Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-05-27
UNTRAvELED WAYS IN EASTERN
KENTUCKY


Correspondents Of THE EVENING STAR.
BIC SANDY, KY, May, 1882.
We left the magnificent panorama which
spread out before us on the top of the Cumber-
land with reluctance. Ourroad carried us down
into the invisible depths of the forests, upon
which we had been gazing with such pleasure.
Taken in the mass they were grand indeed. AS
our road wound through them, beauties Of ce-
tail in shapely trunks and symmetry Of branches
constantly awoke our admiration. Suddenly
we descry break in the woods. A zigzag fence
OF new rails shows us that man is here to mar
these grand solitudes. 1t seemed like sacri-
lege to raise the woodlands axe against these
noble columns that rise along it's grand aisles
and support the forest arches as in some old Ca
thedral.
Tree wOrshippers we were, and not pleased to
see our affairs destroyed by axe and fire, as the
settlers clearing soon revealed. But we had no
power to make our protest effectual, and we
gaZed upon q large field opened upon the noun
tain side, partly covered with stumps, amid
which few cOrnstalks of last years crop at
tested the diligent toll that had won bread from
the rugged mountain side. In another part Of
the field lay the huge trunks piled for the
burner. Then again we saw
SEVERAL ACRES OF "DEADENING"
not yet felled. This process is adopted in all
new countries heavily wooded, to destroy the
trees are girdled-that is, ring is cut clean
round through the bark. The tree dies and no
sprouts come from the roots In this clearing
of thirty acres, at least six thousand cords of
wood had been destroyed or not less than half
a million feet Of the finest lumber This. too,
within seyenty-fve miles of railroad, while
the need Of this timber is sorely felt. Our re-
Elections were suddenly cut short by
A STRANGE SIGHT.
D;~Ik
blocking our way, stood very TALL lank. big
listed mountaineer driving the smallest pair of
oxen possible. They were hitched to rough
sled, and on it were few stakes. Just behind
was an old woman, three young women and
two boys. The women and boys were bare
footed. The man had on coarse boots ALI
were dressed in home made cloth, and the tailor
and dressmaker had evidently no standard
but comfort. They were all splitting rails, and
building fence. How strongly it struck us. Yet
looking back forty years ago to the forests of
western New York something like this was to
be seen. l well remember hearing good old
aunt of mine, who went with her young hus-
band into the wilds of Genesee county, N
Y, tell of it. She used to take her young baby
and lay it in the shade while she helped her hus-
band roll logs. Everybody, old and young
helped to clear the land of logs and brush them.
The race that sprung from these pioneers have
made the county what it is. But they had good
schools and New England training in all kinds
of work. So we looked kindly upon our
mountain friends bespeaking for them similar
success as to coming generations. Great posi-
bllties are in people surely who hew down
such forests on lands so steep and fOrbidding.
The women did not look at U.s. The men nodded
and speedily got their little team out of our
way. For miles we passed a succession of these
little clearings. The houses were all built upon
nearly the same plan, hewed logs laid up very
nicely and the chinks filled in with clay; a large
fire place OF rough stone with chimney of sticks
pastered with mud to prevent burning I'D and
no glass in the windows.
INDUSTRIOUS MOUNTAIN WOMEN.
In each house is the spinning wheel for wool,
generally standing on the porch; sometimes
the small flax wheel, and usually the loom also.
AS we passed some were spinning others quilt
ing, and preparing piece for the LOOM Sev
eral women were breaking and hatcheling flax
that is beating it with club and drawing it
through a nest Of sharp nails driven through a
plank and turned points up. Sometimes the
women were shearing the sheep. l did not see
man doing any OF these things in my trip. 1t
is nothing against the men. however, they were
busy In the fields preparing the land for the
crops. Each house had fine flock of fowls
geese were particularly abundant, the frequent
streams afOrding them their proper element.
The honey bee is also favOrite. They are OBJ
tanned from the woods in quantities to suit.
swarms as desired. They are kept in hollow
logs called beegums Each family has from five
to twenty-five swarms. These forests afford the
finest pasturage for bees imaginable and bee
keeping ought to be great industry there.
Rude as the externals are, there is comfort in
most of these homes
The orchard Is constant attendant Of the
house. Peaches. apples grapes, ounces, and
all the small fruits are very fine did not see
single pear or cherry tree We never sat down
to table which did not display honey, and at
least three kinds Of fruit, preserved or stewed,
MOUNTAIN CHILDREN.
The children at every house betokened the
healthfulness Of the climate, and gave promise
Of the future. Their clothes were not album
dant nor fashionable, but in their chaste and
scanty garb we saw happy and uncorrupted
childhood, joyous and pure as the mountain
brooks. Compared with the neglected poor Of
the great cities. and even the spoiled and petted
children OF the rich, how fortunate are they!
From every house they came forth by the half
dozen or dozen, rolling, tOddling. waddling after
each other to catch glimpse of the strange sight
to them OF wagon drawn by a pair Of horses,
Here there are only sleds. The land is ali
turned up edgeways, and q wagon would turn
over If driven out of the road to gather the
crops So the little tots came out to greet u.s. and
we made them presents Of cakes and candy, and
thought how they would be statesmen, orators.
poets, presidents, etc., and then We would come
back on them for our "cake cast ON the waters"
In some places the older children were met
tending the cattle and sheep in the forest ranges.
The cattle are SMALL but the sheep are very fine.
large and healthy. "A race of shepherds ought
to grow up here as In Scotland. The climate,
soil and topography are natural. We were told
Of q wonderful seam Of
CAMEL COAL ELEVEN FEET THICK,
and having secured the direction went to visit
the spot. On Isham Gibson's farm, Letcher
county, we found the coal. A lad of fourteen
was encountered, who took fright at our ap-
proach and ran away. We soon treasured him
and he climbed with us about 400 feet I'D the
mountain, where we found q seam Of camel
coal Of fine quality, three feet thick only. It
had been opened for domestic use to save chop
ping wood. The slight thickness did not sur
prise me. The ge0lOgist in the field early learns
to discount the stories told at a distance Tales
of mineral discovery are, like snow balls the
as SAKE would say. "Stories grow till they
reach twO-stOry SIZE" The shrnkage of the
veins as we approached them was quite COM
mon here as elsewhere. From this point we had
broader valleys and sandy bottoms that re-
minded US Of our own good melon patches
On tho pOt0mao Tho roodu wara Nno ~,