John East, 1974-07-09, Interview - MP3 Recording

Segment Synopsis: He moved his still around many different places. Law
enforcement was crooked; comparison with drugs today.
Ulysses Showalter was a small operator, and Mr. East
wasn't big. The big operators in Spokane made it so
cheap that other moonshiners weren't interested. He
tasted moonshine with a teaspoon; he didn't drink
when he ran a Viola tavern, and got disgusted. He
mistakenly thought there was money in moonshining.
Moonshine was $10 a gallon. Many moonshiners were
good drinking men.

Segment Synopsis: Dislike of Federal man Bob West - he openly kept
whiskey in his front yard. West became a Republican
when he came to Moscow from Kentucky. Moonshining
was "the poorest business" he was in. Using molasses
vs. cane sugar. Moonshiners knew very little.
Prohibition was the church people's biggest mistake.
Effects of prohibition can't be judged, by him or the
preacher. Vice is worse now than a century ago. Men
handled themselves pretty well. Moral decline of
university students.

Segment Synopsis: Wagon train to Oregon in 1833 - experiences with Indians
Indians praised a white woman for fending off an Indian
robber; revenge for killing an Indian woman.

Segment Synopsis: Our ancestors were a better class of people. Mother
thought some young people were punks. Families
piled into a wagon for Sunday dinner at the neighbor's.

Segment Synopsis: Moonshiners protested each other against the law. The
law was like "a biting dog" - treacherous. Stool
pigeons were a problem - there were a lot of people
you wouldn't sell to. No financial successes from
moonshining. Moonshiners were just as good as
churchmen.