The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1892-11-10

SPflse, epeYB hour In The ddv IN pndB
God to damn the CoBJedGcy."
At the beginning Of the war the
Widow Hurd and her family lived up in
the mountains about twenty miles south
east Of Jacksboro and on q little branch
Of Clineh river, which tears through the
Cumberland range an hours march
away. The Widow Hurd was a woman
Of marked character. When achild she
had lived for some years at Tazewell,
where she learned to read and write, ac-
complishments which in themselves
were sufficient to distinguish her among
her unlettered neighbors. Twenty years
before the war, her husband had been
killed in an election quarrel at Jacks
boro, leaving her three children-two
boys and a girl, the latter being the
youngest and at this time in her twenty
first year. Mrs. Hurd, thrown on her
own resources, cultivated her billy farm
with more success than her husband
had ever done. Her prosperity was in
marked contrast with that Of her shift
less neighbOrs, all Of whom declared
that ".he Widow Hurd was jist a-spilin
her young uns" when she sent them for
several years to school in the beautiful
mountain town where she had herself
received her limited education.
Minny Hurd was the belle Of the
mountains, and the admiration she ex.
cited in the breasts Of the young men 81
that region led to more than one en-
counter. Jack Hurd and his brother.
Pike, were as near Of an age as brothers
well could be who were not twins, and
the resemblance was quite as striking
as II they had been. They were tall,
athletic young fellows, with the keen
gray eyes and thick dark hair so char.
acteristic of the pure FLOODED mountain
men. It was through their mothers in
fuence and the memory Of their fathers
sad ending that they avoided drink.
These brothers had slept together
since childhood, played together and
worked together, and 50 it came about
that they not only looked alike, but they
thought alike, and the neighbors often
joldngly said that ''the Hurd boys were
too doggone fond Of each other ever 10
git married" But when the first rum.
blings Of the war went echoing through
the mountains change came between
the brothers. Wiser men than the
young Hurds would be puzzled 10 give
4 good reason for their sympathies and
prejudices, but the widow noticed that
Pike, her youngest boy. was away at
Williams store a great deal, where
Knoxville paper that favored secession
was taken and read by the proprietor to
the crowds Of mountain men who now
made that place o rendezvous.
Mrs. Hurd also noticed that there was
q cloud between the boys. They began
10 work apart, and their relations be-
came more and more strained, though
never from first to last did harsh word
pass, nor was an angry look given.
Mrs. Hurd, from whose lips | learned
most Of this story, was o strong Union
woman, but she avoided as much as
possible the discussion of the all absorb
ing question then agitating the land and
dividing her boys.
pike grows more and more in temper
like his pore father that's dead and
gone" said Mrs. Hurd one day to her
daughter, "and I'm powerfully skeert,
M4nny, that he'll start of fust thing we
know and become q soier."
"He told me" said Minny, "that he
thought he felt bleeged to 60. Last
night he cleaned up his rifle and fixed
his saddle, and noticed that he sot the
traps away when Jack, he showed mp.
Hits mighty hard to think that them
two boys that's allus been so lOvin Is now
20 sot agin each other. The wah amt
comm har no how, and can't see that
we uns Is called on to bother"
Minny Hurd had good reason for this
belief. As yet the war was far of. A
great battle had been fought in Virginia,
and stories Of skirmishes in the noun.
tains away to the north were told to the
anxious groups that now daily assembled
1t Williams store and often remained
TIL far into the night discussing the stu
alton. But there was no elevation or
valley Of the Cumberland range that
was to escape the contest, no family
among the scattered settlements that
was not to be drawn into the struggle.
Jack Hurd was q quiet. undemonstra-
tive man, but like all such natures he
had strong feelings, and once he had
made up his mind it was impossible to
change him. It twas known to his fam
ny and friends that Jack Hurd was
powahfully sot agin the Confederacy,
and equally well known that pike was
cot agin the Union" but this difference
n.ofsr5na., rvsa4hasa ,.gaa 40 common, a. a.