The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-03-15
uODsON's HIDE.OUr.
ArnAsscnirr vmox SAND sousrArs.

ATnANeCntrf FHoM SAND MOUNTAIN
Maurice Thompson, In March oentury,l,
Where the gres, line OF geologic uphssval
running down from Virginia through North
Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia husly
breaks up Into hopeless confusion Of vtri'
ously trsndine ridges and spurs. there =
region OF country somewhat north OF lbe
center OF Alabama called by the inhsbitss, =
thereof "rhs Sand Mounting" II isa Wild.
ous-oft hs-wsy. little known country, whose
citizens have kept alive la their mountain
Businesses nearly all that back woods sim.
plicity and narrowness of ambition peculiar
20 their sncestors who came mostly from the
CArolinas. In the early part OF the present
century following the mountain lines In their
migrations, ~ fish follow streams They are
henest and virtuous a. mountain folk usu'
ally are rather frugal and simple than IN
dustrious and enterprisIng. knowing nothing
Of books, and having very indefinite intar.
world whose tides of action foam around
their mountain locked valleys like an ocean
around some worthless island. They hs.ye
heard OF railroads. but most OF them hswe
never seen one. They do not take newsts-
pers, they turn their backs upon missionaries
and they nurse high disdain for the clothes
and the ways OF city folk. Most OF them ssce
farmers in small way, raising little coin
and wheat, patch OF cotton now and then,
few vegetables, and a great deal OF delicious
fruit.
In the day. OF secession the men OF Sand
Mounting were not jealous In the Southern
cause, nor we're they. on the other hand. will
Eng to do battle for the Union. 80 II hso.
psned that when the Confederate authorities
began . - stem OF CONSUMPTION, Sand Noun.
tain was not healthful place for enrsllirg
officers, many Of whom never returned these.
from to report the number OF eligible
men found In the remote valleys snd'"pock
sts."
One citizen of the mountain became motto
His name was Riley Hodson, better known
a. Gineral Hodsou. though he never had
been . soldier. He may have been rathsr
sbnormslly developed 20 serve "a represent
alive Sand Mountain figure In this or airy
other sketch Of tha. region. Thereafter msy
gather from the following outlines of Hoh.
sons character, drawn by certain Of his
neighbors, a pretty fair idea of what the pic.
ture would he when filed out and properly
shaded and lighted.
"Ginersi Hodson air not jest exactly what
ye'd call q coun,ree man, bat he's q mighty
pinted an a. crful sot in rs way sort o. Eel.
lern said Sandy Biddie, who stood six feet
two In his homemade shoes and weighed
scarcely one hundred aud twenty pounds
an ef any body air en- oyin' any uncommon
desires for a igh', he may call on the giperal
with q ress' nabis expectation OF ketchin'
double barrel thunder an hair trigger light.
nin."
"He never hev ben whipt," observed old
Ben LEY, himself the hero of some memoirs
bic rough and tumble hghths, AN he hey
managed to hev his owp way, la spite o. ell
an high water. all over the mounting
for morn forty year ter my sarting knowl-
when Il come ter ,ctorin', es the scrip.
ter p'intedly do show IL, he kin preach oil
round any a. yer Meth dist bible Dangers at
ever I see, don't keer Of ye do call i'm .
Hardsheli an Forty gallon, an n Iron
jacket Bsptus.p was Wes Beszley's tribute;
IAN kin furdsr say" be added. cutting
auid from . twist of Sand Mounting tobacco
and lodging II la his Jaw, "at aineral Hold
son air homes, an when he air sfeller's frien'
he air good un an when he don't like ye.
then nit air about time fer ye ter git mp an
brin'is out IN the mounting"
Tuning from these verbal sketches TO look
81 Riley Hodson himself. We shall find him
leaning en- the riokety little gate IN front Of
his rambling log house. In height he n slx
feet three. broad. shouidered. strong limbed.
rugged gr.x.led, harsh faced, upkempt. He
Iooss lie the embodiment OF obstinscy.