Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-22

wv ASHINGTON, D. G., Dec. l7.-Inere Is
w a wooded section not far from the
W nations capital which was once a
favorite ground for the good old southern
sport of 'coon-hunting. Some of the people
thereabouts have been known to pay as h1gh
as $3.50 for coon dog of good reputation.
In those parts you might slap mans child
and get away with it, but if you Kick his
coon dog it is a case of fight or run.
And now most of those expensive coon
dogs are getting fat and stiff in the joints
from lack of use, and the coon hunters are
all disgruntled. The reason is not any
shortage of 'coons, either. The reason IS
that every little branch and gully which the
coons use is now the home of moonsh1ne
still, and if you blunder into still suddenly
and at night with a gun in your hand, you
are more than likely to encounter charge
of shot.
In some sparsely settled sections not too
far from the great thirsty cities, there is al
most a still in every bush. Not long ago
posse was formed to chase murderer
through the woods of Virginia near here, and
it is said that in sixteen miles OF travel they
uncovered II stills. Usually the owners
were not at hand. One of them was seen,
however He was sitting hilltop not
far from his still. A large flock of turkey
buzzards was circling around over the STILL
attracted, as buzzards are, by the odor OF the
mash. The man had repeating h1gh-poWer
rifle and he was shooting the buzzards as
they flew over him in order hat hey might
not betray the location Oh his still
"And he wasn't missin' none, either" said
member of the posse in recounting the
episode.
The posse decided not to arrest the man.
They couldn't prove that he owned the still
anyway.
Still More Stills
The stills are multiplying at an astound-
ing rate. No doubt ever since prohibition
there have been many stills, both for private
supply and for commercial purposes, IN all
parts Of the United States but the great de-
velopment of this infant industry is In the
Appalachian mountains and their immed ate
vicinity. AS every reader Of romance knows,
is in the ountain regions that the art OF
converting corn into liquor in secrecy has
long been practiced. The mo- .ntain men all
know how to do it. Before prohibition there
was a little still hidden away somewhere in
| almost every mountain neighborhood. Its
owner, at some personal risk, saved per-
haps so cents on each gallon of liquor he
made by evading the revenue tax. At best
he made a precarious living. Everyone who
has read the magazines knows what he look
ed like-a gaunt, hawk-nosed citizens, wear
ing no socks and carrying in the hollow of
his arm rifle six feet long.
Then came prohibition, ana moonshine
suddenly jumped from dollar or two gal
lon to ten or twenty a gallon. The result
was inevitable. Create any opportunity for
anyone to make easy money and that oppor-
tunity will be used to the full Nor will a
spice of danger in the least interfere with
the proceeding. And especially is this true
of the mountain men. they are adventur-
Gus fellows, they are Used to breaking laws
where liquor is concerned, they are accus-
toned to the use of firearms and they have
sort of clan loyalty which makes it very
hard for stranger to work among them.
Not only coon hunters, but many others