The Washington times., 1901-08-04
THEIR MISSIONARY CAMP.
Kentucky Girls, Like Mohnmmed, Go
to the Mountain.

The most unique charity In Kentucky,
and the most far reaching in its results,
Is the social settlement work carried on in
the Kentucky mountains under the au-
spices of the State Federation of Women s
Clubs. No charity exactly similar in it's
methods and ends is known to exist in
the United States, or, indeed, in the
world.
For the past three years a selected band
of young women have gone into the most
remote regions of the Kentucky noun
tains and lived among the people for
weeks at time, says a writer in the
Sunny South" A camp of social set
tlement would be established and the
mountain people taught cooking, sewing.
cleanliness in their homes, something
about home decoration, some of the rudi-
ments of the care of the sick, the chill
dren instructed in kindergarten work and
taught games and innocent, healthful
methods of amusing themselves. the dis
tribution of literature in the forms of
magazines, illustrated papers. and books.
The work has been under the direction
of Miss Katherine Petit, and the idea was
her own, being conceived after having
spent several summers with the mountain
people.
The first camp was established at Haz-
ard, in Perry County, forty miles from
Jackson, the nearest railway point. Last
year the camp was at Hindman, forty-five
miles from jackson. Here the party lived
in tents and carried on the work The
preparation of food from the material
available in the mountain counties was
taught the women and girls. who often
rode from a distance of ten, fifteen, ana
sometimes twenty miles to attend 1t was
not out of the ordinary for people to walk
six, eight. and even ten miles to attend
the schools.
The young ladies who were engaged in
nd
and held all their classes at the camp.
The arrival OF the party at Hindman.
after two days wagon journey, caused
great excitement. and the greater part OF
the population of 339 persons, which made
up the little town, came out to greet them.
The men and boys of the town gave their
time and work without remuneration, and
rendered all necessary assistance in pitch
ing the camp.
In the cooking classes there were seven
ty-eight pupils of which seventeen were
boys and many were married women. In
the sewing classes there were l1j children.
among them thirty-six boys, who express
cd desire TO learn to sew. The kinder
.yarten classes were made up OF the small
-r children, to a large extent, 1ut the
limit ranged in the matter OF years from
eight to eighteen.
The primary object of the work was t.
teach the people how to get~the most out
of their advantages, and everywhere there
was found an earnest desire to learn. The
conditions were in many cases pitiful
The children had practically no games.
and swore, used tobacco and drank
whisky at an age when they would be
attending kindergarten in the cities. The
method of cooking was crude and decid-
edly unhealthy. and the manner of house
keeping was anything but hygienic. Great
good was accomplished through the trip.
This year the work will be carried on
at Sassafras, in Knott County sixty-five
miles from Jackson. All the supplies will
have to be carried by wagon from that
poirt, the trip taking at least three days.
The party will be made up of Miss Kath-
crime Petit of Lexington Miss May Stone.
of Louisville, and Miss Mary Mccartney,