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Running moonshine... any good stories?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 4t64rd, Jan 23, 2005.

  1. NAILHEAD JONES
    Joined: Oct 28, 2008
    Posts: 152

    NAILHEAD JONES
    Member
    from Lomax ILL

    my great uncle use to fire a still in iowa along the mississippi river.
    he was always goin show me how to build one but never gotta to it
     
  2. greasemonkey060
    Joined: Dec 18, 2005
    Posts: 212

    greasemonkey060
    Member

    Old thread! My grandpa was telling me that he use to run shine for his old man back in the day. He told me when I was a kid, back before I knew what was cool. I'll have to ask him about it and let y'all know.

    I've got a column still from my college days, I know it's illegal but it's "for making alternative fuel for small engines, officer".
     
  3. slefain
    Joined: Apr 6, 2009
    Posts: 229

    slefain
    Member
    from Atlanta

    My dad's cousin Erwin tells of a car that used to sit in Canton, NC with the keys in it. In the car were directions to Cosby, TN. You drive the car to Cosby, make yourself scarce for an hour then come back. There would be a $100 bill on the seat. Drive the car back to where you found it. Erwin did it a few times then his parents found out and beat him silly!
     
  4. nutajunka
    Joined: Jan 24, 2007
    Posts: 1,464

    nutajunka

    LOL, Erwin...:D
     
  5. Stillrunners...get it?
     
  6. 52pu
    Joined: Nov 30, 2005
    Posts: 11

    52pu
    Member
    from York State

    I was working in and ESSO gas station evening shift in Hampton Va on Kickitan Road in the late 60's while in the AF. In came this guy in an old Dodge 1/2 ton tlatbed pickup truck one summer evening with dual wheels on the back and a healthy engine. Got the picture. While i put gas in the dirvers side cab i looked down between the cab and the flatbed there was a large stainless fill cap. On the flatbed were tools just thrown on but if you look real close they were wired on so they would not come off. So i get brave and asked the guy, where are you running out of. He looked real suprised and finally said NC. Before he left he poped the hood and there was a 472 Cady engine. He also had ether, and he said you had to be running at least 85mph before you cut in the ether or it would burn the tires down to the rims, guess how he knew that? He let me look under the flatbed and there was a stainless tank the size of the flatbed with dump valves. The next day i asked the owner of the station if he knew the truck and he said his station was a safe house where he could hide the truck if things got hot. No wonder the station owner always had a roll of chash that would choke a horse in his pocket.
     
  7. Woogeroo
    Joined: Dec 29, 2005
    Posts: 1,226

    Woogeroo
    Member
    from USA

    Oh cool, great new stories!

    52PU - that's a good one... I've heard of 'em running ether, I was always curious as to the setup on that. There is prolly a buncha threads on that here on the HAMB somewhere.

    Thanks for sharing everyone, this is one of my favorite threads.

    Yes, I have read every one of them... but not all at once.

    -W
     
  8. dirty old man
    Joined: Feb 2, 2008
    Posts: 8,910

    dirty old man
    Member Emeritus

    Guess it's about time for me to make another contribuition to this thread. Otha "Red" Brown was a well known local whiskey maker and runner here in the Griffin, GA area.
    One of his escape tricks was a deal with a local Texaco station on the South side of town (also the side of town closest to Otaha's still) on US 41.
    The station had a lift that when up, had the car above the view of cars passing outside because the car went up above the door opening when the lift was raised.
    The deal was that when the law was chasing Otha (he always hauled in the daytime, so as to use this trick) he would run past the station with the law in pursuit. When the station owner saw this, it was his que to get the car off the lift, if there was one on it, even if they had to push it off in the middle of an oil change!
    Otha would continue to run till he had given the station crew enough time to get any car off the lift and he was far enough ahead to not have the law see him, and he would return to the station, drive onto the lift, and be rapidly lifted out of sight! He eluded the cops many times with this trick.
    On another note: Woogeroo, I have known the central character of "Driving with the Devil", Mr. Raymond Parks for a number of years. He is almost always at the gatherings of GARHOFA (GA Racing Hall of Fame Assoc.) and the Peach Bowl Reunion, nattily dressed in a suit, with a tie and a hat. This Jan. he wasn't there @ PBR. He's in his 90's, hope he's OK
    Dave
     
  9. STILL OLD
    Joined: Jan 18, 2010
    Posts: 77

    STILL OLD
    Member
    from tennessee

    Never made it, never ran it, But I've drank My share. Got a couple qts. in the freezer! Now My girlfrind had 3 brothers (all deceased) one made it, one sold it, and the third stole it from the other two.
     
  10. ol'chevy
    Joined: Nov 1, 2005
    Posts: 1,283

    ol'chevy
    Member

    When I was about 8 or 9 my mom dated a man who owned the top f a mountain near Landrum, SC. He had hiking trails all over his land. He took me out after dark one night and wandered all over the woods. We stopped by a collapsed building, he rooted around in the leaves and found a jar of clear liquid. He took a pull and asked if I wanted any. Thinking it ws water and being thirsty as hell, I tok it and took a big 'ol pull off it. I then blew out a flame about 3 feet long and nearly fell over. I asked what the hell that was and he replied "Moonshine!". I never touched that stuff again.
     
  11. Clik
    Joined: Jul 1, 2009
    Posts: 1,965

    Clik
    Member

    The 'shine is still flowin' down here in Southern Maryland but the cops are so geared up for drugs that a plastic jug of spring water doesn't even catch their eye. I don't drink or move product, so, I don't have to worry about 'em tailin' me.
     
  12. 4 pedals
    Joined: Oct 8, 2009
    Posts: 958

    4 pedals
    Member
    from Nor Cal

    My dad ran some in OK in the early 50's, was kindly greeted by some gentlemen in nice suits and asked to stop. Guess I oughta get more details from him these days. He's not so young anymore.

    I live in Humboldt County, CA now, where pot is so common it's hardly a crime. I don't know any well, but have frequent dealings with people who make more in a year than I will in a lifetime.

    Devin
     
  13. TagMan
    Joined: Dec 12, 2002
    Posts: 6,295

    TagMan
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    "I don't know any well, but have frequent dealings with people who make more in a year than I will in a lifetime."

    Yeah, but you don't have to spend your lifetime looking over your shoulder - that's worth a lot!
     
  14. johnnie
    Joined: Jan 7, 2009
    Posts: 493

    johnnie
    Member
    from indiana

    This was my cousin's runner from Caneyville K.Y. Still have the springs that
    were in the back. Without any weight, it was like a solid suspension! Ain't
    gonna say much more ( he still does it!).
     

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  15. coletrickle
    Joined: Apr 23, 2009
    Posts: 32

    coletrickle
    Member

    to every body that posted stories thankyou very much been a great read,If anybody has relatives/freinds etc that may have stories like these don't let them dissapear it history and people like me on the otherside of the world have no idea what went/goes on!Again thanks hambers
     
  16. Woogeroo
    Joined: Dec 29, 2005
    Posts: 1,226

    Woogeroo
    Member
    from USA

    [SIZE=-1]Raymond Parks:

    North Georgia bootlegger/tripper

    world war two vet

    stock car race team owner

    one of the founders of NASCAR



    Sad News - Raymond Parks:


    Raymond Parks 96, (born June 5, 1914) owner of Red Byron's car which won NASCAR's first Strictly Stock (now Sprint Cup) championship in 1949 passed away at his home this morning in Atlanta, GA.

    Parks was the first child of Alfred and Leila Parks and great-great-nephew of settler Benny Parks, who found gold in the state of Georgia in the early nineteenth century. Born in Dawsonville, Georgia, Raymond was the oldest of his father's sixteen children, six of whom were born to Leila, and ten of whom were born to Leila's sister, Ila. Parks left home at age 14 and began driving moonshine. He served nine months of a one-year and one-day sentence in the federal penitentiary in Chillicothe, Ohio, from 1936 to 1937. Parks served in World War II during the famous Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. He served in the 99th Infantry Division and was briefly stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia.
    Most famous for being a moonshine runner who helped to start NASCAR, Parks was the car owner for moonshine runner and nephew Lloyd Seay. He won the first two ever NASCAR championships. Parks is the last living member of the group who created NASCAR at the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach, Florida, in 1947. He was one of eight drivers inducted in the first class of the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in 2002, along with his cousin Lloyd Seay, Byron, Tim Flock, and Bill Elliott. He was inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2009.

    Parks, is honored at the NASCAR Hall of Fame with a life size statue and depiction of his old race shop where his chief mechanic Red Vogt, built his cars. Parks, car the #22 "Novelty Machine Co." driven by Red Byron leads the field of cars at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.(6-20-2010)[/SIZE]



    source : Jayksi's sad news page

    A Eulogy of Raymond Parks, by Ed Hinton, a motorsports writer.

    A eulogy for Mr. Parks on the Georgia Racing History site
     
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2010
  17. dirty old man
    Joined: Feb 2, 2008
    Posts: 8,910

    dirty old man
    Member Emeritus

    For more on Mr. Raymond, whose hand I have had the honor of shaking more than once, and a wealth of info on GA and Southern Stock car racing, go here: http://georgiaracinghistory.com/
    Dave
     
  18. Grifta32
    Joined: Nov 21, 2009
    Posts: 23

    Grifta32
    Member

    This may be a bit OT but here goes. I saw this as a kid at the drive-in outside Jackson, TN and again several years ago on A&E and never again.
    Moonrunners, from 1975. I believe the Dukes of Hazzard was inspired by this flick.
    [​IMG] I haven't been able to obtain a copy for love nor money. Anyone know a source for this film??
     
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2010
  19. Woogeroo
    Joined: Dec 29, 2005
    Posts: 1,226

    Woogeroo
    Member
    from USA

    Grifta32 - I saw that movie one night when they had a moonshine themed night on one of the old movie channels.

    It isn't that good, tho' it does have some comedic moments like the Dukes show did. So it is watchable in a popcorn movie kinda way.

    Almost all of the characters go straight to the dukes... in the movie the uncle jesse charecter was still making liquor. The boss hogg character had a slightly different name and wore black, instead of white. The cars, were just cars and they drove 'em crazy.

    -W
     
  20. When I was young there was an awful lot of contraband carried all over the place but there wasn't much alcohol being hauled any more.

     
  21. garacer
    Joined: Mar 25, 2010
    Posts: 263

    garacer
    Member

    The movie "MOONRUNNERS" is available often on ebay, as well as swap meets and car shows around the southeast. It was a terrible picture, but is pretty special because it is where the dukes of hazzard series came from. The stunts were done mainly by two local atlanta area racing hero's, Charlie mincey(legendary tripper) and mike head. Charlie was a legend on and off the track, with a career that began at age fourteen. Mike has won hundreds of races as well as the prestigous Alabama State Championship, The North/South 100, and many series championships, and many track championships. Charlie has won hundreds of races as well. The 1955 chevy number 54 used in the movie belonged to mike and the brief racing footage was filmed at the West Atlanta Speedway in douglasville, georgia. James Mitchum came down and was grand marshall at last year's Moonshine Festival in Dawsonville, ga. He is
    a nice guy and not bashful about sampling the red eye!
     
  22. nofin
    Joined: Jan 7, 2010
    Posts: 321

    nofin
    Member
    from australia

    Back just after WWII ended my grandfather was Regimental Sergeant Major of a Hospital building unit in Borneo (They built the hospitals for POWs to recover in before shipping back to Australia) and he was called in by the CO because the CO had evidence that someone was running a still at the camp and he wanted the culprit found. So my grandfather sold his still to the engineer corps.
     
  23. I can't believe this thread is still going almost 5 years...

    Weird thing is my GF is taking an "Organized Crime in America" college course, this semester and this thread will come in handy for her term paper... she's chosen transportation in organized crime as the subject... Bonnie and Clyde's Ford, Ridgerunners, motorcycles, cars with large trunks, the Interstate's role in modern drug operation locations and transportation, etc... And of course the most dangerous of all criminals Snowman and the Bandit... I wouldn't cross the street for Coors, let alone Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama.
     

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  24. Years ago I was told a story by a drywall guy named Bill Noblett bout running shine with Junior Johnson when they got busted. Bill said he had gotten his draft notice and proceeded on down to enlist, hoping to get past going to prison. He said when he wound up in court, the judge told him that he could either serve his country, or go down to Georgia and make little rocks out of big rocks. He informed the judge he was enlisted and scheduled to ship out within the next few weeks. The judge proceeded to dismiss the charges. Following Bill's case Junior entered the courtroom and the judge offered him the same options, serve or go to Georgia to bust up rocks. Junior went down to Georgia and the rest is history. That's the story as I heard it, don't know if its 100% fact or not, but it makes a great tale.
     
  25. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,625

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    In the early '60s, I drove truck long haul, coast-to-coast. I had moved to Edmond, Okla., and on my days home would look for wrecking yards. There was an old gent just outside town, and he had a black '56 Ford Victoria, all there...I asked about it, and he told a tale of speed, income tax & revenuer evasion, and all the rest.
    The '56 was a factory 312, ("M6RV") toploader stick, O.D. There was a tank in the front part of the trunk, which was cut into part of the rear seat. After much haggling, I bought the car, but he cautioned me: "If them Federal Bulls see this car, they'll be a-huntin' ya..." I took it home, then we went back on the road. Never did get it finished, sold it to a kid.
     
  26. Bigcheese327
    Joined: Sep 16, 2001
    Posts: 6,694

    Bigcheese327
    Member

    I just picked up Whiskey River by Loren D. Estleman. I haven’t started it yet, but I can tell you it’s about Prohibition-era Detroit; so there’s likely to be old cars running around hauling alcohol - albeit Canadian whiskey, not moonshine.

    Several acquaintances from the Metro area have told me about encountering rusted automobile parts in the Detroit River and on the bottom of Lake St. Clair. Speculation has it that these are a result of rum runners going through the ice.

    -Dave
     
  27. rixrex
    Joined: Jun 25, 2006
    Posts: 1,433

    rixrex
    Member

    My shine gets run from from the backyard to the porch and/or the weeds depending on how it tastes...
     
  28. Castr8r
    Joined: Mar 10, 2006
    Posts: 121

    Castr8r
    Member Emeritus

    No moonshine runner from me, but a coupla short stories about some locals here in central Illannoys.
    Abiut 25 years ago, there was a guy arrested at his still hidden in a big brush pile that he'd been useing for 10-15 years. His wife said that on Saturdays he'd say "I'm going to go burn some brush" and be gone all day.
    I used to help my youngest brother with farming. One day, the hitch on the plow broke, so we loaded it up and took it to the local fixit guy, Edmund- who also made his own "cough medicine" ( he and his wife were "sick" a lot). After gtting the broke part welded up, he offered us a "taste". He laughed his skinny ol' ass off at my chokin', coughin', sputterin' reaction, then offered us a sample out of another jug that was smooth as silk with a pleasant glow in yer tummy that just warmed the cockles of yer heart. Good Stuff!! He said that he kept the rotgut around for the freeloaders that dropped by all too frequently for a free shot. Copper prices got pretty out of sight about 15-20 years ago, and some lowlife stole his still. He called up a friend- Federal court judge- and told him he wouldn't be able to get his Xmas present this year, and why. They had a guy in for moonshining and had his still for evidence, and Edmund got the use of the still until it was needed in court. They had to let the 'shiner go for lack of evidence... Edmund would throw some big parties several times a year for friends in high places that included several judges, lawyers, etc. The 4th of July party started with the launching of an anvil about 8:00 in the morning- I remember hearing it when I was a kid living on a farm two miles North of his place.
     
  29. olcurmdgeon
    Joined: Dec 15, 2007
    Posts: 2,289

    olcurmdgeon
    Member

    I really have enjoyed reading this thread. Some years ago I visited the NC Motorsports Museum and watched a great video on moonshine runners and the beginnings of NASCAR.
    Somewhat of a tangent on the topic, my father was born and raised in Johnson City, TN. I can remember that the country was dry in the 1950's and that the Yellow Cab company distributed shine in mason jars wrapped in a brown paper bag. You called the cab company and give some sort of coded message and a cab would deliver the bag to you front door. My grandfather lived to almost 100, and every night a supper he had a water tumbler half full of shine and the rest water. Maybe that was the secret? Last day of his life he walked from West Maple downtown to buy a cigar and a paper, sharp as a tack.
    My Uncle Milt was a wood lot buyer for Harris Flooring. His job was to estimate wood lot quantity and quality before Harris bought them. He used to regale us with stories of stumbling on stills in the wood lots and being held at gun point, forced to stoke the fire, until the still operator could check out his story of being a timber buyer.Good Appalachian people, good whiskey, from corn and spring water.
    Unfortunately I grew up in NY, upstate where they made shine and used auto radiators as condensors, leaving lead levels that killed people in the finished product. No sense of quality or pride in their work.
     
  30. historynw
    Joined: May 26, 2008
    Posts: 806

    historynw
    Member

    I don't know much about running it...but I've sipped it on more than a few occasions. Cutting it a little helps on those long nights of imbibing.:p
     

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