The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1892-04-14
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gentlemen VINO nave RECENTLY Wis
tied points on the the Ellshorn ex
tension. the country beyond Poca-
hontas, the West Virginia coal
fields and the haunts OF the Hat
fields and McCoys, oneis Impress
ed with the fact that here within
reasonable distance of home and
friends exists splendid OPP
portnnities for all those who be-
lieve that they are called to preach
the Gospel where it will do the
most good Apparently the mis-
sion fields of China, Japan and
the Feejsefslands are in no great
er need OF Christianity than this
new country which is now being
opened by the Norfolk d West
ern railroad, and Whilst in Eastern
lands the Jealous missionary may
suffer from the effects OF Bud
hist dagger or q cup Of cold Brah
min poison skillfully administer
ed, or in the South Seas@may be
slaughtered, cooked and sent into
the interior as ported parson,
enough danger can be found
among the mountains and coal
fields ore hundred and fifty miles
from Salem from Winchesters and
guns in the hands Of the active
mountaipeer to make the life of
the missionary as martyr-like as
he@could desire. Perhaps these
few lines may suggest to the Sal
walton Army the crying need for
their services that exists out there
where there are no churches, rather
than in orderly and peaceful
towns where there are churches
to every two or three hundred
citizens.
Rather a sweeping charge 10
say the least of it. Doubtless the
gentleman making these charges
against the people of Mcdowell
and Logan counties has lost sight
Of the fact that men, and even
women and children, have been
murdered in well Regulated COM
munities" not far from the civil
zed cities ofsSalem and Roanoke.
Even an officer l0f theaaw in the
faithful performance Of his duty
has lately lost his life in Roanoke
by the hand Of an assassin. Lit
tile girls Of tender age have been
assaulted. On this account shall
we stigmatize the good people Of
these communities as.a wicked,
Goddess set almed-wittlf razors,
l.revolvers and brickbats, seeking
whom they may slay? Unfoau-
nately these criminal classes are
found the world over. In rough
and sparsely settled mountainous
districts it's impossible to enforce
the laws as rigidly as they should
be, consequently a few crimes
may 90 unpublished. That there
has been feuds, and terrible feuds,
in Logan county, we do not pre-
tend to deny. That for feroeity
and bloodshed, perhaps, one OF
these has no parallel except IN
the Highlands of Scotland dnring
the seventeenth century. We re-
fer tothe feud between the Hat
fields and McCoys. Even that has
been greatly exaggerated by news
paper correspondents. The out
side world has gotten the impress
sion that these families are but
little above the common savage.
and never has there been a great
er mistake. The writer has spent
sweeks among the Hatfields; has
eaten with them and slept in their
houses with a greater sense of Sc
curity than in city hotel, and
we now say that we never receiv-
ed more genuine hospitality than
from these people. 'Most'of them
are in good circumstances finan-
cially, live in comfortable, we'll
furnished houses, and have an
abundance to eat. Even cold
Anse," whose. name has gone
down in the history of this feudal
war as bad Anse" and "Devil
Anse, lives in a hewed log house
of ample dimensions, stone chin
neys and glass windows, 4snrroun-
ded by beautiful yard ornamen-
ted with different varieties of
evergreens, as tastefully arranged
as if done by the hands of an art
Iist,and near by is his apmry con
tanning between one and two hun
dred rich beehlves, and if weary
traveller desires TO meet with gen
uine old-f fashioned Virginia well
come. he can find it there-pro-
vided he is attending to his own
business and letting Anse's alone,
Aside from this bloody feud,
which was brought about by an
unfortunate chain of circumstan-
ces, the Hatfields are a law abid-