European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 13, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Columns in the window photo by Tony Nauroth sitting Home by the firewater in workers Paradise by John Windrow staff columnist Ive always thought that the average russian was just Plain folks like the rest of us and a news report last week proves the associated press reports from Moscow that the big wheels in the evil Empire Are running around chopping up whiskey it has Moonshiner and the authorities Are in a frenzy trying to stamp them the soviet Union has a great Deal in common with Haywood where i grew Back it seemed half the people made whiskey and the other half tried to make them the preachers could deliver the Church and the Sale of whiskey was it was an economic Boon because there want much there was a Glove factory and an ice once during world War the Rumor started going around town that a Man named Sellari who fixed shoes was a spy for the patriots were getting All lathered up about that until some intelligent 12yearold what the Hells he Gonna spy the Glove factory then everybody calmed Down and Sellari was left in a dearth of Industry can put a considerable drag on the local and everyone knows theres no Money in so it was a godsend that whiskey was no one could Start a Legal and that left the Field wide open for the backyard whiskey int hard to especially in an area where a considerable portion of the population rarely drinks bottled in government Hooch and Doest realize How bad the homemade stuff i keep Reading How the soviet leaders Are cutting Back on the production and Sale of so before Long therell be plenty of russians who Are Happy to drink in Haywood old women made it in Washtub in the Farmers had stills set up out in the tall All it takes is Copper Corn Good Hardwood that Doest smoke too much when its and plenty of of course if a Man wants to be Low he can make whiskey from Ive heard respectable bootleggers get very self righteous about sugar whiskey and the shiftless people who make they sneered at Sweet tooth i assume the russians Are making potato and in certainly not going to get on a High horse about a Man has to work with what nature gives i Only know what Ive been but Ive heard its an ennobling experience to commune with Mother nature out in the watching the new whiskey drip out of the worm pipe while the flames lick gently at the Wood beneath the the Stream that supplies the water trickles peacefully by and the Sweet smell of sour Mash saturates the if Ivan is doing that somewhere on the outskirts of Moscow or he has a great Deal in common with acquaintances of even some blood its too bad they dont realize i have visited the soviet Union and it looked As if things could get pretty Dull to communists run everything Over there and they dont have much of a sense of humor like ardent but that another once the Moonshine business gets into full the boredom will Fly away like ducks in the therell be still High Speed shoot outs and All manner of the still watchers will get in Good physical shape running away from the revenues or whatever they Call them in Russia probably the glorious Peoples Vodka smashers or something like illegality can really spice things human nature being what it Ive always believed that prohibition was the Best thing that Ever happened to the american liquor forbid people to do something and they will literally risk their lives to try i imagine the residents of the workers Paradise Are no i could put any would be russian bootleggers in touch with a couple of old pros who could show them their modes i knew a on legged Bootlegger named yank who had to rely on his wits since he  outrun the he might still be i knew another Moonshiner named he claimed to make a living raising Coon but Ive always considered that a Clever front for his real but the russians would have to come to he Doest get around much anymore he weighs More than 300 i know because several years ago my old Man took him Over to the Gin and weighed him on the Cotton and i knew another Guy who was doing extremely Well making whiskey in the Back of a moving he rigged up a phony exhaust pipe for the smoke and dropped off whiskey at various destinations As he Rode up and Down the two hired hands in the Back made the unfortunately he ran a red Light in Memphis one sad Day and the cops decided to look into the Back of the imagine their Hes out of prison now where he probably made whiskey in the i could ask if hed be willing to go to Russia and offer technical it could Start a whole new cultural Exchange ill offer one tip Burn the stuff before you drink if it Burns its been strained through a car save that stuff for somebody you distinctly june stripes Magazine