New-York tribune., 1901-08-25
FOR MOUNTAIN WHITES.
WHAT THE SETTLEMENT AND TRAV-
ELLING LIBRARIES OF THE KEN
TUCKY STATE FEDERATION HAVE
DONE FOR THESE PEOPLE.

ington. is carrying on a settlement among the
mountain whites of Sassafras. Ky. The crying
need of the mouutaineers throughout that region
led this federation some years ago to establish
series of travelling libraries in the mountains.
So successful did the effort prove that when.
annual meeting of the organization. In $780, letter
read from a mountain missionary asking that
a woman be sent to live among the women of the
mountains, and teach them by her example the
duties of true woman, the request was received
with enthusiasm. 1t that occasion that
Miss Petit, a young woman of known ability, vol
unteered her services.
IN the spring previous she had familarized her
self with mountain conditions by travelling much
of the way on foot, through some OF the remote
mountain counties. Miss Pettits first idea had
been TO establish settlement at Greasy Fork, be-
yond Pine Mountain, in Harlan County, the people
thero having asked that some one be sent TO them
I'VE 'uns don't know nothin; you 'uns don't keer
nothin' for 'uns," speech that became
familiar to her ears. End one which reveals some
thing of the fatalism of the mountaineers; their
consciousness of being behind the times and OF
the indifference and scorn long meted out to them.
smallpox epidemic at Greasy Fork prevented
the work from beginning there, and so the choice
for the first season fell to Hazard. Perry County
From Hazard had come appeal from minister
who said: Our women need to know how to be
wives and mothers in the best sense. Cannot the
State Federation send a woman, a gentle, wom-
anly woman? What do l OF the woman? l
want her few weeks in the coming summer to
eSSlSl AL meetings OF wives, mothers,
hcusekeepers, young and little girls
RECEIVED WITH CoRDIALITY.
Miss Petit and her assistants were received at
Hazard with the greatest cordlality. the people
seeming 10 understand at once why they had come
There was nothing dIdactic about the teaching As
& beginning tho girls and women from the village
were invited to bring materials and help prepare
supper. The kitchen with Its Oilcloth roof, the
boxes nailed the trees for china closets the
huE EHafu of ,rfgIr.r
everything had fete-like air. A teacher OF hysi-
enic cooking from the school Battle Greek helped
10 prepare the supper. Only the simplest materials
and those most readily obtained used The
different and best ways OF making bread. OF pre-
pairing vegetables and few simple desserts were
taught. One OF the favorite dishes was potato
salad, garnshed with wild strawberry leaves.
Beaten biscuits were curiosity to the mountain
girls, they Northern sisters. After
one girl had been taught the art Of making them.
fifteen others with their materials to be
initiated into the mystery. Beaten biscuits
made without soda or leaven Of any kind and 10
those who argue that the mountaineer should be
left 10 eat his native cornbread the settlement
workers reply that the mountain people believe that
soda Is put into the bread make ii yellow. and
that the knowledge Of preparing good biscuits and
bread Of all kinds is OF the first essentials OF
home making.
BEATEN BISCUIT CRUSADE.
The ''beaten biscuit crusade" has been be-
slowed in ridicue on the work OF the social settle
ment but as In instances now historic. the settle
ment workers have adopted their device what
was meant badge OF derlsion. one OF the
young teachers at the settlement says that when
the girls helped 20 spread the table beneath tho
trees with 4 snowy cloth and place flowers In the
centre one OF them remarked: Il never knew
table could look pretty but never flowers
on an eating table before" Then drawing the losI
cal inference Il did think OF II, but things do
eat better when they look pretty"
The same teacher writes: The mornings
spent in visiting and about 10 o'clock dropped
into the stores and gave invitations 10 any OF the
who had come in from the country TO take
dinner at the camp. One of the women, who had
fifteen miles muleback was found IN
store patiently counting the teeth OF n slade used
IN weaving. She wanted with eight hundred
teeth. and this had only six hundred. Crhe
number Of teeth in %lade determines the quality
Of the cloth) She had begun TO count them for
the third time. when found her and brought her
out 10 the camp She invited 70 lie in the
hammock TO rest. but she could not be induced 10
lay in that seine She afraid OF 'splllng out
The steamer chair proved more comfortable. Late
IN the afternoon, when she left with hands full OF
papers and magazines. an unwonted light came into
her pathetic face I never seed any auare vim
men like ye all before she declared. 1 came to
town to-day. aimln 10 git my slade and go right
back to Carrs Fork and now ! seed the best time
ever seed in my life In these last words was
INCEPTION OF THE SETTLEMENT
So rich was the harvest promised by the six
weeks work at Hazard. so great the interest
aroused by the report Of the committee at the next
meeting Of the federation. held at Covington that
sufhcient sum was subscribed 10 carry on the
work OF the settlement for three months Two com
mittees. one acting, one advisory appointed
Miss Petit. chairman OF the acting COMMITTEES
with her asEstants-Miss Stone and Miss Rruner
OF Louisville. and Miss Christian. OF Lexington
were busy for six months beforehand getting all
things ready. On June r. 1900. with two volunteer
workers-Miss Breckenridge OF Lexington and Miss
Campbell. of Philadelphia-they set out for HIND
man, Knott County. KY. forty-flve miles from the
terminus OF the Lexington and Eastern Railroad
All idea of the inaccessbility their location and
the difficulties of travel I'm these remote regions
may be gained from the fact that they were two
days accomplishing the last forty-hve miles of
their Journey. They quite a caravan-tbrec
large wagons laden with camping outfit and SIM
plies, and two hacks for the travellers. Writ
ing Of this journey. Miss Loos State secretary oe
the federation. says: THE rate Of travel was
never more than two and a half miles an hour
often less, which is not TO be wondered at as their
route followed the creeks first on one side then
over eleven different streams. The whole OF the
rode in a pouring rain. that thev were drenched
TO the skin when they reached Hindman. They
announcement in the courthouse. where political
meeting in progress, that the women from
greeted with applause some one shouted That's
the best news ever heard in Hindman"
PICTURESQUE TENTS
In stalking their tents on a hill overlooking the
town and comaudng view Of the winding valley
OF Troublesome Creek. they were assisted by nearly
every man. woman and child In the place, each
bringing what was required with willing heart
Everything had to he carried up by hand. The
men levelled the ground on the hillside, brought