The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-10-12
THE sAUGERs.
The Queer People Of West Virginia Who
Live on Snakes, Owls and Crows
New York SUM-

Having business away up In West Virginia
some months ago, Was warned to look out
for a singular race OF beings called "Saugers."
They are found among the mountains In
sparsely settled tracts, and are certainly
great curiosities. / had heard OF them when
a boy living In the RoanOke district, but sup
posed their existence purely problematical.
They we're represented as q race OF Tom
Thumbs, and many nursery stories were told
concerning them. Plantation hands said that
they had seen them lurking In the spurs of
the Alleghanies and the Blue Ridge. Their
achievements were said to rival those OF
curdled by tales OF their cruelty. Darkey in
fants were broiled at their feasts, and the
bodies shared with enormous eagles that HOY
cred above them and awaited division OF the
spells. They were described as chunky little
rascals, who lived In the crevlces of the rocks,
fed on roots, berries and babies, and roamed
over the mountains like foxes and weasels.
During my journey | kept q bright lookout
for '.Saugers," and found the genuine tribe In
Nicholas, PendLeton, Greenbriar and Web
ster counties There are scattering commu-
mites In other parts of the State, but In these
four counties they seem to attain absolute
perfection. They live on wooded slopes or in
mountain gorges, miles from post roads and
themselves, and physically and mentally are
far above the Digger Indians. They earn
livelihood by digging and selling the ginseng
root, which grows Wild In all parts OF the
tain Businesses. This root is bought by
country storekeepers, forwarded to Cincin-
natl and other cities, and shipped to China,
where 1t commands high price.
existed long before the war, and his ranks
were largely recruited from the deserters and
camp followers Of the Confederate army.
Many of those recruits came from North Car
DINA regiments, and the cross between the
real "rar-heel" and native Sanger has pro-
duced a breed unique In texture and extraor-
binary mental pabulum. Their fecundity is
remarkable. In some communities marriage
Is unknown Polygamy, however, Is not al
lowed. The children begin to care for them
selves at an early age, and are never sent to
school. Lawyers are tabooed. The people
live by themselves, and are a law unto them
selves. They make no wills, and have no
disputes over the property Of dead men. But
of reform or the constitution. They are shy
Of strangers, and. like partridges, shrink from
public gaze. Rarely do they approach a
settlement. Those who do 30 enter 1t with
bush. Now and then one or two come into
some country store with backload Of GIN
seng roots, and exchange it for whisky, salt,
sugar and occasionally powder and shot.
With the exception OF a little bacon and corn
meal they buy nothing MORE The women
drink tea made from sassafras and the roots
OF the golden rod. They raise their own to-
bacco, and use cOrn-cOb pipes. All their fresh
meat Is caught In traps. X accoons, opo6-
SONS, Rroundhogs, squirrels, pinnated grouse
and similar game never come amiss. In the
winter there is plentiful supply OF bear
meat and venison. During the spring and
summer delicious brook trout are in season.
But these are deltcacles only. Bacon and
corn meal are the main staple: hear, how
ever, that they have many edible curiosities,
such as mathematics, owls. eaglets, young
crows and polecats. They recognized the
virtue of horse and mule meat long before
the siege OF Paris, and say that it is exceed
ingly wholesome. They look upon frog.
eater with horror; yet am told that fried
grasshoppers are not despised by them.
Persons living in the mountainous regions
Of West Virginia detect a Sanger" at
glance. The specimens seen by me were as
tough as knots and as active as cats. They
had d starved, stunted appearance, and were
clad, or half clad, In grotesque rags. I rode
ten miles on horseback over a road from
which no habitation WAS visible, and two Of
them kept abreast OF me on foot. The horse
was fast traveller, but the "Saugerso ioped
along, showing no sign OF fatigue, and / thluk