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Show Hk The Harvest of GolddDeath lnihMocmshme Belt . Flying Squadron" of Raiders Scours Mountains, j Braving Dangers Little Realized Beyond j; the Hills Bitter Conflicts Expected With the $ eS F 'flHHl- li : - Coming of Summer Women Aid Husbands J 1 Upper left rEftteBpSQV Stills found on fifisstty Bad Creek, BSHgVjjjjg' Cumberland children. LAST week, on these pages, there was revealed the extraordinary situation in the moonshine country; 10,000 stills in daily operation, more than a million gallons of raw white whisky being turned ut ach week and shipped to various parts of the country. It is a surprising story, this startling disclosure of the heretofore un-described un-described activities of the thousands of moonshiners in the Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee mountains. As was told last week, romance has Indeed given way to a very real conflict between the mountaineers on one side and the State and Federal agents on the other along the "trail of the lonesome pine." The stills are hidden in virtually inaccessible corners; the boys and girls, kept from school, sit along the paths ready to give the alarm at the first sound of strange approach. Hundreds have been slain or seriously wounded during the raids of the officials. Thousands of arrests have been made. Thirty thousand officers of-ficers are engaged in the task of hunting down the moonshiners. So far all attempts to stem the flow of the white whisky have failed. It is, truly, a real melodrama, with its romances and its tragedies as being revealed on these pages from Sunday to Sunday. IN the winter when the trees on the mountains are bare and when the roads are Impassable the seasonable environment Is not encouraging to moonshine moon-shine activity, but the moonshiners are active, nevertheless. Then it is not so difficult dif-ficult for the revenue officers who patrol the. hills of Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky Ken-tucky "the moonshine belt" to find the settings of the stills. It would seem that the bad roads would prevent the officers patrolling the hills, but tho fact Is that they are not to be stopped by any natural barriers short of death itself What the severity of winter does hamper Is distribution distri-bution of the liquor. Since the automobile Is the principal instrument of distribution, the thick mud of the oly roads makes it scarcely possible for the branch of the industry in-dustry which has to do with the transport ing of the liquor from tho hills to be free in their work. But-the moonshiners are busy, nevertheless. neverthe-less. Over the scrawny, unclad plant life ot the hills In winter mere silhouettes of theframework of the forests the thin wisp of white smoke floats out and the officers mount their horses and start out on tho trail The officers are busy in winter, but the summer with them Is a period of frantic effort. The moonshine made in winter is generally gen-erally of good quality at any rate of better bet-ter quality than that distilled In rammer. In the summer the mash is scarcely given time to ferment, and the liquor has no age. It Is taken from the vats to the market, and if it is not wholly raw and if it has enough "kick" to bear up the reputation of moonshine It is becaun it has been "doctored." That is. the new liquor Is given age by the addition of foreign matter, mat-ter, usually most Injurious. But that made In winter baa time to ferment fer-ment and age. It la mellow when in early summer it comes down from the; mountains. moun-tains. And it comes down in a cataractlc flood 1 1 1 As the floods sweep down from the melting melt-ing snows of the peaks of northern mountains moun-tains so does the torrent of moonshine coino down from the southern hills in spring. And the moonshine flood flows unabatingly through the summer. The thick foliago offers effective concealment con-cealment for the stills. The smoke Is broken and smothered in the treo tops The officers find their work tripled Tho "bootleggers" In the towns are over supplied. sup-plied. The price of moonshine goes down The nights are tilled with rushing automobiles. auto-mobiles. The hillsides are dotted with new stills. The warfare's intensity increases. in-creases. The Federal and county officials fight the moonshiners mercilessly. The death and casualty lists of both sides show tremendous Increases The war between the law and tho mountain legions is really a summer war. Summer Time of Death For Many in Mountains With the opening of summer it is probable prob-able that killings win be almost dally occurrences. The operators of the stills and their assistants will be as alert as they will be busy. The women and children chil-dren will bfl called Into service. Last summer many Instances were found where the stills were run by women and youths while tho men wero engaged In getting the "rovenuers" off the trail or In 1. nlding raiding parties at bay. in the winter a stranger can wander about certain sections of the mountain country unmolested, in the summer one cannot The stranger must pass dozens and dozenseof casual pickets in the course of a stroll through the mountains. Invariably In-variably the mountaineer asks one question ques-tion of tho foreigner; "Stranger, what might yo' business be?" And the wise one hastens to state his business. Even so, he Is certain to bo watched until he takes his leao from tho hills. As a general thing the mountain women are In entire sympathy with the moonshining tendencies of their men. It is not uncommon un-common for them to help In the operation of the stills. It Is not unheard of that they have fought tho "revenuers" In aid of their husbands and sons and brothers. Now and then a woman, lying in ambush, shoots and kills a raiding oftVer who, with his companions, has maunged to flush a still In the process or a "run " But that is only an occasional occurrence, it is accounted ac-counted poor handwork, for when such treachery is met with the raiding officers are not unlikely to take Immediate reprisal re-prisal ir a woman In hiding shoots one of the despised "revenuers" the chances are she will lose a husband The fact is that most of the moonshiners moon-shiners put little confidence In their women and toll them nothing of their busim They consider a woman undependable and likely to make critical mistakes. The late Flnley Minton, who was killed in a quarrel with his brother-in-law Inst January, moonshining philosopher of the mountains, expressed the bearing cif thp mountaineers toward their women folk rather well. "Women," he once said "ain't sot no business foolln' with liquor. In the first placo they blab too much, and they ain't got the right kind of nervo. I ain't savin' a woman ain't got the nerve, for some of thorn have got nerve, but it ju?t ain't the kind that goes with makin' liquor. The sifht of a sheriff scares 'em plumb daffy." Fin Minton was one of the most picturesque pictur-esque of mountaineers He was a philosopher philoso-pher Indeed and was conscious of the fact He is the one of whom it was told in the first article of this series that he spent several weeks of the winter in Florida, fishing. Later In this article he will be quoted and his iews regarding women will he enlarged on, for it must bo conceded that his ideas and Ideals are most typical of tho mountains Tho romance of his sister-in-law. Bertha Thomas, and Bud Mercer, a prosperous young moonshiner, Is an Interesting nar-ratlvo nar-ratlvo and is Illustrative of the feeling of some of tho mountain women on the moonshining question. It has been said that the mountain women are generally in sympathy with their men That is: they know in most cases that their husbands and sons and f-wecthoarts are moonshining, and they have no great objections. They aid as best they can when they are allowed to aid. When tho moonshiners, who have prospered so well that they have automobiles auto-mobiles of their own. are occupied with taking their product to town the women w atch over the paraphernalia, and in caso h "revenuer1' comes too perilously near they hasten to hide the vats and cbils under the waters of the creek submerging, by the way, Is a principal method of concealment con-cealment of tho apparatus. It Is no less than natural that the women should be In sympathy with their moonshining moon-shining men folk. SuccessTul and undisturbed undis-turbed moonshining means prosperity such prosperity as was never dreamed of CoDvrlRli!. Ifttr.'. bi ; "' y.-" r " ' ..: ' ; . .... T .;.v 4 ' :; j ' bate told him that would have brought on everlasting everlast-ing enmity. He took two stout drinks from the black-topped jug half hidden under the rude bed and at once began to radiate amicability. He became talkative and be gan on his favorite sub Ject: "Yes, sir. there's places women's all right, and there's places they ain't. Now. maybe I'm makin' a little whisky round here sonic where, and maybe I ain't. But if I am I ain't Simla' to take no women in as pardners. You al ways ends in a mess If you do; I ain't never knowed It to fail. If I am runnln' a still my wife ain't goin' to know where I got it. And if some dern deputy sheriff comes round tryln" to stick his nose In my business and svantln' to show off his new badge. Above Still captured by revenue officer, who stands on guard with drawn pistol a quartet of revenuers, from left to right: Raymond Richmond, C. S. Colley, A. C. Stallard and Sheriff A. L. Corder of Wise county, Va. by the mountain people before the coining of prohibition. Prosperity means comforts. It means store clothes and finery and more tasty food than pork, corn bre id and gravy, which was the uniform fare of the mountaineer's household before tho name of Volstead Hashed to the horizon Prosperity means an autouiubiic iud au automobile is the highest earthly luxury to the miuil of the woman of the hills Once the aristocrat was the owner of a ramshackle ram-shackle wapon and 8 scrawny nag, now horses and their, vehicles are the emblems Ot poverty But women are alike everywhere Moon-si Moon-si Ining is dangerous, and back in the heart of eery woman of the mountains there lurks the hope that some day in the far-off far-off future her husband or her sweetheart may have enough money set aside to leave the hills and settle on a fertile farm near the town and the railroad In the valley. This lurklriK sentlmont is accompanied by a deep loyalty, and together these two qualities moe the woman to anxiously countenance her man's moonshining prerogative. pre-rogative. Moonshiner's Wife Weary Of the Strain and Work Flnley Minton was as relentless and conscienceless a moonshiner as ever lived. His wife was work-weary aud fuded and worn, "and meek and submissive. She was v. ithout ambition, for his flouting bearing had destroyed all hope in her heart for his reformation She accepted life because she had It. Bertha Thomas was her sister. Fhe lived in an ugly shanty on a beautiful hillside overlooking a rushing little tributary tribu-tary to tho Holstou River. Her home was with her sister and her brother-in-law She was primitive; she was unedfceated; her environment from birth had been just such as It was In the evening last November Novem-ber when Fin Minton told two of his friends of Bud's and Bertha's courtship. . Minton. a neighbor, also addicted to moonshining. and a man from Bristol, In whom they both had confidence, sat In Mlnton's cabin before a blazing wood fire. Minton was In the center of the tri-pointed tri-pointed arc, his feet, encased In clay-stained clay-stained boots, held stiffly before tho flame. He was muddy from the frazzles of his corduroy breeches to the topmost strand of his uncombed hair. He was a keen-faced keen-faced man He had the appearance of a degenerated student- As a matter of fact he was handsome, but for a man to : Th " Yor'i HrnM then there ain't nothln' the women folks mi tefl him that'll do me dirt." Fin's wife came in from the kitchen antl drew a chair to the center o the room. She ...a down. She was behind the backs of the men. She stretched her feet out i' front of her and hid her iigl, work-bardened work-bardened hands under her apron, her Bhoes were rough and unlaced; she wore nc .stockings Her bent form was covered by a shapeless gingham frock, with a ituch of lace trimming at the throat She leaned back resignedly. When she had entered the room she had barely nodded to the two visitors. She sat and looked out the dingy window into the dark ness. Mrs Minton had lived near the summer resort of Big Creek. Tenn.. all her life. One of the big things in her life was the coming of the railroad to Big Creek from Bristol. This Incident vied wPh her two trips to Bristol to see the circus. A thin, dark skiuncd girl or about 18 came in from the kitchen and took her seat on the edge of the untidy bed. which, in mountain cabins, stems always to he as far away irom a windov as possible. The bed, aged, wouden and home made, creaked and swayed threateningly uoder her weight. This was Bertha. The drudgery of mountain moun-tain life was beginning to make its impress im-press upon her features. She was latently pretty, but the dull life of the hills had reflected dullness upon her. She had been denied the chance to develop. Although it was winter Bhe wore a thin lawn "store dress," white with pink llower flguriug and green stems. From underneath under-neath the edge of her dress a heavy, cream colored underskirt appeared. Her shoes were cheap and worn. Hor stockings were tawdry cotton. She sat and never said a word. Her overlarge. callous hands wero clasped around her knees as she sat and stared abstractedly Into the Are. Minton began to tell of his planned trip to Florida. He paused to motion to Bertha; Ber-tha; in response she dragged the jug from beneath the bed and placed it between her brother-in-law's feet Suddenly Minton jerked his head toward tow-ard the door; then he moved the jug behind the door of the kitchen and reached to the mantel for his pistol. Footsteps could now he heard clearly. "Hey. Fin!" the newcomer called "That's Bud Mercer," said Minton re-assured. re-assured. "He's a-courtln' Berthy." Bud came In and took his seat with a "Howdy, folks" and a "Hello, Berthy," and without taking the trouble to remove bit battered felt hat He tossed his army overcoat over tin J back of the chair In which be was about to nit. He was typical of the mountain youth about 20 jears old. l lean limbed, raw-boned tali and siikwv. He- wdS a man in all the term ro 1.1.- 111 the lid la: old I enough to make 1 i-iuor. light or marry. "Berthy. fetch me a im up troni tbe kitchen," Minton commanded, and the mB moved deliber.iteh to ,io she waj tudden. ! When she returned with the cup she wort a black velvet bow pinned to the breait of her dress That was the only cbangj, She was dressed up for her lover. Uud Mercer sat lor an hour without say.. .. ., word; then ho took a final drink aod left for home. "Bud's sartainly gittin' sweet ou Berthy, 1 thar." said Minton, after the boy had gone. BOW 'bOUt It, Berthy?" 'Oh, Fin, you shet up, " was the petulant retort. "You ain't got a bit of sense any 1 more." Then she went toward nor bed-1 room As she left Mlntou called: MKeer-ful MKeer-ful now you alu't drcamin' none 'bout Bud i to-night." "Keep yer mouth shet, Fin MiDton.' she j flung bacK. Her tone had changed to banter. "I reckon it won't be long now afore Bud and the gal will quit courtin' and go to flghtln'i" Minton mused. "He's been comin' up here for nigh on to six months. Bud ain't told me him and Berthy aims to tie Up pretty soon; but 1 know the signs. T'other day he bought himself a car. He'j a-keepln' it down the rier. And then he's j a-dickcrin' with old man Duncan for a i little piece of land t'other side of the bill Goin" to put up a little shack. "Bud ain't like me He beats all holler 1 Ueepiu' his mouth shet; and that's why ' i,-o Koon q k-nockin" 'round a hundred i dollars a week with that little old form gallon outllt he's got over on well, 1 alnV savin' 'zackly where. But soon as he gotj the still a payiu' pretty good le got stuck on Berthy. And the beatin'est thing fc Berthy knows which side her bread's buttered but-tered on. 6he got stuck on Bud- Alnt many boys like Bud Mercer up In this part; of the countrv He's n hustler, and be keeps what he know-- u himself. He'll be rich some day and will be movln' down h the valley to one of them big farms yoti can see from up here. "Berthy' cot rlcht smart good senM herself, and I'm lookin' for fhem to doi pretty good together Bud's done promised! her he'll hiv the stillin as soon a? he pits a little stake ahead " Expects Revenuer to Get Him Some Dif "When do you expect to quit stllliaTW the visitor from town asked Fin. J "Well, now; that's somethin' else' I j axed myself that same question t'other day. I guess it's m luck to keep on foolln' rita I II till some 'revenuer' comes mesin round 1 and me and him has a shuotln' match. Some ol them revenujrs and sheriff knowj pretty well how to handle tbtfl guns and I reckon one of them will fit me some day I flgger I ain't got much to 1 lose. Ain't got no youns ucs and Lncf 1 there would be better off en without expect It's just like ridin' in one of thea'jj airships I saw sky-ootiu' over here Uit-Bj month; keep at It long enough and yottul I hit the bottom pretty dern hard hard 1 enough to jolt the da lights ouien a man. 1 Most of them Aggers on runnin' just lon ml enough to git ahead of the game and thii quit, but I'm a doln' it more for the tit M of it than ihe money." Minton explained the whole philosophfJj of moonshning in that la.-t phrase Moo ml shining is like gambling. The man who W practices it never quits. If prosperity 1, comes he wants wealth: if failure coratf he wants to recoup. J The most astonishing thing of all is t111 9sj Bertha really wanted to get out of it H- m She knew It was dangerous, of course: Ml 'she knew also that It was wrong BudlB not out of it yet; his output has increase! It Is likely that he will quit It. The foremost Federal organization fl work In the Southern mountains Is the "flT.'Bj, leg Squadron," Until a short time agotb chief of this arm of the Government set- A vice was Charles C. Palmer of Gate Citfi Va. The battlefields of his forces had W m bounds except the hounds of mnonshlnli One week they would ho active In the Vjtm -M Virginia hills and the next would And tn in the Great Smokies of the Tennesstf M North Carolina border. j Pnlmer Is accounted one of the Srea'JK raiders of all time. He is a remarks man. His speech Is that of a college pi feasor; his appearance is that of the jHT Southern plnnt.er of five decades ago. yB' his followers and to the moonshiners known to bo utterly fearless, reliable SM -j Intelligent He is a relentless enemy to "JMij moonshiners, a coo head In stress aDIMH straight shooter. In the presence of wofflaWV whether in the towns or in the mounUM' he is courtly and considerate. Continued on Following Page- j To he Continued Next Week. |