Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-07-19
RESTORED a LOST FORTUNE
4 Wealthy Mans Story of His Experiences
Among Kentucky MountAIneers.

wealthy MANS story OF HIS experiences
Among KentuoIsy MountAIneers
~ had a glimpe of life In the
Kentucky Mountains the other day
that ! will not soon orget" said
capitalist to Il writer for the Louis
vile Courier-Journal II made
trip into that section as represent
alive OF Il syndicate to look at some
coal lands | went as Tar as | could
by rail and then took a horse and
rode into the wilderness Toward
nightl brought up at a little cabin,
OF which l had been previously in
formed, and made arrangements ~
spend the night there This cabin
was about twenty feet long by about
twelve feet wide. On the ground
floor 1t was all one room. Above was
lott to which access was gained by
means OF ladder and hole in the
floor There was little corn grow
ing around the place. ana there
were two hogs. In the rear of the
cabin was low shed, open at one
end and with slantlng roof. 1t was
just big enough to hold a COW at
night The COW, which was a lean,
woe beQone animal, the two hogs and
the corn, constituted apparently the
entire assets of the place
sin Uhls establishment were living
man and his wife and eight chii-
dren, the eldest being twelve years
They lived on corn meal and milk,
with occasionally some pork. Both
the man and the woman were bare
footed. The elder children had
clothes enough TO cover their naked
ness, but the younger were not so
fortunate. The man seemed to be a
slow, dull sort Of a fellow who had
lived in restitution so long that he
had become used to it
The woman was different Her
face wore an expression of abject de-
spalr. If a painter had wanted a
model for picture, entitled Hope
lessness, he need have gone no far
ther. After supper the man went
out to feed the hogs and COW and do
other chores talked to the woman
for about an hour and SUI ceeded with
great difficulty in getting her story
Her pride stood in the way Of her
telling me anything Tor a long time.
During all the time in which she
talked the expression of dull listless-
ness, to which her face had become
habltuated, never left it but once.
Then look Of something like happi-
ness came over her features. This
was when she said that they had not
always been poor. we weren't al
ways this way, she said. We were
well off once. We saved enough,
him and me- so that we were rich.
We had S27 laid away once That
was her idea of wealth. Twenty
seven dollars? She went on to say
that the children had come fast that
a COW had to be bought aud that
she cost S18. The (hildren had fallen
sick and doctor had to be brought
in from civilization, and he cost IS.
and so 1t went till their fortune had
gone, and they had nothing left of
that magnificent S27.
THE next morning paid them
my lodging. I had slept in the loft
and tine family had slept in the room
below None Of them took off their
clothes. l had brought with me a
huge lot of roast beef sandwiches and
ate these for my supper and break
fast, for had been warned that I
probably could not get anything to
eat there Be lore leaving l took S27,
and, wrapping it up in a newspaper
left it on the table in the middle OF
the room. Then l rode away feeling
vastly pleased with myself and know
ing that there was one mountaineer's
family In Kentucky that had recov-
cred its lost fortune"