The New York herald., 1922-04-09

still. Is she your daughter? l reckon
you've guessed we're officers?"
was the reply. This is my girl; what are
you going to do with herr"
There's just one thing we can do"
Palmer told him. IF you claim you
haven't anything to do with that still back
yonder, we'll have to takA .ier to Coeburn
and put her in jail"
The girls lip trembled and she paled.
I'VE found her working !, Palmer went
on, "but l don't believe 3 responsible
for that stills being there
Stallard seemed to be dlking deeply.
The silence was awkward. lie seemed to
be determining whether he ould take the
blame or sacrifice his daughter. Then he
made his mind up, nd>spoke:
do you mind going to the house with
me SO that can get few things to take
with met"
The little group went toward the house,
Arrived there Stallard gathered a few be-
longings, said his farewells and walked
toward the front gate with his captors.
The wife and the four children stood on
the porch and watched them go. Only
Blonde was dry eyed.
I AS they reached the gate the four men
turned at cry from the porch. Blonde
was rushing toward them. She reached
her father and clung heavily to his coat
lapels.
Daddy" she choked, didn't tell you?
Oh, why didn't you listen to me? Please
don't leave us for good, Daddy. Please
don't!" She was In tears now.
Stallard turned his head, and the little
procession went on.
He was sentenced to a year in prison.
He was not mountaineer. He had been
a cattle raiser in the lowlands of Virginia; ;
hard times had come. He had once been
prosperous. He wanted to get on his feet
again. He had decided to go to the noun
tains and undertake to recover prosperity
by moonshining He is out of prison now
and is back in the valley.
Stallard had fortunately made enough
money and more in years moonshining
to care for his family during his prison
term.
The story OF the old blacksmith who
made his fortune in more or less indirect
way from moonshining Is illustrative Of
two things. II points out the tremendous
intelligence organization Of the moonshin-
ers, and II shows how general moonshin-
ing is.
Down In the Great Smoky Mountains, on
the North Carolina Tennessee border, there
lives an old blacksmith, who is master Of
the art OF making stills He made good
ones out of copper. He made them big and
little, as required. The only trouble was
that he couldn't make them rapidly enough
to satisfy the demand. But he is still work
ing-that is an utterly unintentional pun
and is Knocking out" his $35 day with
consistency.
The moonshiners supply him with ma
terial and he manufactures the outfits at q
little blacksmith shop he has established
high up In the mountains. The occupation
of the blacksmith was finally disclosed
when they discovered that stills for miles
around were apparently a standard prod
uct; that they all had the same brand Of
workmanship. But they have been unable
to get him with the evidence.
He is able to turn out one still day
for which his price is $35. He Is the
DublcSL hidn III tut hhOuHthinb. NY btcIh
ously, the raiders who have visited him
frequently have never been able to find
anything even remotely resembling a still
around his shop. When they have come
they have invariably found him placidly
shoeing horse.
Unquestionably the old blacksmith is fa-
vored by the elaborate system of warnings
In effect among the moonshiners. Tele-
phones have been great help to them,
for the women In the foothills account II
q solemn duty when they catch sight Of a
raiding party headed for the mountains to
fash the warning over the party lines Of
the telephone systems, and the word is
taken up and flashed by other party lines
and other means for miles and miles over
the mountain section. One Of the favorite