The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1885-10-23
Kentucky MOuntaineerS.

The mOuntaineers are a singular
people, writes a correspondent from
Kentucky to the New York Times.
They have not the slightest idea OF
law and ordcras it is understood and
practiced in other portions of the
country. Every individual resents
an injury with a knife, pistol or gun,
provided he has the requisite courage
to do so, or, if not, waylays and
shoots down his enemy whenever he
can be caught off his guard. Like
their prototypes who live in the
mountains OF Georgia, North Carolina
and Tennessee, the Kentucky noun
taineers are a peculiar set of people,
differing in every way from the good
inhabitants of these states. They are
dense!y ignorant, and are utterly I'M
able TO avail themselves of the proper
process ofthe law. Theirpoverty and
illiteracy are pitiable in the ex-
treme; they know nothing what
ever of the habits of the civ.
ihized world, and many have
never been beyond the confines oftheir
W counties. Their houses are
made of logs and mud, and in some
sections the sight of a pane of glass
would cause q sensation. The virtues
they possess are purely primitive, sug-
costing the savage in many respects.
They are strictly honest as to rights
of property; they do not steal; out
RACES are uncommon, but failure to
be chaste and resultant inbreeding has
caused much idiocy. With such con
dition of things surrounding them, it
is an easy matter for a few bold, reso-
lutte, but reckless men to dominate
the whole country. Those who Are
not killed die from diseases peculiart to
people who do not comprehend that
cleanliness is next to goodness. The
term "husband" or ''wife" is
heard. 1t is ''my man" or 'my WON
an" Nme-tenths of these noun
taineers were in the Union army, and
fought with a courage and fierceness
that swept everything before them.
Their names indicate an English
origin, as, for instance, In Bell county,
in Harlan county, as well as in con-
tiguous sections, you find lots of How
ards, Turner's, Pursifulls, probably a
corruption of the old English name
Percival, Blanton, Martin, Bowling,
etc. A study of the names, habits, ig-
norance and inclinations of these peo-
pie auses one to believe that they are
the direct descendants of the convict
English class who were sent to this
country to serve the gentry in expia-
ton of crimes committed in England,
settling in Georgia, Virginia, the Car
olinas, and in after years working into
Kentucky and Tennessee. They are
q disgrace to Kentucky, and in no
sense ought they to be considered as
| typical Kelituckians. 1t is thecrimes
of these people that are ~telegraphed
to the country, just as are those of
the Tim McCarthys Of New York. All
other sections of the State contain
people as enterprising, progressive, in
dustrious and cultured as may be
found anywhere. 1T is true that
the politicians are much to blamefor a
failure to properly punish those who
engaged In feudalism, and who,
perhaps, are neglected by the authori-
ties On the theorythat mountain men,
like some classes of jurymen, always
stick together, and, when they vote
for a friend who has helped them out
of q difficulty, it is with a unanimity
that never breaks. The country where
they live abounds In the richest of fine
forests, full of walnut, white pine,pop-
lar, oak, hemlock and other desirable
timber. Their hills are full of the
finest car-wheel iron known in the
world, and the coal lands are pro
nounced by Professor Shaler, OF Har-
ward College, to be the superior ofany
IN America. A deposit Of camel coal
iii Breathitt, Letcher and Harlan
counties is pronounced the finest in the
world When railroads are built
through these mountains civilization
will reach the inhabitants, and the
example ofthrift and consequent prof
it will, no doubt, play it's full part in
inspiring a desire to indulge in habits
of industry. Until then there is little
chance of their Improvement.