River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-08-26
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, present time is conducted on isolated
''hammocks'' among the swampy lands
of the fowerp peninsula by natives
who distill from "pottins" wretcned-
ly cheap intoxicant for more or less
local consumption.
So ingeniously are illicit stills con-
cealed that they would be discovered
by revenue officers comparatively sell,
dom. were it not for the help OF hired
informers. Strange to say, even IN
the most remote Businesses OF the
mountains there are always to be
found men who will accept from Uncle
Sam this kind of employment-an en-
ployment extremely dangerous, mas
much as those who undertake it are
exceedingly likely to be murdered in
revenge. In number OF Instances
their houses have been burned, and
they themselves, when not killed, have
been whipped nearly to death by the
moonshiners they have betrayed.
Such informers receive from S. to
$40 for every still they point out. The
government pays about $11 900 per an
mum for the hire of natives for this
kind of work, and to employ posse
men to help the deputy marshals In
making arrests. At the present time
the loss of tax to the government by IL
licit distilling is reckoned at only
about 100000 year-a small frac-
ton of what it used to be-and it is
estimated that, including pay Of reve-
nue. officers and incidental expenses.
the entire cost of "wildcatting" to the
treasury of the United States is not
more than $4,000 annually.
There Is an old sayinf TO the effect
that one moonshine still will democrat
ize any community for distance OF
three miles in every direction. The
liquor it turns out, being sold and
drank fresh from the worm, is the
devils own brew-a kind of firewater
that makes men crazy. 1t is account
able for most of the murderous feuds
that have terrorized many districts for
generations. Owing to growing per-
ception of which facts, there has come
about change in popular sentiment
in most regions where "wildcatting"
was formerly countenanced and sup
ported-a change so far adverse as TO
have greatly helped in the suppress
sion of the industry.
Even yet, however, there are local.
ties in which the revenue officers can
not set foot without great danger. No
sentiment in favor of fair play sug-
gests to the moonshining mountaineer
81, ~ HOI fiYoo
in the open. He prefers to lie in am
bush and to take pot shots at the gov
eminent agent When a party Of
raiders arrives in the neighborhood
notification of the fact is spread far
and wide by the blowing of horns, and
sometimes armed men will assemble
in force to defend still against at
tack. Under such circumstances
many a desperate battle has been
fought. Indeed, the "revenuer" carries
his life in his hands at all times, and
he knows how to use his pistols,
whether running afoot or riding at a
gallop, while with his rifle, which car
ries an ounce ball thousand yards
with precision, he is dead shot.
Nobody goes to the still to buy IL
quor. Anybody in the neighborhood
can get it by trading cornmeal for it,
if money is lacking-three bushels of
meal being deemed an equivalent for
one gallon of corn juice" But most
commonly it is known to the people Of
the vicinity that bottles or jugs may
be filled from a barrel of the stuff
kept at a certain farmhouse; or occa-
sionally cask of whisky stands under
a tree not far from the public road,
the person in charge of it hailing
those who pass by. Or, again, one
may learn of spot in which an empty
flask or jug may be left, with money
to be afterwards found there duly
filled.
In those parts of the country where
"blockading'' is practiced the people
are usually very poor. and the destruc-
ton of a still is likely to be severe
misfortune to the owner.