Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-09-02
n the mountains Of kentucky.

In the Mountains Oh hentuchy-
Representative aulbeeo OF Kentucky
comes from the mountain district OF
that State, and he lives in the region
described in Charles Egbert Craddock's
novels. There are 10000 square
miles of territory in his-tlistrict. 1t
comprises twenty counties and it has
one OF the most curious populations
in the world. I talked recently, says
Carp, with Mr.. Taulbee about 1T.
Said he: "The district is very well de-
scribed by Charles Egbert Craddock,
and the dialect is very much like that
she puts in her stories, though l have
reyer seen the language in print be-
fore. The population is the product
OF the frontiersmen OF several States.
The first settlementsin Kentucky were
along the Ohio River and III the val
legs OF the Kentucky rivers. rs the
country became more settled CIV
ilization drove such of those
of the very early settlers who
liked hunting and frontier life upwards
into the mountains. 1t was the same
with Virginia and Tennessee. These
huntsmen and frontiersmen married
and intermarried, and they have now
become separatepeople like unto no
other in the world. They have been
away from the civilization OF the rail-
road, the telegraph and the daily
newspaper, and they have grown INTO
language and customs OF their own;
They are very patriotic people, ana
during the late war, if you VIII look
at the Records in the War Department,
you will find that my Congressional
district furnished five Union regiments.
They are very simple in their tastes,
and il does not take much in my
country to make man wealthy. IL
he has 50, 500 he is considered weil-to-
do. Ii he has $4,000 he is rich. 2"
"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 other is the
living room, dining room, kitchen and
parlor all in one, in which the family
stay during the daytime. There IS
but one sleeping room for a whole
family, and when they have guests
visiting them these turn in and sleep
in the same room. There are num-
Der of beds used, and stranger al
ways 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 I'M
dressing, or il they are in bed they
will cover up their heads I'M
til you have completed your nightly
toilet. 1t is the custom, you know,
and think our people are noted for
their large proportion OF vlrtuous
women. Virtue is as much respected
IN the mountains as anywhere else IN
the world, and though these women
and men will undress together and
sleep in the same room they will be
Mortified at the exhibition of decollete
here, and would run away with shame
from an exhibition of the modern
ballet. These mountaineers are very
hospitable. They entertain you and
give you the best they have, and If
you offer to pay they will refuse and
say they do not make their money
that way. The little money they
make comes from farming. They do
not often grow wealthy, and they
seem to be very well satisfied
with their life. You have heard of
the feuds OF these mountaineers. l
have nearly q half score of murder
cases to defend in one county on ac-
count OF them. | know n place where
two families have been fighting each
other for generation and where the
different families of the two tribes
never go out to work except in SQUADS
and always carry Winchester rifles
with them"
els the country Improving"
''Well, yes, somewhat, but civiliza-
ton comes slowly in the mountains.
We have not the best facilities for ed
ucation, and though the people want
their children educated they use ma
tive teachers, and they do not push
matters like you do in the North.
The district is made up OF both Re
publicans and Democrats, and the
last Representative was Republican.
The people are interested in politics
and the campaigning has to be done
almost altogether by public speakers"