New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-09
KENTUCKY MOUNTAIN FOLK.
A RUGGED PEOPLE. WHO LIVE DE
TACKLED FROM CIVILIZATION.
THOUGH ONLY FEW MILES FROM BIO CITIES
THEY KNOW LITTLE OF CITY LIFE

paratively an unexplored region. People are
likely to think OF Kentucky itself as state
where fine horses and pretty women abound, TO
the exclusion of such homely things as noun
tains and real backwoods life But the Blue
Grass region. with its delightful. easy-gong
people. Its old time aristocracy and It's peauu-
full though uneventful scenery. lies just on the
edge of a wild chain of ridges and mountains
snshoots from the Blue Mountains running
through West Virginia North Carolina and Ten
neesee The people living in this eastern sec
ton OF the State differ widely from the people
Of the Blue Grass region as the mountains the"i-
selves differ from the fertile country TO the west
The Kentucky MOUNTAINS are rugged Dull tne'
are seldom grand Down at Cumberland "ap'
near the Tennessee border there is some gehu-
iueiy grand mountain scenery The vie" IRON,
the Pinnacle is superb. Log Mountain anu
others Of the Mingo Chain are almost n's"
ceni But with these exceptions '"e'e %
Of the mighty beauty Of the tennessee .
,.;,s I, 70 the Kentucky mountain people anu
th.,, absolute separation from the CIVILIZATION
M near which make trip through the he"'o'"'
mountains unique in its interest
The same kind Of people are TO DE ioo"' :"
18th tho tennessee and North Carolina noun
tains, but you must trave' !i'''eS ""a' 49,
o,,,,.t,on before you find them. In Kentucky
"a midd,esborough. Winchester Richmohd or
Berea there are people living "ho nav NV.
2 seeu a town, who have never left the niue
%, On which thew were born. They and the
roo,,o ali through the mountains live on pacon'
hit,er coffee and heavy corn bread ihey purh
,anrs xithout chinneys they so barefoot 'hey
.Iaen I'm tho same clothes they wear in the uay-
time the one room of their log CABIN Is the
common bedroom for all the members or the
family male and female. old and young. mar
~ r1rd and single II the cabin happens 10 nave
more than one room conditions are iittie pe''er'
- for it is considered the pleasant thing 10 Correct
as many people as possible 10 sleep III one room.
The woman who entertained President fros' u
Rerea College and Mrs Frost. and VINO was 50
fortunate as to have two rooms. ola what S"e
considered a very friendly thing wheh just oei''
retiring she said to Mrs. Frost:
Now the chidrens all away. so IL you al
your man are afeard of bein'. lonesome off by
yourselves you can jus, pick up an sleep III inc
room with an my old man.
THEIR UNCONSCIOUS HUMoR
rts unconscious humor of these mountain
neop,e il irresistible shall never forget MIS-
Naples She lives down the hoher lie"
tumns.' from a little mountain town where we
stopped for a day. and 1t was our good iortu"e
IN meet her She had come DOWN 10 Tie Ni"'eO
xx;,, bucketful Of blaC kberries. and she s1aiKeo
slowly IN to the front porch where we were s'-
tiny with a tread distinctly solemn Her lace
w,s thin and her figure tall and angular; her
black straw hat was curiousy ornaInented Win
b;,s or different colored ribbon ana Wthereo
DSunh,wers She spoke in high-pitcheo 'o'oe'
on decided accent on the next to the last
, ,ora q, every sentence Our hostess was her-
Golf Pine Grass woman and she greeted MIS-
Naples with the same hospitality sue hau
sbown us She asked her to sit down. OUT 'ne
blackberry woman shook her head ana rePheo
"Naw. I reckin 1 can't set Paps gwihe 'el
die An. 7 lest come In ter see Ell couidnt se"
. raw berries toward the buryin IouahS
want en-
"We,I really, Mrs Naples" Mrs Ford re-
n,ied my cellar is about full or p'ackoerr'e0
now so I don't need yours. Are you sure your
father is going to die!
.yesm. he's gwine to die. / wish could get
80, 90 saa him draw his las breath. He's
,r,,uv draw'd II naow bein' as how he'd COM
n.rced mortifyin' before come in But pears
like CANT sell these hyar berries
Mrs Ford bought the berries but sun mrs'
Maples remained.
",p.ars like" she said. cts mighty bad 10
bev nap sick this Away. an him jest a-iyi"
,,,r IN a tick-no bed nor nothin' An 'he
..,,.s ,hav will Jest sot tharselves to come
hv an look in to see we amt got nothih
"u,ven't YOU got bed Mrs. Mapies'
.N,.m. nan split it up las summer when lie
-. avin. the brnroost. ia bin rasin' few
an, nan was plum sot on haFih