Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-02-17
BEST
Blood Of Europe
Represented
Among the Mountain
Whites.
interesting Stories Of the Land of
"Moonshine."

On horseback over almost impossible
roads, In the mountain districts OF
Kentucky, after carrying his life in his
hands, partaking of the rudcst ana
most indigestibe fare, walking when
his horse gives out, living with and
preaching to an ignorant people, whose
natures are the most inflamlnablc,
Is the way Rev. IL. NJ. Pcnniinan, of
Berea, Ky.,who spoke in the First Con
gregatonal church in this city Sun
day morning, spends his summer va
cation.
In opening his address, Rev. Penni-
man said: There Is no spot in the
country where the fire Of patriotism
burns more brightly than in the hearts
OF those mountalncers of Kentucky.
in their veins and representatives of
the greatest names OF Europe are
Iouiiu diuOlB tnell'
Rev. Penniman had n story TO tell
and used clear, bold language with
out frils and furbelows. Said he:
"Thc lot of these people Is a hard
one. With an enormous ignorant and
vicious slave population turned loose
rmong them, the Southern people have
heart rendlng problem to solve. 1t
Is the hardest thing in the world for
any man to 20 into the Kentucky
mountains, live among these people
and be decent
AS case in point, Rev. Penniman
recited the following incident which
came under his personal knowledge.
A lady had opened her house to II
sewing society, where all that Chris
tianity and civilization could do to
help these people to higher ideals, was
being done. A lady laid II pair of
scissors on table, placed her hand
over the scissors but had her attention
drawn elsewhere for moment and
when she looked for her scissors, be-
hold they were gone. They were not
on the table, though she was positive
they had been there n moment before.
They could not have gone out of the
window. The scissors had to be found
and IL was at last decided to search
those present. Near the table sat n
much interested as any one present in
finding those scissors,yct when she was
made to rise there were the scissors
under her Such incidents happen there
every day and hour
Said Rev. Penniman, children
swarm in these mountain districts and
1t Is not nn uncommon thing to see
the mother of % children, while u
woman who has less than dozen Ia
considered hardly respectable"
Rev. Penniman, who occupies the
chair of Christian evidences in Beren
(ky) college, in regard to the college
said: "Berea Is open to all who seek
admittance, be they white. black or red
The old spirit of race prejudice Is dy
Ing out, but Berea took the same stanC
tx-ha ba tn Al. lt hn l..
OF a shot gun and before the cannon,
mouth There are bullet holes today
In walls and doors while the presen
president has had knife in his head.
But OF all bitter things" said Rev
Penniman in stentorinn tones, "to hav,
man get up and talk against tn,
amalgamation OF the races, who Il
himself the father of four or fiy,
black children is bitter, bitter"
Berea college has ca
paclty OF 800. but when boy
with bruised and bleeding feet
whose shoes had been worn frou
their feet on the journey walked an,
walked and walked, -l50 miles, TO cr
ter Berea college, the president ha
not the heart to turn them away an
as consequence instead of 900 scho
ars Berea has 400"
Berea college is In consequence 500
600 In debt, and It is Rev. Pennlman
mission TO raise this money.
in speaking to Democrat represei
tatlye, Rev. Pennllnan said: "The,
mountain people are bright cleye
able to do their own thinking an
advance faster than any other prin
tive people In the world, They r
spond TO the efforts made TO teao
them IN a manner that embarrnss,
their bcnefactors. They are senslti,
and high spirited. quick TO resent d
injury and stlll hold the old feud
spirit believing that insult can
wiped out with blood alone"
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