The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-03-09
Tennessee NaountaIneers.

We read about the ignorance OF the
people living in the mountain regions
OF Tennessee were exaggerations."
said Chicago man who lately made
visit to the southeastern part of
that state. "But now l know better.
These reports are not only true. but
the facts have not been half told.
am not easily astonished, hut con.
TESS was astonished by what saw
in Tennessee. Why, there IRE lots of
men down there who have grown old
and have raised families who can mel.
ther read nor write, and have never
in their lives been far enough away
from their homes to lose sight of the.
smoke that curled out of their chin.
neys. knew there was a time when
people lived in houses that had no
windows in them. but never dream.
ed that such state OF affairs existed
i'll this enlightened age. Vet there are
plenty OF such habitaticns in Ten.
nessee. And the people who live in
them are quite rs much represen.
tatives OF civilization rs their dwell.
ings. They have no knowledge what
ever OF the existence of world that
extends beyond the range OF their vi.
sion on q clear day. will say, how.
ever. that with them ignorance is de.
cidedly blissful. To possess rifle or
shotgun and a jug OF whisky is the
limit OF their ambition. They know
nothing OF the value of money except
rs regards its power to purchase Ii.
Iuor and ammunition.
Zone day a man whom l met had
occasion to go from his home to the
county seat. He was a man of more
intelligence than most OF his fellows,
but he had never in his life been away
from home before. He had never seen
q town. The nearest approach to
one he had seen was the collection of
houses about the store where he sold
his truck and bought his bacon.
When he got back from the county
seat l asked him what he thought OF
what he saw. 'Well,' said he, 'all /
got to say is this: II this world is as
big on the right NV us ne it is on the
left she must be a regular whale.'
"lwas riding up in the Gu mberland
mountains" continued tho Chicago
man, "when ! saw q bearded noun.
taineer splitting a big tree he had fell
ed. 1t was huge black walnut. |
said to him: My friend, what are
you doing2' 'I'm a maxim fence rails.
was his reply. WELL l said. you
don't mean to tell me you are making
tence rails out OF that piece of tim
ber?" why, sartin. That's q good
log, ain't it?' 1t was MS fine q black
walnut log as ever saw, and if my
friend had known enough to get some.
body with n few oxen or mules to
drag the log to the railroad he could
nave sold it for 5000, for it was worth
more than that.
But it is not only the mountaineer
whosedestiny ofignorancei astonsih.
ing. lobserved q case noticeable as show
ing III a striking manner why thesouth
is far behind the rest OF the country
IN the matter OF progress. The lumber
used inTennessee for building purposes
is poplar, as the mountains are full oft
and pine Is scarce. Saw-mills are
established IN the 'coves, and the mill.
man cuts up logs hauled to his saws
py the mountaineers. He pays certain
sum for logs, and then, figuring COM
pensation for his work OF saving, sets
n price on his product. 1t happened
that at the time was in Tennessee
the price OF lumber was sls per 1000
feet. A man OF my acquaintance was
having n house built, and determined
to have the interior finished with
hardwood and red cedar. which
abounded in that region. Accordingly
he asked the sawmii man wha. he
would charge for lumber OF the kind
wanted. My friend was greatly as.
tonished on being told that the price
woald be just the same as for poplar
sis per 1000. That sawmill man
will probably never get rich. Had he
taken his hard wood and cedar lum-
Der to the railroad and shipped it to
Chattanooga or Nashville it would
there have brought him $50 or $50
per 1000.
Zone more yarn" added the Chi
caco man. "a big strapping boy came
into the grocery store while was
there and offered u bag of hickory
nuts for sale. He wanted u quarter
for them. To afford me little ,.,nuse.
ment the storekeeper threw down q
So goldpiece and asked the boy if he
would sell them for that. no. Stree
he said, you can't cheat me. want
a quarter The storekeepsr after.
ward told me that the boy didn't
know what the gold piece was. lie
said the boy, like most people in that
region had no conception whatever OF
any amount OF money exceeding q
dollar. That was his limit, beyond
which hisfancy declined to carry him"