The Forrest City times., 1903-06-05
KENTUCKY MOUNTAINEERS.
Ihe Real Character of n Large Class
of People L. Much Mis-
understood.

Perhaps no characteristic of the
Kentucky mountaineer is better known
than his fighting propensities and no
other trait has 81 lowered him in the
eyes of the outside world. SAYS the Lex
ington Herald. Yet in forming cur
conclusions regarding these people it
would be well for us TO remember the
chivalrous ancestry of these people
largely the cavaliers ef Virginia aud
North Carolina. They have been
taught for generations To avenge their
own wrongs rather than to appeal TO
the law. On account of poor ways of
travel the administration Of jus tice is
attended with more delays and urcer-
talnties than elsewhere These facts.
combined with the spirit of freedom
and independence born Of their soli-
tude, and also the belligerent spirit
klnaled by the civil war, force one TO
see that these people are not guilty of
the grossest homicide. but are largely
actpated by the spirit of medieval
chiyalry.
Nor is the making of moonshine whis-
Ky to be reckoned as a fragrant viola
ton of moral law. The sin which does
trouble the mountain conscience is not
the evasion of tax. but the making of
whisky at all. The evils of drinking
are fully recognized. Several counties
might be named where 'moonshine'
still exists, but which have gone diy'
and vigorously exclude the saloon"
The need of money is but slightly
felt by these supplemented people.
since they raise nearly all they con-
sumo. The spinning wheel is still in
general Use and the hand loom forms
an adjunct to many homes. Thus men
and women are largely clad in home
spun" What money there is among
them is received from logging" teach
ing school and from pensions. The lat
ter Is source of no small moment to
them. The whole mountain section
was loyal to the union. jackson ceun-
ty claims to have sent more men into
the union army than any other coun-
y Iii 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
money is needed. The families are sup
piled from their own BOUNDARY" with
abundance of cornmeal, string beans,
dried fruit, long sweetening" (sirup)
and hog meat; also flax 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.
1t need hardly be said that ednca-
ton is not to be found in this section.
As an evidence of the extraordinary
lack of culture 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 to 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 to read the text and
while pretending to 90 so repeat some
thing absurd and ridiculous, from
which the unsuspecting preacher
speaks. 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 20 counties in this vast Appala-
chan section which cannot boast
single printing press. In truth, the
average preacher of the mountains is
inclined to be suspicious of book
larning,' which he has failed to ac-
luire.