Moonshiner

a term applied to an illegal maker of whiskey. The government tax on whiskey is so large that many secret stills are hidden away, particularly in the mountains of Tennessee and Kentucky, with the purpose of evading payment. The inhabitants of such a district see no harm in making their own whiskey and drinking it without payment of a whiskey tax. They naturally conceal the locality of a still and watch the movements of every stranger. Though naturally hospitable, they have no mercy on a spy or detective. Many sudden deaths from ambush and many a thrilling tale of adventure may be told in connection with the collection of internal revenue. The moonshiners are likely to do much of their work by night, whence the name. Charles Egbert Craddock's stories of Tennessee life give an excellent idea of eastern Tennessee mountains and moonshiners.