Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1895-06-20
Correspondence.


A Voice frUE7 the Mountains.-No. /.
PLEASANT HILL, Tenn, June IA, 1895.
To the Editor of the american:
Passing over life's story for the present
at single bound, from Nov. II, 1918, to
Oct. l, 1884, we enter a new phase of life
work in the mountains of Tennessee, to
labor as missionaries among people
long hidden from the world.
Far from business and railroads, shut
in by forests and uncleared mountainous
country, on elevations from two to five
thousand feet, and knowing little of the
outside world, they had tried to exc out
life of the utmost simplicity, subsisting
most entirely upon the products of their
little farms.
Few events had ever brought this
mountain people to notice. though they
number some two millions. Had it not
been for The war of '62, when 140, 900 of these
people-not for bounty, nor compelled
by draft, but as volunteers through
peril of life, in the darkness of night,
help save the stars and stripes; had it
not been for this noble self sacrificing
and patriotic act, until to- day they would
be little known. Their redemption cane
through their own blood. Thousands of
wives and children in those mountain
cabins, with absolute poverty looking at
them, were obliged to mourn in sadness
Lai fnI
The few Christian men and women who
knew these facts, and marveled that such
hidden power, such an unknown
quantity should rush forth in our coun-
try's great distress, have done much
within the last five years to aid in estab-
fishing Christian schools in these noun
tains. The light, though faint and
feebly shining ten years ago in behalf of
this people, led us to enter this work at
the age of sixty-five.
We found people in the mountains
with history more interesting than
novel, whose pages have been wet with
tears of deep emotional history becom-
ing more luminous every day, history
only recently attempted, first by tourists
writing a few sharp or breezy articles for
papers, speaking only of the peculiarities
of this long unknown people, and setting
them forth in the most ridiculous Light
possible, giving The world the impression
that they We're naturally 50 far below
those who had been born in cultured
circles, and brought up in the midst of
good schools, that they We're hardly worth
saving.
No greater mistake can be flung out to
the world; TO more cruel or unjust
representation can be heralded TO the
church of Christ. While much III these
articles may be true and we'll meant,
yet the reasons for this condition of
things are withheld from public thought
and reading.
My purpose is to show the facts as
they are, in spite of the influence Of fear
or favor | have been close observer
for nearly eleven years of the character
stics and capabilities of the people who
have long dWelt in the Allegheny noun
tains, extending from Virginia to Ala
bama, and hope before | am through to
correct some errors which have been
borne over our land, and to cause few
rays of light to penetrate, and even scat
ter the darkness which at this late day
broods over the churches of our Chris
tian country. The whole population of
the 1914 mountain counties in the last
census was given as 1857, 497. 1t is this
multitude of white American people of
whom | speak. Call them all toget her.
Group them. Whence come they?
You may look for an answer in my
next letter. REV. B. DODGE.