC
do. In time the clash had to come
yet the woman won against the law
and its armed officers.
Mary Fouts was born in the rude
nome where she now distills what is
said to be the best brand of whisky
obtainable in all Kentucky. Her baby
eyes studied the still, and her baby
ears learned to catch quick, ominouE
whispers. Just as the child of the
proverbial artist accepts poverty as
the price of parental genius, as the
child Of the king believes that royal
" can do no wrong, so this child O
the mountains believed that making
whisky without government consen
was the inalienable right of hill PEG
pie.
Her parents were ambitious for the
iittle Mary, however, and sent her t
sehool, where she proved exception
ally bright, and acquired an amount o
BOOK learning" which dazzled he
humble relatives. But she never for
Z otlher love of the mountain life ant
never lost her grip on mountain ira
ditions.
When other girls were writing notes
70 each other or making paper dolls
Mary Fouts was drawing pictures o
4 stills, and finally she presented to he
astonished teacher a perfect repro
auction of still, including the worm
s which she had evolved from some ode
oits OF copper that came her way.
During her twelfth year, when home
On her vacation. she made a run o
very fair moonshine whisky in an OLE
souee boiler in her mothers kitchen
at 10, her education finished, Mar!
touts declared against muslin frock'
ahd eross-road dances. She wanted
{ tae Tree If hazardous life of the moon
sinner.
A woman tnoonshiner! Even bolt
kentucky gasped.
women there were who had protect
sc their men" and fought for thei
men and even died with their men
but a woman who wanted to be {
aeaoer Of men In moonshining, well
mat Vas going some!
A lew years later, Mary Fouts came
no her own. Her father died, ant