The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1896-01-23
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Hardy nnd Primitive Moonshin@rs Found
Annong the Pennsylvania Highlands.
Moonshining Is secretly carried on
all ever the mountains. 1t Is the car.
nest conviction OF those people that
they have a divine. If not lawful,
right 10 convert the product OF their
farms into liquor, which they can dis
ppSe of at a better price than they
ranthe raw products They still hold
TO the principle for which all western
Pennsylvania rose in arms over cen.
fury ago. but they are no more ancient
in this contention than they are i'm al.
their modes of life.
Within the mountain cabin every.
thing Is as primitive as without and
round about. Most of these are one.
story, with loft above, and contain
but two small apartments Built
against the log building is the massive
stone chimney, and the chink holes
between the notched logs of which the
cabin Is built are filled with mud All
the furnishings are rude and mostly
home made, and the few utensils are
of the most ANTICIPATED pattern The
door lie low and the windows small and
few. Some cabins have stairs to the
loft, some ladder, and some only a
few pegs. In the loft the wife has her
weaving loom, spinning wheel and
reel, and here she keeps her flax and
wool. II is here that the material for
clothing is spun and woven. Pine
knots and tallow candles furnish the
light, but when night comes the fami-
Ky generally goes TO bed. Bedsteads
are generally made by the head Of the
family, but sometimes we find aashi-
iy painted specimen, which has de-
scended from sire TO son. Cradles are
hewn from logs and the rounded sur
face serves as rockers
If schoolhouses are to be heralds 3 Z !
civilization then the mountain region
is like the country of tho Gauls before
che coming OF Casar Way down
toward the foot OF the range we NAV
see little battered and faded build |
ing, but few. indeed. are the children
OF the mountain region who enjoy
it's benefits We scarcely ever meet a
man or woman who is able to read and |
write intelligently. and daily paper
Is an entire stranger 10 the mountain
cabin.
Only the weekly papers reach IL, and |
these not for u month after they are |
issued. The mountaineer has no oc- |
casion to go TO the village ut the foot
of the range oftcner than once a
month. Many of the gray-headed seers
have never seen railroad, and plenty |
OF the strapping youths have never
been dozen miles from home This /
Is one place. at least, where the sports
of our graudfathers are still In vogue,
and the highest ambition of youth or
maiden in the region is 50 attend log
rolling, wood-chopping, rn-husking,
house or barn raising, apple-cutting or
stone-picking. with their accompany /
ing nights of nlerriment. When the
work for which the frolic is held is
and supper is over the room is
cleared and the old fiddler appears /
Upon the scene, and soon the strains OF /
such old tunes as the Virginia Reel,"
''Old Dan Tucker" and the Irish
Washerwoman" fill the evening air.
One by one the couples of dancers take
their places, and then ensues period
OF hilarity and uproar that would rival /
an Indian pow-wow. Pittsburgh Dis
match