The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-05-06

Living up III the ulltS Win y
sparse but thirsty community around
him, separated by many miles from
the places which eater to the desires
of the bibulously Inclined Curetoa
conceived the idea that there was a
good living, if not a fortune, to lie
obtained by establishing still" and
selling its products to his neighbors
Being wise in his generation, ana
having knowledge of the implacable
fashion in which the revenue men
will dog down anyone who tries TO
run that kind OF business iiicitlJ,
Cureton decided that it would be SAT
est to be open and above board in
carrying out his plans.
SO he went to the office of tie
nearest collector of Internal Reveuuv.
and passed over the taxes required
by the federal government. Then
he went back home and started Il
real distillery
Everything went along smoothly
for time and @lretou was making
money as we'll rs whiakey. The
government storeheeper and gauge
visited his place from time TO time
and saw that his account of mat
erial used was correct His neigh
bors had their regular supply of
mountain dew with the govern
ment 20. X" on it, and voted Cure
ton good fellow.
But this peaceful scene could not
last forever. After some muath.
the state authorities learned of '!:is
far-away mountain distillery running
III violation of the state laws. and
they sent sheriff to investigate
Cureton was arrested and brought to
trial in the course of which the gov
eminent storekeeper and gauger, b.
P. Thompson by name. was called
upon to testify as to what was in
Cureton's workshop. Thompson re-
fused to give any information on
the ground that government regu.a
tions prohibited a revenue Officer
from disclosing any knowledge gain
ed in the course Of his duties. He
was prompaly sent to Jail for con
tempt to court.
About the same time Deputy = =
lector W. Z. Crockett broke off . 8
removed the lock which had be, $
placed on The ciis,illery by the sheriff
and he was placed in prison.
The national government was ar
rayed against the state government
and agents of one upholding the
treasury departments regulations
and officials and others supporting
the trampled dignity of the state
laws and courts. There were haboas
corpus and other proceedings broughe
and suits threatened back and forth.
Both sides refused to recognize the
authority of the other and a really
ugly situation was created.
The row started early last fall and
it was not until a day or two go
that amicable adjustment was reach
ed. The government reveuLo
agents pleaded guilty of technical
contempt" of court and the cases
against them were at once dismiss I'd
But poor Curcton. who had placed
his faith in the government revenue
stamp. was fined $1,000 with the al
ternalive of going to states prison
for Il year.
Last year, Uncle Sam gave to tho
"a 900 surviving veterans and Wi
dOWs of veterans, of the American
wars, $160, 993 900 in war pensions.
Details of paternaiistic govern
ments pension business were recept-
~ presented to congress by the sec"e-
tary Of the interior. In the number
lead, each with $4,000 in round num-
bers, New York has $4,000, Illinois
$4,000 and Indiana $1,000.
More than 5000 pensioners live N
foreign lands. Canada leads wi,is
over two thousand, Germany hpa
five hundred, Ireland 40, and Eng
land 36l. Remote places of the eartn
to which pension money is sent il
clude the Seychelles islands, St Mar.
tin, St. Helena, Azores, Bahamas,
Turkey, Greece, Liberia Korea, Hon
duras, Hong Kong, and the Isle OF
Man. The total sent to GA countries
or dependencies is $S62,6O7 year.
Three Civil war veterans b1ca
reached the patriarchial ages of 1O3
lO7 and los years, respectively.
The Oldest veteran OF the Mexican
war is comparative youngster OF
"a years.
With surprising csntempt for
the United States patrol on the Ms.x-
lean boundary, eontraband Chinese,
are flocking into the couatry. re
puruse the statistics eff the Pacif-
&c sea coast in an attempt to get an
ldea OF the amount of Chinese i'm N
/. grafton into the country is hecon,, a.,