The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-03
PEOPLE VINO HAVE STOOD STILL.
Primitive Existence Of the southern Ap.
nalachlAn N0uniaineer.

ie ter Of Mr.. W }. Hampton in THF SIN of a
few mornings ago concerning the prevalence
among the Southern Appalachian noun
taineers of an ignorance OF even the rudl-
ments of common educat ion and Of the sim
plest principles Of right living should COM
mend itself to oil ntero sted ia the advance
| ment Of American civilization. All that u"
says oft he dep'orable condition of this worthy
people is true only, If anything. he comes a
| little short of Ioltraying the Gire intclicCt uHl
darkness In which they live.
DO not mean to disparare the character
| of the Appalac chan mountainecr | would
tn ZONE Of his worthines. and sturdincss
could be infused TIN ounhout the whole of our
national character. or all Americans he Is
the most thoroughly American. For genera
tions he has lived uninfuCnCed by any foreign
force. his character moulded simply by the
! features Of his environment and the ,ondi-
| fions OF his existence. both of which, to LAY
the least, have been and are rugged and
, primitive. so secluded and unnolestcd has
been hi life that We find him Using to-day
the customs and phrases of 200 years ago
| Tie has not read Shakespeare. yet We find
| MN IN a great many instances using Shake
! speare's language. lie j. wary about buying
"A pig In a poke" and he will cndsayor 10
infit an injury uron the "mazzard Of hi.
antagonist. We nay trace tho origin OF
some of his songs to a." old Engli~h and
| their printed preservation. Owing 10 the
absence of any intellectual or .ocial stimulus
ana to the complete want of an imaginative
! fncuty, lie hnS no characteristic folklore,
though he IL replCte with stories of ali anec-
dotal character. which he frequently uses
In conversation to point his meaning
u is perhaps. safe to LAY that fully 30 per
cent OF these ~ ple cannot write their ma mes
ana OF those who can n great number Gun
write nothing eke. ard still greater number
| cannot read. II cannot be urged an en-
cuse for such d.porab be illi,.raCy that Tie
! country j. poorly settled and that on this
account the :, cpie canno, properly coopora'c
IA securing adequate educational facilities,
/ for the population. while rot n den.e a. that
in most portions OF the South, is 10y 10 means
properly organized and msintsired school
! ~y-tem is peryerse indifference on the part
OF the people 10 the value of an education
| and the second j. poverty. The schools for
the most part, are POORLY organized and, do
! plora bly, taught think the average 81 col
! rarely attends more than two or tht,c terms,
! merely long enough to learn to orudely read
10 serve a lifetime in the kitchen or at tie
| plough. \ great percentage of the children
do not attend school Al all
! As, MT l-inTo on points out II l. rot took
! learning that thee p opie need % much o. il
Th ,nS'tn u IN tlc proper lnsnn.r of living
NO, ,o uU U. 'a nro yGp rn i,tu 10y GO
| tons. With land upon which they could
rate all kinds Of veg,tn bios with every IA
|
| OF Jellics, preserves and the sundry oondi-
! ments which the New England housewife
80 delight. In, their IA hles are spread chiefly
with cornbread and bacon and kraut, ard
tnrnips cooked ~ atrociously in eres,e'
| One i rre.i ,t IDLY inclined TO refer 10 their
/ fare a. fodder. Except In hog-king time
| fresh meat rarely reaches their tables. md
then only iparinsly a. The greater amount
\ the year. Sugar j. rarity, the uni vcrsal
sorghum takipnits place in the sw'etCring Of
.ome OF the pies are rot sw'etened at all, and
| their cru-ts- well they should at least de-
serve place in n list OF specific gravities.
Even NOR" rud" md simple tam their
| tables are their houses, great number Of
| which ar" every whit ~ primitiv" a. in the
| days Of the earliest settlements -unhcwn
| with boards split from tie chestnut oak
Rude ap-rt,Ies are cut for window and
| or rags. called chinking in winter. and in
summer often left open to the Weather. so
that one can stand on one side OF n cabin and
see what is taking place on the other side.
Cooking stoves Ar" a luxury, cooking in most
cabins being done in the huge open fireplace
by means Of the kettle and Dutch oven or
skittlc." The spinning wheel and hand
loom are still prominently in evidence al
| though the general custom is to spin the yarn
Tor weavinJ Social ntcrco,is So "a among MOI tHrm
= for NE most part stagnant and sterile,
Corn shucklngS, sorghum grindiu - and
jackets or dan CO parties ar" III" most Drom-
ucnt divers ons hut in the more enlie' tened
and Ike church fest wi, are frequent
This stat" OF crude and primitive existence.
which in tNc foregoing J nav" barely out
natural conditions. but conseql"nC" rf long
seclusipn from.,ne outer world and it, nd
vanCing civilization. together with an in
herer' indisposi,ion to do moro than j. com
p0llcd hv the most dressing necessities Of
ne II is lnNn"ss. ~ distinguished from
No pert of ihs country oNors better nd
vant"scS for u" development Of q Tree, on
more beautiful. nor l. any better adayi'd
for the pursuit Of y greater number Of IN
dustr"s. The water power representatives of
the streams are enormous, and TIE raw mn
'eras for manufacture, such as cotton. WOOL
nnN, timber, iron, &C. easy to ohtnln, Y
present most OF -" desirable farming lands
in the fertile creek and river bottoms are
occupied and thN rising geu"ration - forced
20 TIE steep monntnln SIDES To clear l.rus.
Which, after producing ~" or slN crops, Il
erosion Of fhc soil
This deplorabl" CONDITION. the utter ignor-
ing OF abundant natural resources and ~"
forcing Of number OF tn" lnhohuaut" 20
Sr"a, labor ron, wln tHfy 'n lo "NIi r,c
tion and example. md trcs, can hest h" So
cured through g ool> founded yer t'hi nur-
pose. You cannot teach IN" Old inhHh'tant
now ways OF living hut YOU eau teach his son
to take HdVpn'a &c Of tf, wealth winch nature
has Qivcr him "a ahundHnty. and his nsirh-
hor'S son, too inexperienced in ms WAYS Of
working and living 10 10" Irrlld'"d IN them, ]
seeing The wonderful success Of tnl- young
some of to Cowfrrts and luNurirs which h"
has secured Not orlv will 'hc tcrtil" bottom
binds be- mad" to Weld NOR" divcrsck and
abundautlv than they now do, hut ire sur J
plus Populate that part which = crowded |
out from the prortahl" bottom land farming
will turn it, emerge, 10 Industries other than
agricultural
I've Appaachian mountairccr is naturally
Of philosophical turn Of mud, aud liza M
tive Wit j. simply UNSURPASSED His spirit
Of indrps ndcurr Is doe .dpdlY In favor of good
citizenship, only il will have ia be- mudo to
flourish within smaller compass than Il /
does At present II would W" almost with /
regret that orc knowing his piCtur, ~Vu"noss
and his primitive. unaffected ways could
stand and see Tim evolved into ~" modern
strpnuou-V active creature OF industry, !
vet there j. no doubt that in the evolution
NOR undesirable and htnctul cuplni"- would
b" discarded than received
AErHrR II. CASH
CcPPEEIItI Tenn, oct -
Imputed Sentiments.
Ah,r "ThC >chOoimdsi,r %
.y.,,,,- -r,,l, uJHa IN l,ur ., or.s-