Coal river. John Bowman, of Arnett, WV. Southern West Virginia.

John Bowman no longer makes moonshine, but he assembled an old family still in order to talk with John Flynn, Lyntha Eiler, and I about the history of moonshining on Coal River. John Bowman learned from his brother, "Duck", how to make moonshine in high school, when his father was injured in the mines. As an alternative to entering the mines, making moonshine became a way for Bowman to stay in high school while contributing to the support of the household. Among his best customers were the school bus driver, the high school principal, and a state trooper or two. Bowman's comments on the moonshiner's finely-tuned knowledge of forest species, waterways and water quality, and cove topography may be heard in the audio portion of this collection.