Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-12-07
Moonshiners Are
Forced to Adopt
Chain Operation
Illicit Distillers Are Hard
Pressed for Cash in
Mountains.

ATLANTA.-Pappy, the bewhis-
kered mountain moonshiner of the
cartoons whose feud guns are rusty
and his cash scarce, has resorted
to "chain" operation of whisky stills
in an effort to make money on a
losing proposition.
The southeastern division of the
internal revenue alcohol tax unit
"revenooers" to Pappy-disclosed
that the traditional mountain dis
tillers are hard pressed for profit
because of legal liquor and strin-
gent enforcement.
Some of the illicit whisky makers
have gone into "chain' operation
because of inability to finance their
ramshackle plants alone. In cases
of cooperative effort" one of the
more affiuent men in the commu-
nifty will advance money for grain
and sugar needed in whisky manu-
facture. Then he gets cut of the
profits when the liquor has been sent
to the city and sold. Recent federal
raids have uncovered "chains" of
as many as 10 stills.
The days of the private moon
sinner who made few gallons of
native corn or rye and carefully
aged it for his own consumption
and occasional sale are over, ac-
cording to w. H. Harrington, dis
trict supervisor of the alcohol unit.
The Stuff Is Awful
Frankly, the stuff that is dis
titled in the mountains today is aw-
full" Harrington said. MANY of
the moonshiners won't drink their
own product.
'Most of the stuff is sold imme-
diately after it is distilled because
our agents are crowding the still
operators too close to permit aging.
The shine is dumped on the market
almost before it is cold. And that
means the quality is virtually unfit
for human consumption"
The purity of the native liquor
which retails for about 81 a gallon
is usually doubtful, Harrington said.
The water used in mountain whisky
comes from comparatively pure
streams, but in the "low country"
of the South the moonshiners often
use polluted swamp or pond water.
The chain system of still opera
ton is not widespread, but agents
in the district of South Carolina,
Alabama, Georgia and Florida have
uncovered recent instances of CO.
operative manufacturing-with all
hands denying ownership of the
stills to avoid heavier federal prose-
cution.
Helps Enforcement.
Federal enforcement is helped
materially by reports of unusually
large sugar sales. Grocers are re-
quired by law to report the sale of
more than 100 pounds. According
to the federal men, 100 pounds of
sugar 60 into 100 gallons of mash,
which in turn will yield about 10
gallons of whisky.
The distilling equipment in most
cases is inadequate. Condensers for
the alcohol vapor usually are made
from scrapped metal coils, and even
discarded automobile radiators.
Most of the illicit whisky finds its
market in city slums and lower
class areas, Harrington said, where
people Twill drink anything"
The 'drink-anything" type of
tippler has perplexed federal agents
in the South, particularly in South
Carolina recently, by purchasing de-
natured alcohol-the rubbing type
for drinking purposes. Denatured
alcohol taken internally causes seri-
Gus gastric consequences, but the
sales continue. Denatured alcohol
imbibers usually temper the unpal-
atable liquid with soft drinks or
water.