The sun., 1893-11-12
WITH THE M0UNTAINEERS.
4 SCIENTIFIC MANS RANBLEs AMONG
QUEER PEOPLE
5oms Fniinc!e$ Done Away yith-Erccts OF
Tobacco ON this Ioantntn Maid.-Sups,-
suiions In Which They Firm Believe.

| For tne past Two years Dr. y. IL Porter mas
been prosecuting scientific researches In the
main chain OF the Alloghany Mountains. for the
Smithsonian Institution. In furtherance OF
discoveries already made by him In the valley
OF Virginia in regard to primitive mnn and his
cooxistence with tho great animals OF the
nnntornary period. DIR. Porter is ono oil the
best known seientlsts connected with the
Smithsonian. having written extensively upon
the beasts and birds OF North America. lie Is
an authority on most scienti1c subjects.
Tho Doctor has Just returned to Washington
hiled with Information on every subject con-
nec.ed with the localities visited by him. and
talks with him recently show that most people
in this country know little. II anything. about
the people who inhabit the region OF country
along the southern Alleghanics. their habits,
&c. In q recent interview with the Doctor q
Star erorter asked him about these people,
| their characterietics and modes OF thought
| Gu stoms and II they were. as Is usually sup
tosed. and IA nearly everybody believes, the
| hardy. rugged people we have been led to be-
lieve. who reached gigantic stature and who
lived to great age.
Throughout tho region to which his very ex-
tensive research led him. no found that no such
physical condition As has been attributed to
tho mountnnecrs OF this southern country eX-
! listed. lla brings medical knoBledge to bear
| upon this question. being II graduate In medi-
cine and professor OF that science.
| According to his opinion the stature OF these
mountaincers is not greater than the men OF
tho lowlands. and their average physical we'll
! being not nearly so good. To this end various
causes contribute. nccordn: to the Doctor. tho
first OF which is the general hardshrs TO which
! they nre inevitably exposed Added to this
nrc the effects wrought by bad dict. the worst
/ sanitary conditions common in their homes
among which typhoid fever may he said to be
| perpetually endemic. md an habitual abuse
! OF bad ardent spirits. To 80 great degree
| have these mentioned causes produced the ef-
fects stated that chronic diseases OF many
| kinds are prevalent to an extent not found
among better provided communities And
that period OF lie which, is GENERALS found
to he accompanied BY the highest physical
maturity is that also in which bodily decay
very frequently maniests itself among these
mountn ineers
Among the women this Is the fact even to q
greater extent than among tho men. They
| ences as are those OF the sterner sex. they
work mueh harder, and they have, less
unfit Tor human consum ption is too generally
made made use - by the males q snuff IN ipor;,
to so great an extent. the opposite sex;
CommencnG at very early age. the ma;
jorty of these mountain girls arc accustomed
Of ,he least disaGrceable ientnres Of the asso.
u
Ing rom the corner Of the mouth that would
otherwise be very attractive. and rosy lips
The question OF personal neatness is always
more, or Iess delicate one. upon which to
trench anf it may be sueens to say that
afflnit ity to Codliness does not prevail to any
GTen1t 1 i extent among these noun m1ountaineeTs.
ing among these scattered communities. IT ia
OF 80 low a character that plain recital Of the
pe and most r4y beened pnG n 'bsst by them. Hsn
would sound like Munchausen stories. Taking
which Confront one upon all sides. @ says the
Doctor. it seems that animal ghosts or phan.
men in western Europe three or four centuries
ago are accented here with as nnGuestioned
faith at The r. present day as they were in Ger
besides the folk lore tales attaching to the
smaller animals. I'll" creations Of pure fnncy
l'he Doctor tells that one Sunday morning
cabin, situated in ono Of tho narrow valleys
thnt break down upon the Hiawassee Rivor.
nately long individual of mature age. arrayed
in shirt, homespun pantaloons. y single gal.
lus" over his shoulder. II gum shoe on one foot. !
a top boot upon the other: and hatless; 1t took
some 'imo for the Doctor tn explain tho object |
he had in view. bnt when tho mnuntatncer was
iinnlIy made to understand that what wasre.
quIred WAS assistance in digging up the floor |
Of n cave in his vicinity in order to Obtain any |
tied there during inknown generations. the |
Doctor met with an unheSitatinG retusa from
matter ter % whatever lis n l"ns @ services. vi how. @
ever. were secured. and an examination OF the |
cave was made The father refusing to go !
he snt with u pitch-pne torch in his hand dur
After tho party had returned to the cabin |
ami eaten dinner. the reason for hi hisincl- !
nation TO disturb tho remains OF the dead
told with an accent Of truth that left doubt |
unpn the mind OF tn" Doctor that the nHrrntor
m3untnineer said. substantially:
Nam, years before lust after he was mar
small cabin which then served for u kitchen t?
the more Pretentious residence now occupied
M man NM siu as NOW Hsy 's
and broken up from overflow Of the stream
vnnp Wna nsar BY o"S S drg 1orIG s.i hs he
iy some impulse which he was at u
frrred to supernatural suggestion; he had tied
NJ and brought away number OF these relies |
ut the tho si'S 1T his h"usc. and forIhr time Tor.
gotten: Ihe nGhtwa" GnrE ana st,, hnn ,u the
ion"ly little clearing % ing: in the hear, 4 III" noun, %
tnins hung stirlcss In lho Air, There was n |
Snt non 91n wheh r"sT nn, T h at W. nGn Rn
NY lh" sound as II Of IL terrific, wind sweeping
aroun! his home he arose from his bed ana |
moved. No dead louyes wer" whirlcd aiolt: no !
s.gn Of the tempest chat was roaring in hts !
iio aitempted to awaken his wife, hut she
TaS m rTH,"nn w nn GT.na % salsa t upon
the scene. vagne. shalGwy outlines Of
human forms. with tossing limbs. were swept
in Ills eaIs '' Faint w nncrtes "ated pnst
him in tn. harkness. anl II wa" suddenly |
borne n npor3 his sp'rIl INT % the1s wer. III"
no bad deSpoiled
Then. the man said. no dropnnd upon his
knees before tho opon door and prayed with
All the tarneS.nesS that terror can INSPIRE 10