Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-02
EASTERN KENTUCKY.
The Strange People i'm an Out-of-the-
Way Section of the Country.
of TEE EVENING srAR.

correspondence OF TEE EVENING STAR
BREATHIrr COUNTY, Ky, Jan. Is, 1889
Kentucky! What visions does the name con-
jure up of prancing steeds, lovely women. and
stately old-time hospitality. But leave the
bluegrass" section and turn your attention 10
the eastern part of the state and what change.
The prancing steeds are melancholy mules, the
women pale-faced drudges, old before their
time, but their hospitality has q kindness that
atones for much else. Although the eastern
portion of the state adjoins the mountain lands
of Virginia and Tennessee, and is near those of
North Carolina it is far different from all three
In the North Carolina mountains one is always
uplifted by their grandeur and by the fine pure
air. There is a sense of nearness TO the sky,
and one Is glad TO forget the world In the COM
partnership Of those great peaks. In Virginia
and Tennessee the characteristics are much the
same, though the rugged grandeur is lacking.
But cross the line and in a few miles the
change is apparent. The mountains lose their
magnifcence, the soil its fertility, the people
their quota OF civilization. Craddock would
seek here in vain for lofty peaks, yelled
In superstitious terrors or a far up cloud land
inhabited only by "harnts and varmints." The
mountain country consists of low, heavily
wooded ridges, running, apparently, in all di-
rectons, with long narrow valleys between.
The streams seem never to be in a natural con-
dition. They are either lying sullenly in the
bottom Of their beds, while everything around
Is dying for water, or they are rushing furi-
ously through the country, sweeping away
fences and bridges taking the RATS TO market
damaging the harvest fields, and doing good
and mischief Unfortunately It is to these
sudden freshets that the lumbermen trust TO
get their logs to market. They haul them
down and make great RATS of them on the
banks of the stream. and when the water rises
sufficiently to float them steer them down to
Frankfort or some other large town. 1t is a
difficult and often dangerous undertaking. for
the streams are rapid when they up and
filled with drift and floating logs. Sometimes
the RATS break up and the unlucky rafters
must escape as they can. Occasionally some
poor fellow is drowned, but life is not held
very precious out here. There are vast guam
titles of valuable timber but this is now the
only way of getting 1t to market the business
Is attended with great inconvenience and loss.
The railroads are yet too far away to be of any
service.
ITS RESOURCES
But great as is this source Of wealth, it is
small compared with the wonderful coal de-
posit. Under these commonplace hills and
sterile farms lies the untold wealth of the
finest coal the world has ever seen. There are
veins OF camel coal showing much as four
and hye feet In thickness Tin other places the
average is less than two feet), and of the btu
mlnous variety the veins are much thicker. In
Breathitt county there is a vein of the latter
eleven feet in thickness and near it vein of
camel coal five feet thick. 1t is impossible to
calculate the vastness and the value of this
wonderful coal region till the railroads have
been completed. There are several in pro-
gress now, and when they are finished there
will be general movement toward this other
wise lll-favored corner of the globe.
AN INTERESTING PHENOMENON
connected with the coal deposit is a well of
natural gas, known in the vicinity as the ''burn-
-
or slnk-hole filled up to the surface with rocks,
and from the chinks and crevices between the
flames dance up merrily enough. 1t has been
burning for several years. An almost equal
phenomenon are the ''cross country" roads
They are eccentric; they dart suddenly and un-
expectedly up steep hillsides; they lose them
selves in rocky bed of some little stream, only
to emerge and plunge recklessly into the
depths of an interminable forest. They are
frequently SO inoistinct that loses all trace
OF them. Once, in travelling what some one
told US was a turnpike, We stopped in disgust
and asked man why they called it so.
Wa al, " he said, looking much puzzled, Il
call it a turnpike because turn my COWS out
onto ii"
THE PEOPLE.
These counties are naturally thinly settled.
The towns are few and far apart, and usually
consist of long double row of tumble-down
dwellings, a store, a courthouse, a jail and
sionally one may make pleasant acquaintance
in these isolated villages. But il is away from
the towns, up at the head of a stream bearing
some outlandish name, that the Kentucky
mountaineer Is found in the truest type He
is thin, lank, sallow, unsocial. yet very inquis-
tive and very suspicious of strangers He
holds them capable of mysterious deeds, and
always suspects them of building railroads,
which is in his eyes an objectionable offense
1t is strange yet indicative of the extreme eau
m these hn hax
lived so long without modern improvements
that they should so bitterly oppose that which
is the only possible hope of developing their
country. Their fathers ways are good enough
for them, and they resent all attempt at i'm
provement. The houses are very small, having
frequently only one room, and are generally
built without windows. The air and light must
come through the door and the chinks of the
logs or planks of which they are con-
structed. When the family begins to as
sumo alarming proportions another room is
built beside the first, and invariably assumes
the name of 't'other house." In these primi-
tive habitations whole families hve-cook eat
sleep. and do their daily work of spinning,
weaving and sewing. Servants are unknown
and unnecessary, and many of them never even
saw a negro until our cook presented himself
to their astonished view. Bacon and corn
bread are their chief articles of food and
sweet taters,'" too, are quite staple, and the
all-important bean. II the bean crop fails, as
it did to some extent last season, there is a
vail all over the land. One woman, in telling
of the extreme poverty and 'shiflessness" of
neighbor, summed it all up by saying, AN she
amt even got no beans!'' Whatever of i'm
agination or ingenuity the native may possess
is exhausted in naming their water-courses.
Bull-Skin, Troublesome, Red Bird, Shoulder
Blade, Sinking, are few Of these euphonious
titles But the mental effort stops at this, for
one frequently finds men who own farms and
transact business who cannot read or write a
line, and who 60 barefoot. the greater part of
the year. The next generation will, however,
be better educated, as there are public schools
now to assist them.
THE RELENTLESS FEUDs.
The distinguishing social characteristics of
this uncomfortable band is the relentless feuds
that they wage so bitterly and persistently.
Some Of these are well known. Craig Tolliver
was:famous, as are the Hatfields and McCoys and
the French-Eversole war. But these are only
notable examples. There is scarcely county
where there is not an inherited quarrel that
seems to gain in bitterness and cruelty. Men
go armed TO the teeth, and an accidental meet
ing with an enemy is a signal for an open
battle. Nor is the fight always open-men are
shot from behind trees, from the houses, from
any spot that affords q favorable ambush. In
a town where spent several days a man was
hot he win Of he ha1f g.;