New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-11
HAUNTS OF THE MALUNJONS.
THE CHILDREN ARE CLAY EATERS AND THE
WOMEN CHEW TOBACCO LIKE THE MEN
FOLK-A PEOPLE OF STRANGE
SUPERSTlTIONS.

sUPERsTITIONs.
The Southern mountaineer has often been de-
scribed. his ways and methods caricatured ard
his dialect exaggerated for literary purposes.
Were he aware of the extent Of artistic misin-
formation which the novelsts have flung upon
the world concerning him. one would think that
he would class them with the United States rev.
enue officials vermin to be either avoided or
shot. But the mountaneer neither knows nor
cares what others think Of him. His ignorance
is matched by his Indifference to what the
outside world may say.
Yet there are differing varieties Of him. Down
in that wild, inaccessible region where North
Cardinals western extremity is inserted wedge
like between Georgia and Tennessee dwell scat
teIirg communities of people known locally
"Maunjons." or the dark ones" The word is
derived from the Cherokee. a remnant Of which
tribe still fingers about Quallatown and among
the Businesses of Cheevah Mountain.
The Maunjons are a dark, lean and rather
dimnutive race. loQuacious and volatile while
the other mountaincers OF that section display
their Saxon procvities in their large fair
frames their taciturnty and certain placid
doggednoss Of disposition For generations they
have lived in isolated covcs Of the Great Smok
les, having little intercourse with the outside
world and preserving certain ways and customs
not only unique but vers.ng upon scmi-bar
barism.
THEIR ORIGIN
where we come FROM said one of the more
intelligent Malunjons with whom was talking
day at a crossroads log store of which he
was the owner. Folks down below say mix
with Injun. Pah, That not so. No Injun, mig
ger about weuns. We come fom Porch a gee"
Il suppose you mean Portuguese But how
about the Spanish? Did you never hear Of
them"
Yuss sub Porch a gee. Span yah-all same.
My grandpap told my father how his father
used to talk Of Porch-a gee or Span yuh wat
come up from way down South Floridy way. I
reckon. Cherokee fight EN- and stop EN- right
about here. Well sub. right here they squatted,
and that they say, is how we Malunjcns come
60 be here"
There seems to be a sort of traditionary belief
among these people that their ancestors came
from somewhere iii the Far South II is not I'M
likely that some lost straggers OF De Sotos ex-
petition might have wandered thitherward and
taken to themselves wives from among the Ind
fans despite present Malunjon scorn and denial.
Through Swain and Cherokee counties, In
North Carolina and Polk and Monroe counties.
in Tennessee. these people may be found In
small scattered settlements, which are usually
located IN remote ana Out-OI-tnt-Wdy places
Being extremely clannsh and reserved they
have intermarried but little with outsiders and
to-day preserve their local habits, beliefs and
racial peculiarites in all their primitive
strength
They are clay-eaters, especially during child
hood though adults have been caught at the
habit which. however, they usually deny
through fear Of reprOOf ridicule. 1t is no I'M
common sight to see a MalunjOn child run out
10 the chimney behind the house, and digging
out the red clay from between the stones eat the
same with apparent gusto. The females. in
stead Of dipping snuff" as do many Of the
mountain women, chew tobacco openly IKE their
men folks"
CRUDE CATHOLICISM.
But it is in their religious customs and their
suporstitions that the general queerness of the
N1alunions is most manifest They Catholics
In a crude sort Of way, though everywhere else
through those mountain regions the mountain
GERS arc strongly Protestant. being mostly either
Baptists or Methodists But the Malunjon re-
CARDS these as herotics and looks up to the
travelling priest who visits his little settlement
at rare intervals with a blind reverence proper
tionate to his ignorance Those who profess to
know most about him say that he inherited his
religion from his Portuguese or Spanish pro-
ccnitors together with all their medieval big
otrv BE this as il may. ne observes certain
Church fast days and holidays riCidly. though
saddling them with local peculiarites that seem
to appeal 20 his crude sense Of reverence.
The Malunjon housewife instead of telling
I.,t..f t.,s..s a