The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-04-13
Southern Mountaineers.


pAiL tlt hdSiliiStuH clhE
To my mind the most striking peculiarity
of the mountain people is found in their
views on religion Here is where the
mountain people are earnest They talk
politics twice in four years; they talk re-
heion seven days in the week. and many
are the arguments between the Methodists
and Baptists and Presbyterians ON such
points Of difference as infant baptism, i'm
mersion, close communion and predestina-
ton. Sometimes these wordy encounters
end in isticutfS Of a serious kind
Your momtaineer is a fatalist of the
most ultra type. What is to be will be
is favorite expression, and he will meet
death with all the stoicism Of an Indian.
\ doctor not an ignorant one. had cut a
man LEG off; should he fail to see his
patient ON certain day serious or fatal
consequences might follow. The French
Broad river-one of the swiftest streams
in 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 food. He made
preparations To swim his horse. his friends
demonstrated and urged that such a fool
hardy attempt meant death He coolly
sad Ii my time hasn't come. | am all
right il it has | cant help it, and
plunged into the river BY miracle. ii
would seem he avoided the floating logs
and debris and reached the other side
His time hadn t come was the laconic
observation Of witness. The people of
the mountains believe in literal hell-a
lake that burns with fire and birthstone
and pictures Of the tortures inflicted ON the
lost soul are sometimes drawn BY local
preachers with vividness Of imagination
that would make medieval monk turn
green with envy.
The moenshiner does exist but in small
quantities He has reached undue pro-
portions from the fact that his existence
usually attracts national attention He is
daugerou, kind of game TO hunt he is
sure shot 50 is the revenue officer, if he
lives long and somebody generally gets
hurt when they meet The moonshiner
docs not attach much importance TO killing
a 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 re
ceive little sympathy from people of any
class. Phillips Brooks was making tour
Of the western North Carolina mountains
Riding along one DAY his driver pointed to
rayine and said Over there man
was killed the other day What for
asked the bishop He was revenue
officer. answered the driver But what
had he dome asked the bishop He
was a revenue officer. persisted the driver
\ few years aeo some deputy marshas
went to house in Mitchell county, where
man wa, suspected Of illicit distilling
Nobody was in sight except the buxom
daughter of the suspect Where Is your
father queried one Of the officers
Dunno was the sSohd answer :" Has
he been gone long Right smart
while. was the reply Which way did
he go2 Never seed him leave the
house The officers saw smoke on the
side of the mountain and started in its
direction The girl picked up horn and
gave long toot The officers knew their
game was warned They started on. how
ever with hope of capturing the still
You fellers had better not - up thar.
said the girl; but they went on and she
followed They came To the Still-the
fires were still burning, but the chemist
had flown Chop it up. said the lead
er \ deputy marshal gave one stroke
with the ax. when the sharp report of
squirrel rife was heard. and he fell with a
bullet between his ribs Thar. said
the girl, 1 told You fellers not TO come
over here cause pap lowed he d shoot
the first dum man that stuck an ax in his
st;U