The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-01
IN THE KENTUCKY MOUNTAINS.
A Glimpse of Life Among People
whose Ideas of Wealth Are Limited.

Louisville Courier-Journal.
81 had a glimpse of life in the Kentucky
mountains the other day that l will not
soon forget" said a capitalist II made a.
trip into that section as the representative
of a syndicate to look at some coal lands.
L went as far as l could by rail and then
took a horse and rooe into the wilderness.
Toward night l brought up at a little cabin,
of which l had been previously informed,
and made arrangements to spend the night
there. This cabin was about twenty feet
long by about twelve feet wide. On the
ground floor it was all one room. Above
was a loft, to which access was gained by
means Of ladder and hole in the floor
There was little corn growing around the
place and there were two hogs In the
rear of the cabin was low shed, open at
one end and with slanting roof. 1t was
just big enough to hold a cow at night
The cow, Which was a lean, woe-begone
animal, the two hogs and the corn consti-
tuted, apparently, the entire assets Of the
place.
I'm this establishment We're living a man
and his wife and eight children, the oldest
being twelve years. They lived on corn
pork. Both the man and the woman were
barefooted. The elder children had clothes
enough TO cover their nakedness, but the
younger were not so fortunate. The man
seemed to be a slow, dull sort of fellow,
who had lived in restitution so long that
he had become used to it. The woman was
AFFECT despair. If a painter had wanted a
model for picture entitled Hopelessness'
ne need nave gone no further. After sup
per the man went out TO feed the hogs and
the COW and do other Chores
Il talked to the woman for about an
hour, and succeeded with great difficulty
In getting her story. Her pride stood in the
way of her telling me anything for a long
time. During all the time i'm which she
talked the expression of dull listlessness
TO which her face had become habituated
never left it but once. Then look of
something like happiness came over her
features. This was when she said that
they had not always been poor. we
weren't always this way she said. we
were well off once. We saved enough, him
laid away once That was her idea of
wealth. Twenty-seven dollarsi She went
on to say that the children had come fast:
that a COW had to be bought and that she
cost sis The children had fallen sick and
a doctor had to be brought in from civil
ization, and he cost So, and so ii went till
their fortune had gone and they had moth
ing left of that magnificent ST.
The next morning i paid them my lodg-
ing. had slept in the loft and the family
had slept in the room below. None of them
took off their clothes. / had brought with
me a huge lot of roast beef sandwiches
and ate three for my supper and breakfast.
for / had been warned that / probably
could not get anything to eat there Be
fore leaving / took $27, and. wrapping IL
up in newspaper, left il on the table IN
the middle of tire room. Then rode away
feeling vastly pleased with myself and
knowing that there was one mountaineers
family in Kentucky that had recovered its
lost fortune"