St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-07-19
IN THE FOOTHILLS OF WEST VIR.
GINA.

Fifteen hours by rail and a ride of
twenty miles either on horseback or
bv buck board-the only means of
conveyance in use in that section of
northern West Virginia-will take
the traveller from New York to a re-
giOn of country whose existence is as
Iittle known to the outside world as
is the outside world to its inhabit-
ants. 1t was settled and cleared
century ago by Il few Scotch families
whose descendants have retained
many ancestral chara teristics while
losing many OF the traits which are
so prominent in their kindred OF 9th
er localities. Environment may and
probably does account largely for
this. Shut in on every side by high
hills whose slopes furnish sufficient
food and fuel for their simple needs,
with bridle-paths as their only means
of communication with exterior civ
ilization, their lives in utter igno-
rance of and Indifference to whatever
may pass without the narrow circle
of personal knowledge.
Their houses, which are invariably
built as near as possible to the bot
tom of the narrow valleys, or runs, :"
as they are called, are built of logs,
the spaces between the logs being
filled with mud, while an enormous
drv-laid stone chimney at one end
furnishes escape for the smoke from
the wood burned in the great fire.
place in the one room of the cabin.
Home made bedsteads with cornhusk
mattresses, a rough table, few
clumsy chairs, and the inevitable
long, oldfashioned rife hanging to
tn rafters, constitute the furniture.
This one apartment is ordinarily
the common eating, living and sleep
ing room for the entire family, as
we'll as of any stranger who may ap-
ply for shelter and refreshment. The
sensations of the stranger may be
better imagined than expressed in
his first experience, when, on inquir-
ing for his room, jerk of the thumb
by the host indicates the bed on
which he is to repOse; the said bed
probably being already occupied by
one or more of the farmers sons
He discovers that the other COuches
are occupied by the wife and daugh
tiers, who may already be soundly
snoring in entire disregard of the
presence of the stranger. That the
family are not the only occupants o
the room is soon ascertained. Dur
ing the writer's first night in one o
such hostelries, he was walked from {
very restless sleep by what his imag
ination seemed to be the grOwl OF {
grizzly bear He jumped up hurried
" out of bed only to land on thu
back of a razor-back hog, which bao
entered through the open door on (
midnight tour of inspection. Tha
tender regard is shown to this spe
cies of animal is not to be wondered
at, as he appears on the table in tn
form of fried pork three times day
with the unvarying accompaniment
of eggs and corn bread.
Undemonstrative, although quicl
to revenge insult or injury, sullel
and revengeful, barefooted an
clothed in jeans, the West Virgin
ia mountaineer is not being t
be trifed with. His vices are do1
mant until reused by liberal quaint
ties of moonshine applejack, or a vi
famous compound of crude alcoho
water, essence of wintergreen an
snuff. This is practically held t
be a necessary adjunct OF socla
gatherings, the result of which is
general free fight with knives a
weapons, and list OF casualties tina