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

she became the head of his household
and the manipulation of his famous still.
And what was more, Mary Fouts
made a whisky of no mean reputa-
ton. She raised her own crop of
corn and coaxed it as only a farmer
who loves his growing things can
coax. And then she made it into the
right sort of whisky, pure and un-
adulterated.
81 would not adulterate my whisky
for any price, nor for the whole
world" said Miss Fouts in recent
interview-and she meant it. No
head of a great food factory ever re-
garded the output of his establishment
with greater reverence and pride and
affection than does Mary Fouts the
product of her illicit still. And down
there in Kentucky when a man wants
the real thing in whisky he demands
Mary Fouts' whisky, willingly pay
ing the higher price asked for her
brand.
Now, of course, the United States
government, with it's mighty system of
officers and spies, was not ignorant
of Mary Fouts and her calm, unwaver-
ing violation of the laws. But how to
reach Mary Fouts without sacrificing
national pride by spilling the blood of
woman who sinned only because she
thought it no sin, but her right, was
a problem even for a great govern
ment. If Mary Fouts would kindly
sneak out of her stronghold and MUIR
der a man in cold blood, then the law
might take it's course But Mary Fouts
was distressingly peaceable and in
dustrious. She attended strictly to
her own business.
Mary Fouots did not come to town
nor haunt highways. But she certain
tainly did know how to guard her
property, particularly her still. This
had a natural barricade Of rocks, and
behind this barricade Mary Fouts kept
collection of Winchesters and am,
munition which meant fight to a
finish-and it is sorry thing for a
nosse of men to find themselves fight
ing against one intrepid woman who
had been guilty of no greater offense
than turning the product OF her own
land into cash according to the meth
DDS followed by her ancestors for gen
erations. And of these ancestors she
was as proud as the scions of English
nobility of the ancestors who fought
under William the Conqueror.
But something had to be done
There were seven counts against Miss
Fonts. The government felt that pa
tience, even with fair woman, had
ceased to be a virtue. The dignity
of the law must be maintained, with
out bloodshed if possible, with blood
shed if necessary. But first diplo
macy.
A revenue officer sent to Miss Fouts
nv a trusted friend to the moonshinel
this message in writing:
meet us at the schoolhouse on Bea
YER Creek Thursday and promise you
will never violate the law, never
moonshine any more, and we will see
to it that you are fully pardoned fol
ALL"
81 will never meet you," was hel
curt reply, and to her mother she
said:
There's no use talking-I will keer
this still going in spite of all the gov
eminent. 1t is duty to you NEAR
tn fulfill. Father stilled all his life
| and stilled good whisky. There is nc
reason why we shouldn't keep up the
family reputation. They will never
take me alive" she is said to have
added.
For, you see, Mary Fouts. for all hel
contempt of government and the law
is no rude mountain woman of I'm
couth bearing and rougher speech. Sht