"Takin' Twenty" with the Virginian Brethren by Skip Salmon

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The talk of the night was about a new film that will have its premier in Rocky Mount, VA this week, "Lawless" starring Gary Oldman. This movie is about nearby Franklin County's untaxed liquor "industry" and is based on Matt Bondurant's book "The Wettest County in the World". Each April you can attend the annual Moonshine Express tour in Rocky Mount, Va and visit locations where the "industry" thrived. The ABC boys have allowed some former craftsmen to set up an actual still and demonstrate this operation. You can buy a T-Shirt with "Franklin County, VA-The Moonshine Capital of the World" on it. The Brethren know of or have friends who took part in this "industry". Towns listed in Virginian Railway timetables located in Franklin County include, Moneta, Stone Mountain, Huddleston and Leesville.

Skip:
I can't speak to the stations of Moneta, Stone Mountain, Huddleston or Leesville, but because there
were ten stations on the N&W in Franklin County (Where the "moon" comes over the mountain in
fruit jars), the N&W's Auditor of Revenues was summoned to Rocky Mount in 1926 to show tonnages
for certain commodities received from Boone's Mill to a point near Henry.  Statistically, it showed
that Franklin County had terminated 90% more yeast than the city of Richmond.  Harry Bundy 


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