Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-03-17
To be cont.pued.l
SOUTHERN MoUNTAlNeEk5:
Queer and Contradictory Pecuiiarlties OF
Primitive People.

To my mind the most striking pecu-
liarity OF the mountain people IS found
in their views on religion. Here is
where the mountain people are ear
nest. They talk politics twice in four
years:lbey talk religion seven days in
the wtek. and many are the arguments
between the Methodists and Baptists
and Presbvterians on such points of
difference as infant baptism, INNER
sion, close communion and predestiDa-
tiOn. Sometimes these wordy encoun-
ters end i'm iisticuffs of serious kind.
Your mountaineer is n fataist of the
most ultra type. "What is to be will
be" is q favorite expression. and he
will meet death with all the stoicsm
of an Indian. A doctor, not an igno-
rant one, had cut mans leg of;
should he fail 10 see his patient on
certain day serious or fatal conse-
quenees might follow. The French
Broad river-one of the swiftest
streams i'm the world-howed between
them. 1t was swollen by heavy rains
TO more than double its usual volume.
There was no bridge at which he could
cross. no canoe could live a minute in
the flood. He made preparations TO
swim his horse, his friends remon-
strated and urged that such fool
hardy attempt meant death. He cool
ly said. If my time hasn't come, am
all right; IL it has. can't help it," and
plunged into the river. BY miracle, it
would seem. he avoided the floating
logs and debris and reached the other
side. "His time hadn't come" WAS
the laconic observation of Z witness.
The people Of the mountains believe
in literal hell--a lake that burns with
fire and brimstone-and pictures Of
the tortures inflicted on the lost soul
are sometimes drawn bv local preach
ers with vividness of imagination
that would make medieval monk
tnru green with envy.
The moonshiner does exist, but in
small quantities. He has reached un-
due proportions from the fact that his
existence usually attracts national at
tention. He is u dangerous kind Of
game 10 hunt; he is a sure shot; so is
the revenue officer, If he lives long,
and somebody generally gets hurt
when they meet. The moonshiner
does not attach much importance 10
killing revenue officer. provided he
doesn't get into the federal court for
it. Owing TO the fact that the officers
have been much abused by bad men,
deputy marshals receive little sympa-
thy from people of any class. Phillips
Brooks was making tour of the west
ern North Carolina mountains. Rid
ing along one day his driver pointed
to ravine and said: "Over there a
man was killed the other day what
for?" asked the bishop. HE was
revenue olficer,' answered the driver.
But what had he done?" asked the
bishop. HE was Il revenue officer"
persisted the driver.
A few years ago some deputy mar.
shals went to house i'll Mitchell
county. where a man was suspected of
Illicit distilling. Nobody was in Sight
except the buxom daughter of the sus-
pect. Where is your fathcr?" queried
one Of the officers. Dunno was the
stolid answer. HAS he been gone
long?' Right smart WHILE" was the
reply. (Which way did he go?" Never
seed him leave the house" The oili-
GERS saw smoke on the side OF the
mountain and started in its direction.
The girl picked up a horn and gave
long toot. The officers knew their
game was warned. They started Gu,
however, with hope of capturing the
still. "You fellers had better not 90
up thar" said the girl; but they went
on aud she followed. They came to
the still-the fires were still burning,
but the chemist had nown. "Chop it
up" said the leader. A deputy mar
shall gave one stroke with the aX.when
the sharp report of squirrel rifle was
heard, and he fell with bullet be-
tween his ribs. Thar" said the girl.
II told you fellers not 10 come over
here, cause pap lowed he'd shoot the
first durn man that stuck AL AK in his
still. L. WASHINGTON Star