The sun., 1903-09-27
In Praise of whitesburg, Kentucky.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Str' Observing
In THE SUN of Friday something about the ex :
perences of tho Salvation Army Cavalry Corps
near Whitosburg, Letcher county. KY, want to
make a few rema rKs about that town. First. 1t Is
one of the absolutely American towns In this broad
land OF every mans land and whatever weak
nesses II may possess are not 10 be attributed To
foreign blood or foreign influences. Az least that
was It's condition several years ago, when was
there. and as 1t had at that time grown only to a
population Of seventy-nve people IN hIty year,
l fancy IL has not changed greatly since.
II is the county seat of Letchcr, at that time
very respectable and worthy county, owing TO Ger
tain drastic measures adopted by public reforme''
who died a natural death-that Is. natural any
where outside Of Kentucky-and Is about hfty miles
from a railway, over roads that mean Two Gays
travel. 1t Is on the south fork Of the Kentucky
River which Is so crooked through the mountains
that forded 1t six times In ride OF Ave miles. and
when the rains come the people remain AZ nome
unless they want TO ride miles around through the
woods over the mountains.
At the time OF my visit there was not In the town
any Irshman any German, any Englshman any
Italian any Dane, Russian. Swede, Polak or other
nationality save American. Neither was there
Japanese, a Chinaman or negro, Ono OF these
latter strayed In from Virginia shortly after was
there but he was such curiosity TO the boys OF the
town who persisted In teasing him. as II he were
some strange animal, that he remained only few
weeks. Neither was there Jew or q Cathonc'
There was no church and no schoolhouse, as such;
but there was frame building used for both pur-
poses. No preacher. no doctor or shoemaker or
blacksmith or carpenter or tailor lived there. bu'
as II was the county seat It had one lawyer and the
usual county officials. No band Of music had ever
been heard In the town, nor had there evor been
any shows, and never circus had gladdened me
hearts Of the old folks and the children. There
was not ono saloon, nor any place whero liquor
could be bought. Tho moonshine could be found
In the mountains and there was an occasional
brandy still where a farmer had peaches or apples.
but none of 1t got to Whltesburg.
know, because the man with me from the Blue
Grass had such a thirst that he was almost driven
TO drink the Kentucky River water He said its
name might m axe 1t endurabo-
There was no hotel there, and but one plano
hauled eighty miles as the nifty mile road 70 the
railway was not passable for plano.
There was one brick dwelling. and brick court
house and four or nve stores. The streets were
wide and commodious, and In the main business
thoroughfare have seen lady milking her co"
at the front door another chopping hrewood, anu
a passing traveller unhitched from his wagon Win
his mules feeding plumb In the middle OF the street
The jail was peculiar. 1t was built OF wooa
around steel cage, and about twenty feet square
Its woodwork consisted OF a floor OF two -inch on"
plank eighteen inches wide, set up on edge each
planls nailed to tho other with hundreds OF long
nails so the prisoners could not cut through. Tnf
walls were constructed In the same fashion. eAcep'
that the planks were laid fiat and nailed tn"
roof was as the 1oor.
As have said above, Letcher county WAS aui'e
reputable when l was there. nobody being In )A''
and nobody killed for year OF more, unless per
haps some insignificant person oil in the mountain
somewhere who didn't count.
In conclusion would like TO say that the wo'"
of the Salvation Army corps In that region as con
ducted on this raid will do about as much good a.
Dovle will do In New York city. Those peop'r
have all the religion they want-all that anyooW
would want They will sing and pray and shout
and revive" and rasse with the devil Ia beat IN
band. and mean II; and will XIII an enemy Just ~
tho pous people of the Old Testament times did
That Is part OF their religion. W L.
NEW YORK, Sept. 25