Smyrna times., 1893-06-21
MOUNTAIN MISSIONS.
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE "POOR
WHITES" OF THE HILL COUNTRY.

A Southern Clergyman Refutes the Charge
That Ignorance and SqualOr Are Preva-
lent to Any Remarkable Degree In the
Mountain Districts.
Sectionalists who desire to create for
themselves a field Of operations and an
income in a charming and healthful
southern climate not infrequently write
very touching articles for the northern
press on the deplorable condition of the
mountain whites" Of the south and the
need of mission work" among them.
Such persons, in descriptions of life
among the mountains of western North
Carolina and east Tennessee, ''pile on
the agony" in a marvellous manner. Some
times they do it with an utter disregard
for the truth. They represent the excep-
ton to be the rule, and picture scenes
and conditions common enough in parts
Of the north and west perhaps, large
cities as we'll as country places, but very
rare among the people of the Appalachian
region of the south. One would think
from their accountNSE8lat the southern
mountains We're swarming with cave
dwellers. The aim seems to be to per-
petuate the ideas Of that class of philan-
thropists who find a peculiar pleasure in
contemplating poverty, ignorance and
degradation in the south since the civil
war.
Not long since The Sun noticed an ap-
peal of this sort for aid to mission work
for mountain whites" showing that it
was i'll effect libel upon the people it
professed to describe. Any person ia
miliar with the Appalachian region of
the south would see at a glance how alb
surd the whole thing was. The Christian
Union for Dec. 81, 1892, contains a letter
| from Rev. D. Atkins, a Methodist minis
ter of Hendersonville, N. c., which com
pletely demolishes the mountain white
myth. Mr.. Atkins will be conceded to
know what he is writing about. He was
born and reared i'll the alleged God for.
saken region of poverty, ignorance, vice
and degradation. He entered college
there, entered the ministry there and
spent II years there as minister and
teacher.
Gas q Methodist minister" he says, 81
have gone into the most out of the way
places and mingled freely with all sorts
of people in 90 counties of North Caro-
lima and Virginia and in nearly all the
worst parts Of east Tennessee. l hav,
visited these people at their homes, have
eaten with them, slept in their houses
and seen them in every condition" Ye
Mr.. Atkins has not once beheld the slun
scenes Mrs. Paddock described in a re
cent number of The Christian Union
Your correspondent" he says, mus
have found some secluded spot neve
saw, for in all my travels never saw
the things she writes of, and it seem
strange that / should not even hav
heard of such things in all these years
There is poverty here and ignorance, toe
but neither is in that prevalent form yor
would suppose from the article of Mrs
Paddock. You might live here an ag
and never hear of such savage and weir
funeral customs as Professor Bemis, an
other correspondent writing from tn
south, told your readers about"
The situation is not such as was dC
/ scribed by The Unions correspondents
Putting it in a nutshell, Mr.. Atkins say
of Mrs. Paddock's picture: "She has pr,
sented the very worst possible case this
could be found in the remotest part an
made it sample of all the 9, ,0OO, 900 her,
so that if any one should receive an in
preston from such writing he would SUI
pose no other kind of people could /
found here"
As a matter of fact, the "mountai
whites" are not distinct class. The
ancestors, says Mr.. Atkins, were not ou
laws, but pioneers from the coast com
try. They generally own their farms an
make a comfortable living. To say the
= hunt for a living is absurd. There is Ii
tie wealth and not as much luxury
might be, but the people live decentl
There are some log houses, three-fourtl
of which have windows. None are pla
tered with mud, as alleged, or withoI
wooden floors. But few have only OF
r room. Generally the houses are qui
comfortable. All have good open fl
] places. Fuel is abundant and costs not
ing, so that the correspondents story
children covering their limbs with war
ashes to keep from freezing" is special
absurd. The people, Mr.. Atkins affirm
are already religious and moral. They 0
serve Sunday and attend Sunday schoC
There is scarcely a district where there
not a school for at least three months
the year. Few persons are unable to rel
and write, and such cases are so rare
to excite surprise among the neighbors
As respects the girls who were 4
, scribed as Overworked and vicious, N
Atkins says not one in hundred wou
know herself by that description. ct
common virtues" he says-"chastit
honesty, truthfulness, etc.-are rath
more prevalent than in other sections
have seen. The girls are healthy, stro
! and full of spirit. They marry at a go
age, make excellent wives and mothe
and do much less hard work than tn
sisters of the north and west" and \
Atkins spent four years in the we
, They do not work in the field. 1T is
no means" says the writer, "the custC
Of the country. Home life is as pure
it is anywhere have been" In { wol
the mountain white" with his abysn
degradation, is myth and needs
IN Emission. baltimore Sun.