Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-12-09
A Q
Story of Strange People Who Live in the
Mountains of West Virginia.
TTtpniupatI Enrufra-I

cincinnati Enquirer.I
There is n wild country in the rear OF
Cannelton mountain, in the Western part
of Kanawha County, writes a Charleston,
w. Va. correspondent. Strange people,
many of whom are nomadic in habit,
strange customs and strange h~abitations
may be found for the looking. Here the
"sing-diggers," or cave-dweliers, thrive
in wild laxuriance; here the Brother
hood of Prayer and Church of God sects,
whose curious rites of humility and PEN
ance recall the history of druidical wor-
ship. On the southern slope of a mountain
about five miles beyond "the settlemen -
AS these primitive-mannered people still
call the villages-Edom Smith, a Free
win Baptist, pitched his tent ten years
age. His claims for preferment were
speedily recognized and a following OBJ
tanned. The more misty his eloquence the
greater honors were heaped upon him. A
rude hut was his dwelling-place, in a
dense wood, never touched by sunshine,
and hard by a little stream, spring fed, and
a twinking waterfall. Here the owls
booted grewsomely in the nighttime.
Deacon Smith was pale, cadaverous and
solemn. His wife was of the Gypsy type
dark, of stormy mien, alert, and active.
That she ruled the deacon with no gentle
rod no one a reason to doubt, She held
herself aloof from "his people," though
taking part in the Saturday night serv-
ices. He never preached save at night, and
then only in the light of the moon. For
this he gave reasons founded on Bible
teaching and satisfactory to the flock.
The dark woman was held in generation
by he 'sing-diggers' for she sang as no
Others could, and gave them healing po-
tions and charms aga nst the power Of Inc
evil one. Once it is said that when Edom
Smith spoke of death aud the grave in his
discourse she shrieked aloud and rebuked
her husband with angry words. 1t was
known that her terror of death amounted
to madness, and she had extorteI
an oath from him never to consign her
body to the ground, but to inclose it in an
oakeu box, to be deposited on a specified
stump near the house. . For want of sun
light she fell i'll of rheumatism in one
autumn, and died when the leaves were
coming out again in the tangle of vines
on the tent. Edom Smith remembered his
vow, and respected it. Within sight Of
the bride path that led to the highway a
few miles beyond, on the stump that Olga
had selected, the rude oak box containing
her body was placed. The people be-
sought him to bury the remains, but he
said he burst not break his word, for she
had promised to haunt him for this, and
always kept her word. Then they made
a new path to the river that they might
avoid the awful spectacle of that discolor-
ed box, where the figure in white came
every twilight and wandered to the water
fall. This weird vision was a common
sight, it was said, and they persistently
prayed the deacon to put the coffin under
ground, where the dead belong. Elfsh
scr ANS were heard in the midnight hour,
1t was told, and wild songs, such as Olga
used to sing as she sat by the cabin door.
All knew that strong, strangely sweet
voice, and shuddered when they heard its
echoes among b trees. But no one COM
planned to the authorities of the horror,
and the box remained through that sum.
mer and enc winter andisturbed. 1t finally
disappeared, no one knew WHY, and were
afraid to ask concerning It. But the mys-
terry was explained when he brought a
bride to the hat. She had steadily refused
70 share his lot until the former wife was
put away.
buf the songs went on as of old, and the
awful cries in the cleaning, till they called
10 the haunted glen, through which belated
travellers hurried to the nearest habita.
ton. It was found that Edom In ith had
carried the box 20 q cavern, al most at the
top, on the other side. How he
succeeded In reaching the place without
assistance was. more than any enc could