The Portland daily press., 1886-08-16
CURIOUS KENTUcKIANs.
Congressman Taulbee Tells How HIS
Constituents Live.

washington Letter to the Cleveland Leader'I
Representative Taulbee of Kentucky comes
from the mountain district OF that state, anu
he lives in the region described in Charles
Egbert Craddock's novels. There are 5000
SQUARE miles of territory in his district. 1t
comprises twenty counties, and has one Oh
the most curious populations in the worio.
1 talked to Mr.. Taulbee today about 1t. oaiu
he: ''The district is very well described DJ
Charles Egbert Craddock, and the dlalect Is
very much like that she puts in her stories,
though l have never seen the language IN
print before. The population IL the product
of the frontiersmen of several States. Inc
first settlements in Kentucky were along the
Ohio river and in the valleys Of the Kentucky
rivers. AS the country became more settled
civilization drove SUCH o1 those oL tso snG eai ny
upward into the mountains ltWas the same
with Virginia and Tennessee. IheSe nunts-
men and frontiersmen married ana inter
married, and they have now become sepeI-
ate people like unto no other in the world:
They have been way,fromIthe civilization OF
the railroad, the telegraph and the daily news
paper. and they have grown into language
and customs of their own: They are very
patriotic people, and during the late war IL
you will look at the ree9rds IN t1e
district furnished five Union regiments:
They are very simple in their tastes, ana IL
does not take much in my country TO make
man wealthy. II he has 500 ne Is consiiGSsI5;
ed well to do. If he has $4,000 he is rlch.
''Tell me how the people live.
''There are very few towns, about TWO only
to the county, and these will average about
300 inhabitants each.
The ordinary house is log one, consisting
of two rooms, with boards shaved smooth
with draw knife, or split, nailed over the
cracks between the logs. One OF the rooms
is used for a sleeping room, and the otner Is
the living room, dining room, kltcnen ana
parlor, all in one, in which the family stay
during the daytime. There is but one sleep
ing room for whole family, and when they
have guests visiting them these turn in and
sleep in the same room. There are a num-
Der of beds used and stranger always gets
the best bed. They are very modest with
it all, They turn their backs If they are up
while the others of the family are undressing
or if they are in bed they will cover up their
heads until you have completed your nlgntlX
toilet 1t is the custom, you know ana L
think our Hpeople are noted for their large
proportion of virtuous women. virtue is as
much respected in the mountains as any
where else in the world. These mountalneers
are very hospital. They entertain you ana
give you the best they have, and II you O1er
to pay they will refuse and say they do not
make money that way. The little money
they do make comes from farming. You
have heard of the feuds of these m0untalneers
/ have nearly half score of murder cases to
defend in one county ON account OF them.
know place where two families have been
fighting each other for a generation, and
where the different families of the two tribes
never go out to work except in squads, and
they always carry Winchester rifles with
them"
rs the country improving?"
We'll yes. somewhat; but CIVILIZATION
comes slowly in the mountains. We have
not the best facilities for education, and,
though the people want their children ed9-
Gated, they use native teachers, and they DO