Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-07
THE MOUNTAINEERS.
DR.. Porter Talks of the Results of
His Researches.
SOME POPULAR FALLACIES EXPOSED.
The People Not More Hardy or
Larger Than Others.
THEIR SUPERST ITION

For the past two years DIR. J. H. Porter
has been prosecuting scientific researches
in the main chain Of the Allegheny noun
tains. for the Smithsonian Institution, in
furtherance Of discoveries already made
by him in the valley of Virginia in regard
to primitive man and his co-existence with
the great animals of the quarternary pc
Rod.
DR.. Porter is one Of the best known scien-
lists connected with the Smithsonian, hav-
ing written extensively upon the beasts
and birds Of North America. He is an
acknowledged authority on most scientific
subjects.
The doctor has just returned to WASH
ington filled with information on every
subject connected with the localities visited
by him and talks with him recently show
that most people in this country know
little, IL anything, about the people who
inhabt the region of country along the
southern Alleghanies, their habits, &c. In
recent interview with the doctor a Star
reporter asked him about these people, their
characteristics and modes of thought, Gus
toms. and IL they were, as is usually sup
posed. and as nearly everybody believes,
the hardy. rugged people we have been led
to believe, who reached gigantic stature
and who lived to great age
Throughout the region to which his very
extensive research led him he found that
no such physical condition as has been at:
tributed TO the mountaineers of this south
ern country existed. He brings medical
knowledge to bear upon this question, be-
Ing a graduate in medicine ana a professor
of that science.
Some Popular Fallacies.
According TO his opinion the stature of
these mountaineers is not greater than
the men of the lowlands, and their aver
age physical well-being not nearly so good.
To this end various causes contribute,
according TO the doctor. the first of which
is the general hardships to which they are
inevitably exposed. Added to this are the
effects wrought by bad diet the worst san
itary conditions common in their homes;
among which typhoid fever may be said TO
be perpetually endemIc, and an habitual
abuse OF bad ardent spirits. To SO great a
degree have these mentioned causes pro-
duced the effects stated that chronic dis
eases OF many kinds are prevalent to an
extent not found among better provided
communities. And thac period of life
Wnich generally found to be &C.
conpanied by the highest physical matur-
NY Is that also in which bodily decay very
frequently manifests Itself among these
Among me women this is the fact even
70 a greater extent than among the men
Ihey are exposed to the same unrayora HE
influences as are those of the Steiner sex.
they work much harder and they have less
strength. Furthermore IL a class of lionor
unht Tor human consumption is too pener-
any made use Of by the males a SNUFF in
ihordinate Quantities, Injuries, although per
opposite sex.
The Tobacco Habit.
commencing at very early age the ma
Jor1ty OF these mountain girls are accus-
TONED 10 take tobacco in this concentrated
ana exceedingly harmful manner. And IL
Is not one OF the least disagreeable feat
ures OF the association with them to See
a snun stick projecting from the corner of
the mouth that would otherwise be very
attractive, and rosy lips stained and be-
smeared with this vile mixture. The oues-
ion Oh personal neatness is always more
or less a delicate one upon which to trench
ana II may be sufficient to say that thai
cleanliness which is supposed to have an
amnity to goodness does not prevail to any
great extent among these mountaineers
With regard to the state of culture nrevaii
ing among these scattered Communities
II Is OF SO low a character that a plain re-
cital OF the ordinary superstitions rife
among these people, and most firmly be-
ieved in by them, would sound like Num-
chausen stories. Taking one class of film
sions only from the many which confront
one upon all sides. says the doctor, IL
Dnant0mS
such as disturbed the imaginatfons of men
In western Europe three or four centuries
ago are accepted here with as unoues-
TONED taith at the present day as they
were IN germany or Denmark at that time
Besides the folklore tales attaching 10
the smaller animals the creations OF nure
fancy are sometimes of a very impressive
and even tragic character
The doctor tells that one Sunday rnorn,no
ne rode up to the door of a weli-to-do To-,
capin situated in one of the narrow valleys
that break down upon the Hiwassee river
ana mailing the house. out came an inor.
oinately long individual Of mature age ar
rayed in shirt homespun pantaloons sin
gle gallus over his shoulder, a gum shoe
on one foot top boot upon the other and
hatless. 1t took some time for the docto-
TO explain the object he had in view. but
when the mountaineer was finally made 70
understand that what was required was as
ISSUANCE In digging up the floor of a cave in
his vicinity. in order to obtain any human
relics which might have been deposited
there during unknown generations the doc
tor met with an unhesitating refusal for the
old man to have anything to do with the
matter whatever. His sons services. how
ever. were secured, and an examination OF
the cave was made. the father refusing to
go further than the entrance Of the cavern
where he sat with a pitch-pine torch in his
hand during the progress of the search.
A Mountaineer's Story,
and eaten dinner, the reason for his disin-
clination to disturb the remains of the dead
came out In the following story, which was
told with an accent Of truth that left no
doubt upon the mind Of the doctor that the
narrator fully believed every word he ut
tered. The mountaineer said substantially:
Many years before. just after he was mar
rted, when he came to live with his wife I'm
the small cabin which then served for a
Kitchen to the more pretentious residence
now occupied by him, this same cave con-
tained a pile Of human skulls, now mostly
scattered, decayed and broken I'D from
overflow Of the stream running near by
One day during the winter season the old
man said he had entered the cavern, and
moved by some impulse which he was at
loss to account for. but which plainly re-
ferred to supernatural suggestion, he had
tied up and brought away a number of
these relics Of mortality. They were placed
under shed at the side of his house, and
for the time forgotten.
The night was dark and still, and the
boughs OF the trees which surrounded this
lonely little clearing in the heart of the
mountains hung stirless in the air. There
was a faint moon. which rose late at night
and 1t was not until this time that he was
awakened by the sound as IL of terrible