The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-06-07
MOONSH|NE Goes up
ILLICIT WHISKY EXPECTED TO
COMMAND $40 A QUART.
North Carolina Bone Dry Law Starts
Big Boom in Mountain Dew"-WhoIe
Army Needed to Hunt Down Stills
Hid Away in Hills and Brush.

ton just ahead, the moonshining noun
taineers of western North Carolina are
having equally roseate visions as the in
auguration of the bone dry" prohibition
law in this state on July, 1 promises to
raise the price of moonshine corn whis-
key to $40 or more a quart
Already a notable center Of the block
ade liquor industry, the advent of the
bone dry" law promises to increase
the illegal manufacture of corn whiskey
to point where half the standing ar
my of the United States would be nee
essary to suppress it.
Making corn whiskey without a gov
ernment license is traditional In the
mountains Of western North Carolina.
The mountaineers, absolutely upright
and honest in every particular. and scru-
pulously exact in meeting the smallest
obligation cannot be made to under
stand that making moonshine is vi
olation of the law, and fines and prison
sentences fail utterly to convince them
that the law must be obeyed.
There is no sense Of wrong-doing in
their evasion of the law. Their fathers
made whskey before them, and they
feel that they are perfectly justified in
converting their corn into the form in
which II will bring the most money.
Only Way to Get Cash.
Perhaps the greatest reason for the
manufacture Of the whiskey is the fact
that far back in the mountains, the
farms are Of such size and condition
as to preclude the raising Of more than
the most scanty crops, and in order to
make a showing on the amount Of soil
available, the mountaineer must convert
his corn into a more valuable product
than 81 a bushel grain.
AS a 81 bushel Of corn will make a
gallon Of whiskey worth from IS to $40
now in the underground market and
as that price promises 10 raise TO $40
gallon, the answer is Illicit distilling
Even with the possibilities of getting
one quart every fifteen days In North
Carolina, the moonshining business is
flOurshing. as the product of the still
brings from $3.50 70 81 a quart now. ac-
cording 10 demand, and as western
North Carolina is an ideal location for
the hiding OF the Illicit stills, the bust
ness flourishes.
One of the largest forces Of revenue
raiders in the United States works out
Of Ashevile. and never n week passes
that they do not destroy from two to
five stills, although arrests are infre.
quent. owing TO the nature OF the terri
tory I'm which the stills are located, and
the peculiar wireless" systems among
the mountaineers that seems to watt
ahead the news OF the coming Of the
raiders.
And yet, with all this destruction OF
stills. corn liquor is always available
to the man who knows where to look
and who has the necessary price.
Could Defy an Army.
The men who make the whiskey are
a picturesque lot. Mostly OF Scotch
Irish and English descent. they com
prise the purest strains OF the Caucas
ian race in America today.
Although illiterate, as n rule, these
moonshiners are kindly and gentle. with
an inborn gentleness inherent TO the
race although they can be reused TO q
deadly fury when wronged or led &C
Their names are synonymous with
hospitality. but woe betide the luckles,
raider who takes advantage OF that hos
pitality TO pursue the host or a neigh
Dor FOR infraction OF the revenue laws
The records show that several revenu,
raiders who started out TO seek block
ade Stills are now simply reporte,
missing" Their fate VIII never b,
known.
When II IS remembered that Mt
Mitchell. the highest point east OF IN,
Rocky Mountains is located In western
North Carolina and that a hundre,
more peaks over 5000 feet In height ar
found In the Appalachian system II
western North Carolina, 10 say nothinl
OF mnumcrable peaks over 1000 feet II
height. the range of mountain fast
ncsses can be partially eliminated. an
each mountain offers some seclude
spot where the manufacture OF whiske
can be carried on IN comparative saf'
~
Add the presence Of lmpenetrable lat
rel thickets. In which a man can pas
within n dozen feet OF n half dozen me
without being aware OF their presenc'
and the tremendous advantages OF th
section FOR moonshincrs can be bette
appreciated.
Hundreds OF streams OF pure moui
tain water are TO be found throughou
the range, and the still often a .orud,
home made affair. and often a hig
priced manufactured article OF the col
per variety. IN addition to the corn.
all that Is needed for the moonshiner {
set up a business.
Legal Tender In the Mountains.
While not trcaoherous by nature. IN
mountaineer who takes chances wit
she government does not look on III
waylaying OF "revenuer' as either
sin or n crime. An OF which explain
why Deputy Collector j. A. Gallowa
recently had one eye removed, he ha'
ing been shot from ambush last ia
after making a successful raid.
At times the spirit shown Is moi
vindictive. especially toward an info
mer. who is held several degrees low,
in the social scale than n "revenuer."
'Moonshine" Is legal tender In q
mountains That II passes for curre
cy for food and clothing Is perhaps be-
demonstrated by the fact that from OF
township alone IN Buncombc count
l.. Al.