The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-07-23
GOV. BUCHANAN.

OF q pr6cipicc. aud again creeping over deep
gorge on slender trestle. Tho forest. Dense
old. and tangled. comes to tho very edGe Of the
railroad track. which seems pathway blazed
through the wilderness. widening ut times
into mountain village. Sometimes at q turn
In the road tho mountains open. leaving a
great highway OF foliage TO tho horizon. where
a solitary peak. or chain OF peaks. stand.
forest clad and surrounded with purple haze.
For milos and miles there will be no house. no
spot of cultivated ground. Down through tho
leaves are dark pools OF water. at which one
expects 10 see the wild beasts OF the forest
drinking.
But even In this wild country tho signs OF
man arc not absent. II you look closely at the
purple mist OF the mountain tops you will see
minglfng with it in tho most solitary places
thin and languid columns OF smoke Rarely
do two columns rise I. ON the same mountain
side. and these indications OF human dwellings
Intensity the vast and lonely grandeur of the
view. Again. looking down through the foil
age to the depths OF some gorge, you will SEQ
tiny hut built Of mud and logs. dilapidated Ivy
grown. and around it vii! be a bit OF rocky soil.
cleared and fenced to give life to struggling
stalks OF corn. from the tanGle OF the forest
gaunt queeriy dressed mountaineer. with
souch hat and long barrelled rifle. or noun
tain girl with hair as tangled as the under
brush and with a faded and battered gown. will
look at tho train with interest and wonder.
This Is the mountain district OF East Ten
nessee. whore the coal miners are and where
civilization and barbarism mix in most Curl
ous fashion. 10 understand the story Of the
eminent tho stage setting must be understood.
1t must 10 borne In mind that these wilder
sns rs .s shsse
mountain peoI,le know little OF Goyernment.
ana have no manner OF respect tor 1t. They
Al willing fight it and failing to win. feel
assured that their businesses will protect
them from an armed force. however great.
THE LONELINESS OF BRICEvILLE.
From Knoxville railroad runs northwest
called Clinton. There another railroad. used
sael Coz coal srsins. bushes narsoWiy shr5Sgk
.Da. hs Of n9Fh nna
MhisS Srssk Sans !: BsisfSs xysn spssF
Enoaa as Hs Il q Bars
os nef the G
east Of Clinton lie coal mines so extensive that
2. lsnst 5uo0 men men, earn living for their large
The mines are leased BY the landowners do to
pushed on a gentle slope into the mountain
which carries 1t to the scales where a weigh
miner 0: The III lie q the miner Is hard and
bis. wages are at best far from, high.
q in es sns ts 81 his
generally, it is built for him by the company
Of CHECKS which Is profitable only to the store
keepers. So wild are these camps. in fact and
passing through on the railroad strikes one
with a sense OF incongruity. There are no
Moqs st s ,ssSs H. IT e
are earousals frenzied by the frightful strength
Ct the corn Whssy Which is me
and each pridss himself on Ills al ility 10 shoot;
From tnIs / va 30 gath sred ,1at tie ne in
food. drink, dress. speech. ami action. Free
Of IL h HHs ne who would TAKE
tho miners are colorei. most, ar. white: but
race lines count for little; us Al are black from
he sr%s Of ths toll There are few
fellowship. The outsider WHO wrongs ono
yet dilIpsod over a great ana iiiicu!t territory.
has arisen . system OF communication by
Eapidlty. This is accomplished partly ~ sigma!
fires on mountain tors and Lnrtiy by rapid
tho eorses, ana the mountain paths permits.
Among these poopie certain men. no better
be sf leader. L" nan n
IS determined upon the rank and ;le falls in
behind without nmurmnr and with an ire
sistlble determination 10 Obey.
EASY TO ASSEMBLE A SMALL ARMY.
so well trained and we'll armed arc these
people that ~ the slgna 1000 men with rifles;
any point within q, few hours. nnd SO quietly
would they assemble that those VIII? might be
ss sea u ancient oas WaS Wien hides se
naSa So. The Stats Of H sss wh0
II has been about twenty-two years since the
s nss we're Weh IN
Ella, IA. ilrst "oaasay a coai SresE vs. 5!,s
there was some trouble. and the minors struck.
for help, thought OF convict lgtor and brought
The rs1 gang Of e9rysts 70 the GcSl Greek re-
Tho statute books for several years. II pro.
yded S The Ell Leasing u The Sstes to
sons. Tie Tennessee Iron, Coal; and l'aiIroad
Gompany Twas was oEnct, and has lensed all the
These eonyIets ara Of the lowest order, being
men guilty OF the Diackest and most desperate
6 r"usht the frat band Of ity coHvicts to It's
mine. y mile M the gorge TO the west Of Coal
Gss n na fhe ans
company built In a sort OF depression near the
mouth OF the mine great stock ado enclosing
about an acre q ground, Tho, stock
ade was twenty-four feet high and mado
Ut oak planks bolted together edge
70 .edgs. ,Guards stationed .9n the TOD
could keep under control all the conyicts who
might be within. In the centre Of this en-
closure WAS built y great ugly building, un-
naintadand barely rooted; lrWas divided into
room was n I onch about six feet Vide. Above
this bench WA, onother exactly like It. On
these the convict, We're to sleep. their heads
against The wall. their feet toward the centre
OF tho room.
REGARDED INp!FfERENTIY AT FIRST.
This gloomy. drearv stockade made no i'm
preston on the minds OF tho Tree minors.
Work in other mines was plenty. Coal was
high In the marSet ana wages were gnod. All
the Knoxville company s nroduct was taken 10y
one railroad ~ " specified Iluure, which con-
tract holds 10 the present day So The convict
labor really did not enter into composition
with Tree labor aud when the knoxville COM
pany increased its gang 81 convicts 10 more
than I'M the free miners sill did not care. The
aroduct OF the convict labor was not In the