The Helena independent., 1894-05-25
IN THE KENTUCKY MOUNTAINS.
A Family Passing Rich with Fortune Of
Twenty-sevcn Dollars.

II had glimpse of life in the Kentucky
mountains one day that / will not soon for
get, F" said capitalist TO a reporter. II
made a trip into that section as the repre-
sentative OF u syndicate to look at some
coal lands. went ns far as / could by
rail and then took n horse and rode into
the wilderness. Toward night I brought
up at little cabin, OF which had been
previously informed, and made arrange
ments TO spend the night there. This cabin
was about 90 feet long by about ls feet
wide, On the ground floor it was all one
room. Above was loft, 10 which access
was gained by means Of ladder and n
hole In the floor. There was little corn
growing around the place, and there were
two hogs In the rear Of tho cabin was
low shed, open at one end and with
a slsnting roof II WINS just big enough to
hold COW at night. The cow, which was
q lean, woebcgone animal, the two hogs
and the corn constituted apparently the
entire assets of tho place.
I'm this establishment were living a
man and his wifo and eight children the
oldest IL years. They lived on cornmcal
and milk, with occasionally some pork.
Both the man and the woman were bare
footed Tho elder children had clothes
enough TO cover their nnkcdncss, and the
younger wcro not so fortunate. Tho man
was q slow, dull sort OF fellow, who had
lived In destitution so long that he had
become used 10 It. The woman was differ
cnt Her face wore an expression Of inject
despair II a painter had wanted model
for picture entitled. 'Bopelcssncss,' he
need have gone no further. After supper
the man went out to feed the hogs and tho
COW and do other chores
~ talked 10 the woman for about an
hour, and succeeded with great difficulty
in getting hor story. Her pride stood in
the way Of her telling mo anything for a
long time During oil tho timo In which
sho talked the expression OF dull listless-
ness, 10 which her face had become habit
uated, never left t. but once. Then n 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
werc well Oft once. We saved enough, him
and me, 50 that wn were rich, We had Ss7
laid away once, That was her idea Of
wealth Twenty sovcn dollarsl She went
on 20 say that tho children had come fast,
that cow had 10 be bought and that she
cost SIS, Tho children had fallen sick, and
IA doctor had TO be- brought In from civill-
cation, and he cost So, and so IL went till
their fortune had gone, and they had moth
Ing left 90 that magnificent Sa7
"Thc next morning | paid them my
lodging | had slept In tho loft, and the
family had dept in the room below, Mono
OF them took or their clothes had
brought with inc huge lot Of roast beef
sandwiches and utc these for my supper
and breakfast for ! had been warned that
probably could not gct anything TO eat
thcrc, Before leaving took S27, and wrap
ping IL up In n newspaper left II ON tho Ia
Bile in the middle OF the room Then rode
away, feeling vastly pleased with myself
and knowing that there wns ono noun
taincer's family In kentucky that had re-
covered its lost fortune. "-Loulsvillc Cou-
rler.Journal.