Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1881-11-19

correspondent writing from P7,n.,.s
= me ATpen'nes, says ne r. to the Aastone
'Lis is the hlghes; point in Ae mountains
oSeF'ooking Florence and the valley Of the
Afno where foreign family may fnt
hapHaoie house. On the uppermos, verye
d cultivation, where chestnut nr. au.:
pine 'fe's shut in scanty fields Of whea,
asd potatoes, wild berries abound in pro
luslon, and Charcoal and ice are the s,ap'e
productions; It's pure air. beautiful seen
cry, ana healthfui position have the d-sw
oacA OF requiring Journey of ,we.~e
ii4i,es - procure any n1ca. except poultry
anu ne iami!y groceries. But twelve
ii'ies on loot and back, With heavy head
| or pack load, Is mere baga'ete 10 the
| llght-1ooted mountain nymphs They
!. maze no more OF such an erral,d than y
| city miss OF dainty prouleraCe ir, p,,blic
| park on the score Of fatigue OurAGanv-
mede is girl OF eleven years who thIpss
nVhiDg Of walking twenty odd m,-es OF a
mornlng 10 see a relative, ana is c|eefullv
stimulated 10y few coppers 10 do greater
distances on our more material ercnnnt
! She has brother Of five years. as stur1r
as scfuo oak, whose rambles for pleasure
extend daily TO the highest peaks, doing
| his eight OF ten miles of climbing in heavy
| iroa cad shoes with the agility of a Young
Kid. The muscle that sustains these labors
| comes not OF lneat, or What our scientists
| would consider nutritious diet, being the
| Outglowth of heavy chestnut -four. the
coarsest wheaton bread, and such yereta
| bles a the thin soil will grow, washed down
with water eaten irregula-ly, and dgested
at night IN smoky, chlmneyless rooms
| guiltess = all ventilation, and reek,n y
with fit, nd unsavory odo1s of the viles,
anti -sanit,ty kind, such as in a CITY our
| doctors would declare would breed blood
poison Ia "a hours. There must be some
thing wonderfully recuperative in the
mountain air that enables these mountain
eers to rear their numerous families of
children, strong and hardy, as they do
under such deieerlOus conditions of d,et
and lodging, the more especially as the
adult male population migrate to the un-
wholesome PLAINS of the Maremn.a during
the wi,ter in search of work, coming back
after six or more months hard toll with.
perhaps, twenty to forty or fifty collars in
their pockets for their families support the
rest of the year. These mountain towns
are most prolific OF children. and are the
real nurseries Of ltaly's laboring popuia-
ton. The smaller ones are literally school.
less, newspapel-less, and shop-less. All
manage, however, to keep up ''cafe, ,
| where sour wines and worse liquors are tc
be got, ard sometimes postage stamps, TO.
becco, and lottery tickets, which dubious
blessings the Cover nment makes every
effort to distribute lmpartlally alike to rich
ard poor, gathering into their own Golfers
every stray centinle for the latter two arti
c'es the hard headed peasant can be temp
trd to spend tor them. These peasants are
on Independent class, possessing more
means than their personal looks would sup
gest, fond Of and amlable TO their children,
but somewhat hard and selfish to th.y,
aged parents, whose decline of life is un
: ulltigated severe toll and priv4tion to thei
latest breath. Affection or principle hal
little part to play in either case. Th,
, cmld!en are welcomed because their grow
ing bodies are so much addl iOnal and ip
creasing labor power to the family: ant
we'll do they earn t..eir salt as soon as the,
can todole under any burden, while th
grandparents decreasing forces are re-
garded with eyes askant and unwelcone
as Indicative of more consumption tba,
2 production Il the family stores, The
themselves put of the evil day of bon
| work ID the atest moment. Nature klndl
helps them, ! must confess, for it is
: wonder to see what loads the most wrinkle
e and diiapldated cd belGaues here do slec
(, ger under before giving in altogether,
r ever they do, until they are carried TO til
poverty stricken village Genet. ries an
laid away among the stones and bramble.
: with frequently not even q dismal blac
r cross to mark tAeir last resting place,