The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1925-04-17

LOCAL COAST GUARD =:
In ~ ASA - ~ - N
AFTER RUM RUNNERS
Supply Boat Stationed at This City Pressed1n-
to Service For First Time, Makes Raids -
at East Lake !, 90

on the small supply vessels and
tenders of the shore stations,.
that work out of Elizabeth
City and other towns ii the
Seventh District, may not have
the cinch from now on;nt that
their friends think they have.
The probabilities are there will
be some hot skirmishes, frhst
weeks activities keep up. .'-..:>: .-....:
1t happened in this instance, that
when Federal Officers pressed the
Supply Boat attached to local head
quarters, into service for a raid
in the East Lake Section, that the
still operators were gone when the
officers got there, and trouble en-
sued. RumOrs that Federal oHleers
sent word week ahead that they
were going TO East Lake. are dis
counted by members of the crew Of
the local supply boat "yf3>'tf.
I'VE went up MilltaH Greek N n
small motor boat, but 1t made lot
of noise. and the operators could
have easily gotten away Before we
could arrive Oh the scene" SAID orr
member of crew Of the vessel. y,5
Liquor Business Grows, ,s.
The question of curbing the liquor
traffic in northeastern North Giro.
lima is becoming moro aud more per-
picking. The sound and river tIrdc
is the worst feature of tho problem.
IFS reached the point now, that
Elizabeth City officers can't arrest
anyone for handling liquor" said
one officer this week. ~ Lot of the
fellows who retail 1t about t0Hn.
keep their liquor across the Cam
den bridge. going across for q pint
of two at the time as they hare
orders for it,"
Elizabeth City gets small por-
tion of the liquor made across tina,
sounds, because Elizabeth City is
practically supplied by stills In Pas.
qIotank County. In the vast tim
berlands Of Dare. Tyrren and other
Counties, there have sprung UP a
tribe of the nervicst and most cx-
pcricncrd distillcrs In tbs state.
Located back on inaccessible creeks,
on sites that can be reached Dnly
by the most experienced woodstnen.
the smoke from numerous sttls eur
skywartl ovar the juniper tret@:
Here fathers and sons, even, woH
side by side or divide their wori
ing hours, to keep stills in opern
ton day and night, many OF tneh
turning ont hundreds Of gsllOra
every ~ hours.
The liquor industry has developed
to such enormous proportions IN
this section, because here may be-
found the safest, the most remote,
and the most inaccessible spots Tor
making liquor. 1t is 10 desperate
breed of men who have easily failen
into the occupation. but men who
have been pressed by hard times
brought on by poor crops. q depres-
scd logging industry or a t@Hhy
of game and furs, and Findings nh-
turc ready to conceal their Occupa.
tion. they are turning out an enOr'
nous supply Of liquor that brings
some families incomes Of n tt6tsand
dollars month. more than was
formerly made by famility IN Y
year. Substantial accounts In many
banks are carried by the prosper
OnS diStillrrS. ....s.
Where the Liquor Goes.
Thcre il insufficient market for
! the liquor where it is made ~Eifz.
abcth City and other small towns
aren't able To consume 1t in the tre-
mcndous quantities turned out BY
the gigantic stills concealed In the
! swamps. In seeking a market with
sufficient volume, many distiuers
have found it easy to send boats 10
Norfolk thru the inland waterway,
where the stuff fctches fancy prices.
Most Of the liquor is handiod In
fivc-gallon glass bottlcs.~. whlfh
bring around $40 apiece, or 500
a gallon, delivered in Norfolk, A
boatload of 100 bottles is an Orai.
| nary cargo, which brings in $1,000.
vet is only the twO.days output. OF
some of the larger stills: ''f-r'
The liqqor blockading between
Norfolk. and. the swamps Of North.
eastern North Carolina has grown
! tremendously, and today much Nor
folk capital is said to he invested
In stills in eastern Carolina, and
many special boats have been built
for the purpose. Builders OF small
boats thruout eastern Carolina. have
filled many orders for fine Juniper
craft of the V-bottom type, which
range in length from % to 40 feet'
Just why so few Of them are takel!
Continued on page FOur)