Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-07-18
GEORGIA INCONSISTENCIES.
A Graphic Picture OF q Peculiar
Type Of Humanity.

Mr.. Editor, did you evervisit one Of those
humble little homes in Northeast Georgia
that nestle at the foot Of some spur of the
Blue Ridgel asks a correspondent of the
Athens (Ga.) Banner.
/ do not refer TO one of the prosperous
farm-houses you often sec on the roadside,
where summer tourists are won't TO spend
the day or night; but l mean for you to
leave the public highway, and following one
of those trails that lead directly over a
mountain ridge and carry yoa to little
settlement that seems entirely cut of from
the outside world.
During my recent trip through White
County had occasion 10 spend the night at
one Of these rude homes, ana will cndeavor,
for the entertainment Of the readers, TO
draw a pen portrait of il. do not in my
description refer TO one Of the wretched
little huts Of one room, where hunger and
misery guard the door, but to the abode of
mOuntaineer Of average means and thrift.
The house stands in a clearing of some
ten or fifteen or twenty acres, comprising a
narrow strip Of bottom land on the banks of
a little stream or branch, while the rest Of
the cultivated ground gently slopes upon
the mountain side. The house Is built Of
logs, the cracks either stopped with mortar
made Of clay or by split boards nailed over
them. There are generally two rooms in
the house, and the one l am about TO de-
scribe had a rude porch in 'front.' used as a
storage place for agricultural implements,
as also a saddle and birdie. A winding
path OF about fifty yards carries you 10 a
cold spring. from which the family BRING
their water for domestic purposes.
You summon the lord OF this manor at the
gate by loud halloa." He Is generally
found in the house or around the premises
attending 10 some minor duties. The
stranger is kindly received and seldom re-
fused shelter and entertainment. Shortly
after / had dismounted and seen my horse
attended to, two pale, sickly-lool1ng women
came 10 the gate, each driving little bull
calf attached TO a plow. They seemed
thoroughly wearied out, and touched my
sympathy. They were dressed in cloth spun
and woven by their own hands. Their heads
were protected by old-fashioned sun-bon-
nets, and their shoes badly worn. Pretty
soon they were joined by young mount
aincer, apparently about twenty-five years
old, with an axe on his shoulder. He was
six feet tall, a remarkably handsome man,
and proved to be the husband of one of the
women, while the older was his mother In
Productions among this class are unknown,
and II you wish TO know a man or woman's
name, you are at perfect liberty TO crafty
your curiosity by asking them the question.
was as kindly received and treated as
Hospitality as their means allowed.
On entering the door Of the house / found
myself stunned for an instant by receiving
a severe blow upon the forehead L then
Observation-Disclosures l afterwards found to be
a custom among mOuntaineers-that in cut
ting the door, at least one more log should
have been taken out, and unless you hum
bly, bow your head you arc reminded of the
incivility by bump on the forehead.
In spite Of the fact that the mountains
abound in wood, you very seldom find
good fire. The wood don't burn as readily
as the growth of middle Georgia, and when
hauled up il is left exposed 10 the rain
until ready for use. There is a scarcity Of
chairs in most Of all the mountain houses,
there generally being only enough for the
adult members Of the family. The visitor,
however, is given the most comfortable
seat, while the family find accommodation
on the beds and boxes in the room. The
wealth of the mountaincer seems to rest
in bcd-quilts, and you see these coverings
piled up in the corner of the room as high
as your head. When these people have
superfiuous money, instead of investing it
in stocks or bonds, they 90 to the nearest
store and purchase calico with which to
make more quilts. WhenCone of the girls
marries, this is her principal dOwry. You
find the room filed with beds, and they
are stuck everywhere it is possible TO place
one. Their literature is of the crudest
kind, consisting of several almanacs, dat
ing back number of years, and perhaps
two or three odd volumes Of old novels, or
a well-thumbed school-book. They are
never read, however, for when l opened
one or two of the books found on a shelf in
the room, they were covered with a thick
coat of dust The room is decidedly uncom-
Portable. There are numerous cracks in the
floor and walls, through which the keen
wind whistles.
The meals arc prepared in the other
rooms at an open fireplace, where is also
kept the loom and spinning wheel. You are
given a seat ut the table, but the chair you
occupy is so low that your plate is about on
n level with your chm, and eating is a de-
cidedly dissgreeable undertaking. You
are given a greasy cid knife, with one side
of the handle broken of, and a.fork with
single prong Your plate is the old-style
bluc-rimmed crockery, with dirty crack
nearly through 1t. The table-cloth has been
stained yellow with the numerous meals
eaten upon it since the last wash-day, and
it is stiff enough TO stand alone on Its
corners. Fried hogs meat, floating in
grease, is invariably served, and this is
passed to you in the skillet, from which you
are expected 20 help yourself The piece of
corn bread is also passed by hand, and as it
is several inches thick and cooked very
hard, it requires n pretty strong grip of tho
fingers TO break il If you are given coffee,
It is nothing but weakened water If there
Is butter on the table, it is white, petty
stun While you are eating, two or three
children, who are engaged in sopping out
the frying-pan, get into fight in which the
head Of the house and the old lady are pretty
apt to take a hand before peace is re-
stored.
When bedtime come, one of the beds in
the room is pointed out as your place OF re-
pose. Perhaps there are several females in
the room, and you Of course wait for them
10 retire before disrobing for the night.
You will, however, find yourself disap-
pointed No more attention is paid to your
presence by these women than were you a
log Of wood, and they VIII keep their seats
by the fire, smoking and dipping SNUFF.
When you have retired, they will go TO sleep
in another bed in the same room, and per.
haps not removed two feet from the one
YOU occupy. Even when there are two
rooms 10 n house, all the beds viii fro
quently be placed in one apartment, to
~ VSOuplou W bliS OhNlTc ieluug anu tuCiE
guests.
4 mountain bed, however, is far from be-
ing dOwny couch Of ease. The ticks are
straw or shucks that have collected into
Jumps as hard as pine knots. Pillows are
seldom used, but when you find one it is
like resting your head on rock. The quilts
arc kept more for an ornament than use,
and YOU wake up in the night shivering with
IN icy gust Of wind coming through crack
in the wall about on a level with your body.
The next morning on asking your bill you
will find tho invarIable charge to be--it mat
ters not what was your fare or accommoda-
tions-twenty-five cents for each meal, bed
and horse feed.
The mountaineer cares very little about
what the outside world is doing, and you
may tell one a piece of news six months
old and it viii be fresh to him. They are
generally very illiterate, few being able to