The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1886-10-28
A WILD FAMILY.
CURIOUS DISCOVERY MADE AMONG
THE BLUE RIDGE Businesses.

n Ifue lole OF the nlOuntatns-ENtrActs
from the Story of Strange Trio In
Lebanon County, Pa.-A Pathetic Incl
dent-Tho ForsaIsen Cabin.
We all took station at little distance from
the rickety structure called their home, and
awaited developments Presently one of the
female creatures ventured shyly to the OPEN
ing styled the door, The other timidly leaned
forward upon her hands and knees and
stretched her head from the side They
looked wild and rude, indeed, and as much
excited over our presence as If the steps Of
civilized beings had never before been heard
by them. The one standing had eyes glisten-
ing black and rolling in quick, restless mo-
tion, fixed upon the group like two fiery
GOALS She darted glances as IL on the alert
for the least doubtful movement of her visi-
tors. Her hair of raven darkness stood on
end, very like the jumbled mass of wheat
sheaf. Never such a luxury as a comb had
been used upon It, Her mouth was thickset
with strong, broad teeth showing promi-
nently between parted lips. Her complexion
was sallow, with a neck tufted with large,
brown-coated golfers. The other Wild crea-
ture was somewhat of different mold Her
hair was light and strangely matted, over
cast with mixture of tints-brown, gray
and yellow-caused by the exposure to the
SUM- Her eyes were blue and deeply retired
giving the expression of haunted, fright
ened and saddened soul. These were sisters
both clad in plain skirts of coarse material
and rndely put together They had no pro-
lection for their head nor any for their feet.
Their arms were bare and brown and hands
coarse veined, with finger nails protruding
like claws of wild beasts.
COARSE WILD MAN.
As this mutual inspection of awakened
curiosity and fright was exercised before the
hut strange, wild figure was observed lurk-
ing in the distance. He trailed his course
toward us in quick zig-zag cuts from tree to
tree. By the evident emotion of assurance
the two sisters expressed over his approach,
we concluded this to be their brother, of
whom we had heard Our guide beckoned to
him and the men went out to meet him. It
required special tactics to bring him into con-
fidence. He awaited his fate standing in
brute stupidity. He was tall and heavily set.
His face was Habby and sparsely covered
with whiskers. His eyes bulged out in bull
dog dizziness; his forehead retreated, as evinc-
ing the idiot which he was His hair was a
whirlwind of confusion and his skim in every
part of his exposed body, tinged with the
life color of the hardy mountaineer He bore
with him some tokens of civilized contact,
for he had an old "hint~lock" over his shout
der and some game on spit, which he was
about carrying home from his days exploit
He was put together with an apology of dress
not much unlike that of old Rip when
awakening from his long sleep. We coaxed
him to his haunts, where we found that the
ladies had fully ingratiated themselves with
the wild sisters.
Our capt1ves were never quite at ease, and
only with repeated signs of amity and good
will were we able to draw answers from them.
Their speech was vernacular quite their own,
and yet with enough Pennsylvania Dutch in
terspersed to understand the bearings of their
They spoke in doleful tones, with
eyes cast TO the ground, and their words came
like the slow droppings of water from the
caves Of a roof We described many Of the
most ordinary things in civilized life, but
they shook their heads and declared they had
never seen nor heard of them. We inquired
into their family history. They were able to
tell us their names but not their ages. Ben
nivell was the name of the brother, who lifted
his eyes inquiringly to his sister as she men,
toned it. We judged his age to be about 90
years Hannah was the name of the dark
female, aged about IS years, and Mary the
name of the light complexioned, aged about
AZ years. There were five members In the
family, the parents having died some years
ago.
TO THE OLD HOME.
Hannah led the way to the old home It
was but short distance from the present
site, and concealed entirely behind a thick
growth Of large and small trees. II was the
simplest structure imaginable, rising to the
height Of man, and in proportion about
fifteen by twelve feet. 1t had the shape of
an old-fashioned bakeoven, overgrown with
moses and thickets in wild profusion. It was
plastered on the inside with clay, which had
hardened with time like rock. There was no
window within, no opening of any kind to
the dark governed hut. save the front aper-
ture known as the door, Nor did we enter
That was sacred threshold to these untu-
tored and unchristianized beings. Hannah's
sense Of the holy would have been outraged
had ever any human foot ventured upon that
floor. Her parents died there, and well does
she remember the dark days in their history
when they carried mother and their father
into tho valley below. Even in the savage
breast can be found the beatings of love and
the deep seated instinct of reverence.
In that hut lived the Laub family during
many winters. Since the day the aged par
ents were carried out, dead, Bennivell
Hannah and Mary never entered again to
abide there. They declared to us their fear
that the spirits of the dead might come back
again. A strange tinge of the superstitious
entered into their nature A rudely con-
structed barrel had somehow found its way
hither, into which they pressed the juice Of
wild fruit to make a sour drink we style
vinegar. Upon its head was affixed an up
right stick, with apples fastened in the shape
OF cross. "That," said Hannah, us to keep
out the witches" Dried bones of certain
portions Of wild beasts, with good luck
feathers of birds, and elongated skeletons of
snakes and roots Of rare plants were strung
upon their hickory whips as charms against
the evil spirits of the mountain caverns and
these were the only adornments of their pres
emit home.
1t was intimated that these wild people had
never before heard music After our re-
turn quaint plantation song soon filed the
roof OF their hut. Never did the harmony of
music fall so strangely upon ears as here.
The soprano, alto, tenor and basso flowed out
upon those woods in weird-lile tones. In the
midst of our song Hannah pleaded with us to
stop, as she pointed to the timid Mary,
crouching in agony within the fireplace Her
large blue eyes were partly covered by her
matted hair, thrown forward, and she looked
out at us in melting sadness. She interceded:
"Sing not-singing makes people dep We
Ia IL. lrn1 fln 90. "a