Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-28
A MOUNTAIN GIRL.
Story Of a Young Woman and Her
Education at Berea.


Dr. W. G. Frost. president of Berea Col
lege, Kentucky. who Is in the city at pres
ent. gave the following history the other
morning, at the residence of Miss Helen
Gould, concerning true daughter Of the
revolution, said daughter being one Of the
pupils at Berea. It Is a study. not only in
in the power of inherited capabilities to re-
spond to new environment, in the oldest
and purest Of American stock.
John Gabbard was al Bible reading and
psalm singing Engiishman, who came to
America because Cromwell was dead and
he would not join the Episcopal Church.
His son Adam learned to read. write and
cipher, and served under washington. After
the revolution. having previously married
a Scotch-Irish girl, he settled in rich river
bottom in western Virginia and raised
family of twelve children. His son David
had few school privileges. but learned to
read, write and cipher. His wedding jour
ney was to claim 175 miles west of his
old home. His wife and he made the trip
on horseback and, transportation being diff
ficult.: they carried only three boks-a Bible,
a catechism and small Life of Washing
ton"
This move of the family took 1t into the
dark and bloody ground of Kentucky.
and David. who was famous Indian fight
err, was killed before many years while out
with Daniel Boone. His son Daniel never
saw a school house and never learned to
read The land was divided among four
children. giving each 200 acres. This family
had now lost the art of reading, which 1t
had possessed for three generations. In the
next generation 1t also ceased to own prop
erty. which 1t had possessed for the same
length of time. Daniel had sixteen children,
none of whom ever thought of learning to
read Their father had been man of SUBJ
stance, though illiterate, but his 200 acres
did not go far among sixteen, and, the rich
river valleys now being all taken up the
brood was obliged to scatter out over the
stony soil of the Kentucky mountains.
This generation lived and died in entire
isolation. Several were killed in mountain
feuds. The last of that generation, old
Palestine Gabbard is now running a moon
shine still on He'll Fer Sartain creek. But
his son Bud got in contact with the world
again. In 1861 Bud took raft of logs down
the Kentucky river, and to his astonish-
ment found that war was in progress. He
enjoyed fighting, and enlisted in the Union
army. He was disorderly in camp. but
made a splendid fighter. and marched with
Sherman to the sea. When he went back
home he possessed broader ideas than his
family had known for two generations.
When the free school system was establish
ed Bud became school trustee, although I'M
able to read or write. At first he auctioned
Off the position of teacher to the highest
bidder and pocketed the proceeds, feature
oI the puDilc school system still obtaining In
that section.
But after a while a Berea graduate
taught school In an adjoining district. Bud
was capable of seeing and partially appre-
ciating the difference He determined not
only to have a better school in his district,
but also to educate his daughter Sarepta to
teach that school. This was a mighty pro-
gress1Ve idea for a man like Bud, who could
not read any more than his father before
him. He determined, nevertheless, to set
aside whatever might from a a n
lou or hogs that year for Sarepta'S educa-
ton. But that year an epidemic broke out
among the swine. and Sareptas education
went over When Bud did get ready to edu-
cate Sarepta the girls own notions had to
be taken into account. She was now fir-
teen, and several boys, were already talk
In to her right peart."
"Talkin' to her" has technical meaning
In the Kentucky mountains. Sarepta did
not know whether she wanted to be edu-
Gated or not. But Just then 1t happened that
certain teacher from Berea, Mrs. Yocum,
making one of those horseback tours among
the mountains much affected by Berea
teachers stopped overnight in Buds cabin
and talked to Sarepta. That settled it,
Sarepta, like her father. had brain cells
somewhere in her Uranium, created genera
tons before. which responded to Mrs
Yocum's representations. She decided to be
educated. When Sarepta came riding up to
Berea. In her white sunbonnet and woollen
mitts. she dismeunted from her horse and
proceeded to climb the fence square in front
OF the presidents house. True, there was a
gate right beside her, but that didn't do
Sarepta any good "A She didn't know what it
was for.
Don't think too hardly of her ignor-
ance," says DR.. Frost: II have heard that a
large proportion of the school children in
Boston. when examined in nature studies,
didn't know that milk came from a cow
Environment means a good deal, you
know" Sarepta doesn't know she Is
Daughter of the revolution" She is quite
unconscious of her pedigree. But this
daughter of Bud. the Union veteran: Pales-
woodsman; Daniel. the Indian fighter;
Adam. the revolutionary hero. and John,
who was Cromwelrs man. is not only an
interesting study. but a joy to her teachers