Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-01-11
PENNSYLVANIA MovNrAINeeRs
They Are What Might BE Called Con.
eclentious Moonshinsrs.

They Are what Might BE Called Con.
scientious Moonshinsrs.
Moonshining 10 secretly carried on all
over the mountains. Il b the earnest
conviction Of those people that they
have divine II not a lawful right to
convert the product Of their farms into
liquor. which they can readily dispose
Of at a better price than they can the
raw products. They still hold to the
principle for which oil western Penn.
sylvania rose I'm arms over q century
ago, but they are no more ancient in
this connection than they are in all
their modes Of life.
Within the mountain cabin es cry.
thing Is MS primitive rs without and
round about. Most Of these are one.
story, with loft above, and contain
but two small apartments. Built
against the log building 10 the massive
stone chimney, and the chlnk holes be.
tween the notched logs Of which the
cabin Is built are filled with mud. All
the furnishings are rude and mostly
homemade, and the few utensils are
OF the most antiquated pattern. The
door Is low. and the windows small
and few. Some cabins have stairs to
the loft, some a ladder, and some only
pegs. In the loft the wife has her
weaving loom, spinning wheel and
reel, and here she keeps her fax and
wool. 1t Ii here that the material for
clothing Is spun and woven. Pine
knots and tallow candles furnish tho
light, but when night comes the family
generally goes to bed. Bcdstcads are
generally made by the head Of the fam.
lily, but sometimes we find a fiaslly
painted specimen, which has descend.
ed from sire to son. Cradles are hewn
from logs and the rounded surface
serves as rockers.
II schoOlhOuses are the hernlds of
civilization, then the mountain region
is like the country Of the Gauls before
the coming Of Caesar. Way down to-
ward the foot Of the range we may sec
q little battered and faded building.
but few, indeed, are tho children Of tho
mountain region who enjoy It's benefits.
We scarcely ever meet man or won.
an who Is able to read and write intel.
lightly, and daily piper IL an en-.
tire stranger to the mountain cabin.
Only the weekly papers reach II, and
these not for month after they arc
Issued. The mountaineer has no occa.
sion to 60 to the village at the foot Of
the mnge Oftener than once a month.
Many of the grny-headed scers have
never seen u railroad, and plenty Of tho
strapping youths have never been Q
dozen miles from home. This il one
place. at least. where the sports of our
grnndfathcrs are still In vogue, and the
highest ambition Of youth or maiden
Of the region Is to attend lOg.rolling.
wood.chopplng, corn-husking, house or
barn raising. apple cutting or stone
picking. with their accompanying
nights Of merriment. When the work
for which the frollc Is held Is finished.
and supper over. the room Is cleared,
and the old fiddler appears upon the
scene. and soon the strains Of such old
tunes as the "virginla Reel" "Old
Dan Tucker" and the "IrIsh Washer.
woman" MI the evening air. Ono by
one toe couples Of dancers take their
places. and thcn ensues a period Of
hilarity ana ubrOar TINT would rival
m Indian w-wow.--Pittsburg Dis.
patch.