Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1885-02-18
Queer People in Kentucky.

Courier-J Journal, who has been investi-
eating the Kentucky mountain plague,
writes the following about some Of the
strange characters he met on his
travels:
There are some queer characters
among these mountaineers, and some
who will bear study. I met one old fell
low up near the head of Glover Fork
who is the possessor of about $500
acres of barren mountain land that will
yet drive him stark mad. He is, to
certain extent, crank, and the subject
to which his brain is turned is silver.
He believes that he has found the
legendary and purely mythical Swift's
silver mine, and that he is the owner of
land that fairly teens with richness.
He made me carry off several specimens
for analysis, and has promised me big
interest in his mine if it should prove
worth opening. He is an honest old
fellow, and his word is as good as his
bond, but he is clean daft on the silver
mine question, and his neighbors say
grows crazier every day.
Another queer one whom I met was
an Irish philosopher who presides over
the destinies of a lumber camp. His
name is Johnny" and he was brought
from the outside world into this region
wealth of native humor combined
with some of the most quantity con-
structed and semi-wise sayings ever
heard.
Still another was q daredevil log
man had met one night. Sturdy. stall
wart and dashing, with a capacity fol
"moonshine" unequaled by any of his
fellows, he is just such q free, happy
go-lucky daredevil as the mountain
maids adore, and it is q standing and
uncontroverted saying that he has
sweetheart at every crossroads, and
that scores of these susceptible creatures
are ready to fall down and worship
whenever their idol appears. He has q
big heart and needs no introduction to
chow you that he is man of noble, gen
erous traits, oven if his rough life has
made him the scrapgrace that he is.
Speaking OF log-men, reminds me of
a lumber camp visited one Sunday on
my up trip, and again one day coming
back. It stood in a hollow, rude,
tumble-down frame shanty, open on all
sides ard in the roof, and with floor
so full of holes that it was veritable
d.sath.trap for the unwary. About the
shanty were etrewn wagons and the i'm
plements used in getting out the logs,
while tethered around were q half dozen
OF more yoke of oxen chewing their
cuds as contentedly Is if every day was
one of rest. Westruck the place after
the dinner hour. A note had been sent
ahead for the cook to have us an excellent
dinner of turkey, fish, beef, biscuit, etc.,
but it miscarried, and when We arrived
we had to wait about two hours, and
then dine on chicken and hot bread.
We were in rather dirty quarters, but
We were pretty careful, so we did full
justice to the repast. These log-men
lead q hard, but happy life, and seem to
be as ightrhearted as if they were mill
ionaires and lived at ease in palaces, in
stead of poor devils whose days are
spent in the toughest kind of work, and
their nights in sleeping in rough hunks
in mighty tough quarters. There is
much to interest one in the logging
business, from the cutting of the trees
until they arrive at the mill, probably .
hundred miles away. It gives employ
ment to hundreds of men and animals,
and annually brings Thousands Of dollars
TO the hills.