The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1903-07-02
KENTUCKY MOUNTAINEERS.
The Real Character of Large Glass
of People In Much Mis-
understood.


Perhaps no characteristic of the
Kentucky mountaineer is better known
than his fighting propensities and no
.other trait has so lowered him in the
eyes Of the outside world, says the Lex
ington Herald. Yet in formiig our
conclusions regarding these people it
would be well for us to remember the
chivalrous ancestry Of these people,
largely the cavaliers Of Virginia and
North Carolina. They have been
taught for generations to ayenge their
own wrongs rather than to appeal to
the law. On account Of poor ways Of
travel the administration Of justice is
attended with more delays and uncer-
tainties than elsewhere. These facts,
combined with the spirit Of freedom
and independence born Of their soli-
tude, and also the belligerent spirit
kindled by the civil war, force one to
see that these people are not guilty of
the grossest homicide, but are largely
actuated by the spirit Of medieval
chivalry.
Nor is the making Of fmoonshine whis-
ky TO be reckoned as a fragrant viola
tion Of moral law. .'IThe sin which does
trouble the mountain conscience is not
the evasion Of tax, but the making Of
whisky az ALL The evils Of drinking
are fully recognized. Several counties
might be named where .moonshine'
still exists, but which have gone dry
and vigorously exclude the saloon
The need Of money is but slightly
felt by these simple-hearted people,
since they raise nearly all they con-
sumo. The spinning wheel is still i'm
general use and tho hand loom forms
an adjunct 70 many homes Thus men
and women are largely clad ia -hpme-
spun What money there is among
them Is received from logging. teach
Ing school and from pensions. Thelat-
ter is q source q ~ small momenttn
them. The whole mountain section,
was loyal 10 the union. jackson coun-
~ claims To have sent more men into
the uuion army than any other eouE-
fy in the nation The first union flag
planted on Lookout mountain was
planted by Capt. John Wilson and the
men Of the Eighth Kentucky. With
their manner Of life, however. little
MOI Is needed. The families are sup
pliyd from their own boundary with
abundance of cornmeal, string beans.
dried fruit, long sweetening' tsirup)
and hog meat; also fax and wool and
possibly a little cotton They barter
feathers and sang at the store
house" on court day for supplies Of
coffee, boots and patent medicines.
It need hardly he said that educa-
tien Is not to be found in this section.
As an evidence OF the extraordinary
lack ofoculture look for a moment at
the mountain preachers. Many Of
them have never been to school and
can neither read nor write The preach
ers are often unable 10 read the Bible.
but are dependent upon some more
fortunate one present TO read the text.
This text is often selected at random
by the reader and the preacher preach
es at random from the text. Frequent
tricks are thus played by the young
men who consent 70 read the text and
vhllepretending 20 DO so repeat some
thing absurd and ridiculous. from
which the nnsuspecting preacher
spea since illiteracy Is so preva-
lent. there are many. many homes in
which there are no books. not even a
Bible. There are sometimes to be
found 90 counties in this ~ast Appaia-
ehian section which cannot boast a
single printing press. IN truth. the
average preacher Of the mountains is
inclined TO be suspicious Of "book
'arnine which he has failed 70 ac-
Iuire.