The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-07-18
Mountain Type of Moonshiner

4 4
Catlettsburs, SKY, July 17.4Typi-
cal mountain meonshiners ofs Ken
tucky are not always of the gun
toting and trouble making kind it is
proven to news correspondents by
visits into the mountain region in
this state. The mountaineer type
of moonshiner, however, is continual.
ly on the alert for deputy -sheriffs,
prohibition officers and revenue
agents.
After trip of thirty or forty
miles into the mountains the cores
pondent was escorted to a moonshin-
ers log shack, made from the rough
timber of the"hillside and carefully
arranged on foundation of stone.
"Bill" greeted his visitors with a
keen eye, bit of suspicion, but with
l friendly note in his shout of "Wel
come stranger" Proper inquiries
whether any squirrels inhabited an
adjacent mountain side. where a new
ly beaten path had been noticed
brought the answer that squirrels
were scarce, and none were found in
the woods. Further inquiries regard
ing the path finally forced Bill" to
admit that he visited the hillside every
day but never learned if any stills
were there. Within a short time,
and when a friendly spirit developed
(the visitors having impressed the
moonshiner they could be trustedl
some mountain dew" or in the lam
guage of, the cites "white mule" was
produced from a small handmade
cupboard within. the single room of
the cabin, over which hung religious
picture and other articles of re-
ligious nature. On the opposite side
of the room over the bed of the noun
taineer was a rifle of heavy calibre,
an automatic pistol and small
cahbre revolver. The contrast was
quite unique.
A pot of home grown string beans
cooked in mountain style in large
iron kettle hung over fire near the
hut. Fingers were used as forks for
the mountaineers' luncheon, and
moonshine furnished the refresh
ment.
A small drink of the mountain
dew" by the correspondent almost
brought Sunderland a la Dempsey.
Inquiries as to the age of the liquor
brought the answer "Thets today's
stuff"
Hospitality of typical southern
quality will be found among the
mountaineer residents if you are a
! friend" if an enemy-beware, or as
'"Bill" explained it Snakes in the
mountains are killed" "Bill" makes
his farm a payable proposition for
his wife and children, who were at
tending church at the time of the
correspondents visit, and by occa-
sionally cutting some timber. His
interest in world affairs is not linn
tied, and weekly trips to the nearest
postoflice furnishes him with news
papers from the outside" These
are read by one member of the family
by lamp and candle light to the 9TH
ers, and often last throughout the
week.
The mobnshiner's home from the
outside has an uEinvitiag appearances
but once within the ho.le, while some
inconvenience are found, the impress
sion of cleanliness is produced: The
low ceiling forces a man of ordinary
height to stoop. The board floor may
creak, but it is solid and high and
dry. In winter cold winds are shut
out by the mud plastered between
the cracks of logs, and by the board
and paper lining the inner walls.
is furnished by an oil burner and
cooking is done on coal range.
Oxen teams haul coal to the home
during the fal months. A yolk of
oxen pulling a load of timber along
the narrow mountain road explains
the manner which enabled the noun
taineer to obtain all the sizable logs
used in constructing his home.
Resources and resourcefulness
gained only from the "close to ma
ture" life Of the mountaineers en-
able them to succeed where the or
dinary citizen would barely get along,
but the resourcefulness is coupled
with the fear of the law and the be-
lief in hereafter