The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-06-28
-M|00NSnINE IS
ON THE INCREASE

"Moonshining'-the act of manufac-
turing distilled liquors in violation of
the internal revenue laws on the
increase all over the country, accord
ing to experts Of the treasury depart
ment. OF course the department
never concerns itself with questions
of public policy, and consequently it
has nothing to do or say about the in
crease or decrease of prohibition
throughout the United States Never
theless the work of the bureau of in
ternal revenue is Immediately con-
cerned with this question of public
policy. because it has been found that
| wherever prohibition laws exist there
also is afforded the greatest possible
incentive for violations Of the internal
revenue laws by "moonshiners."
1t will be some weeks yet before
the report of the work of internal
revenue agents with respect to the
enforcement of the laws against
"moonshining" used to exist almost
exclusively in the mountain regions
Today the state is honeycombed with
illicit stills. The greatest increase
in this illegal business in recent years
have been noted in Georgia, Alabama,
North Carolina. South Carolina, Vir-
ginia and Tennessee. While the in
ternal revenue officers have been con-
stantly raiding the districts where the
Illicit industry has bes0 known to exist
for half a century or 'Nore, backhre
has sprung up in the settled districts
of those states which has necessitated
an increase in the force of inspectors
and agents and great diligence and
energy all along the line.
Furthermore, the "moonshining" in
dustry has begun to invade the north.
and particularly some Of the larger
cities of the north, where the possibil-
ity of hiding is excellent.
In the known "moonshining district"
in the south, where the industry has
flourished almost since the Revolu
tionary war, the diligence of the rev.
enue officers has made new methods
necessary. Water is an essential to
the operation of an illicit STILL Usually
four or FIVE persons in a community
are interested in its operation. The
copper pots and kettles and piping
that are required in making "moon-
shine" whiskey are now hidden by the
"moonshiners" in the rocks near the
scene of the base of their operations.
All the fermenting of the raw material
is done at home in hogsheads or boxes
or whatever will hold the material.
Finally a night is selected for the
work, and the stuff is hauled to an
agreed-upon place on the bank OF
some creek. where it is manufactured
until daylight. The result is that no
illicit still is now operated twice in
the same place. Sometimes the out
put is as high as twenty-five gallons
in a single night, but the average out
put is about ten gallons per still: This
IS divided up among the participants
and sold in small quantities.
The growth of public opinion to-
ward prohibition in the South has
had a decided effect on the penalties
infected by federal judges in moon
shining" cases. A few years ago it
was difficult matter to get Jail SEN
tence inflicted upon a "moonsshiner."
During recent term in court in Ten
nessee, however, prison sentences
were infected in almost 100 cases, and
in North Carolina twenty-six such
penalties were imposed by one court.
This is the best record ever made
against the "moonshiners."
There is another side to moon
shining" which shows how deeply
rooted the industry is. That is the vi
gor with which the "moonshiners" are
willing to defend their industry against
interference. In the fiscal year 1910 no
revenue agent was killed by the moon
sinners, for the first time in several
years, although several were shot. in
GLIDING three in one fight in Alabama.
This year, to date, one revenue officer
has lost his life in North Carolina
K. c. Journal.