New-York tribune., 1903-03-03
THE Rise OF LUCINDA.
What Berea Did for One Girl-Dr. Frost's
Lecture at Helen Gould's.


DR.. W. G. Frost president Of Berea College, Ken
tucky, in a lecture at Miss Helen Miller Gouids
yesterday. ''They are a survival in language. In
customs and in Industries. When they entered
those mountains they carried with them colonial
civilization In this region, larger than New
England, embracing the mountain sections Oh eight
Southern States, intersected by no naVgaoIe reEs'
lakes or railroads. they have suffered extreme tsola-
ton 1t is on this iSoIation tnaC tne euH'lsaA -
based.
IF you ride up tie door of one Of these noun
tain homes it is proper to keep your seat unuI
invited to dismount. The master OF the place
comes out, greets you and says. Light ana nl'cn
your beastes'
'Beasties' is good old Anglo-Saxon word. and
many others. once current English. have survived
along with it.
so it is in the survival of weapons. In the Eng
land of Elizabeth every man carried sword or ra-
pier at his side He expected the government to de-
fend him from the French Spanish. but the safety
and honor of himself and his family were IN his
own hands It is exactly so among these nou7-
taineers each with his revolver in his hip pocket
In reality it is the survival of chivalrous idea
1t is dangerous idea, and must be put away; out
It is not disgraceful degenerate thing. 1t Is
a survival. and not OF ancient date. All this ten
derness for human life is a strictly modern thing.
The nountaineer doesn't mind shooting Gnother
man because he doesn't mind being shot himself
And he goes into q mountain feud just az coAess
man goes into game football. all sense OF per-
sonal danger overcome by his absorption in the
game.
I'VE have o,Iite well stocked arsenal Berea,"
interpolated the speaker. humorously. filled with
the guns which the boys required to give up
at the beginning of the term. One boy resisted
violently the first term. but came of his own
accord the second term to hand over his weapon
We were gratified at his progress until we found
that he had thoughtfully provided himself with
two guns one to give and one to retain
so II is with the revolutionary industries
Every mountain woman is spinner And did you
think said the lecturer directly addressing
his audience how spinning helped to develop your
For scores of generations your granomotners "efe
SINNERS and / do not know what shall find
that can give the same grace. patience and dett-
ness. The delicate fingers :nat can paint china
and play the piano developed by spinning.
/ have discovered that woman who cannot read.
but who can spin. dye and weave. is not an fg-
noraut woman though she may be illiterate
They are inclined be little ashamed Of these
household arts and of our aims in furnishing
them with market Tor their products is to give
them pride IN these excellent handicrafts which
We now believe are preserved for another genera
ton. Mrs. Candace Wheeler came down to US, and
it was edifying spectacle to see her deep in
discussion with the mountain women over the
secrets of spinning weaving and especially dyeing
She had something to tell them. and they had
something to tell her
Our women teachers. trained at Pratt and else
where go into the mountains and live for weeks
in the homes of the people to ascertain their
needs We have saved many lives by teaching dis
infection after typhoid. the scourge Of the noun
tains.'
The speaker gave interesting glimpse OF the
industrial life of these mountain homes. Sugar
coffee and salt are about the only fooostuns pur-
chased. All else is produced on the farm. Corn Is
the great crop and corn bread the chief d srtiGe Of
water mill in the still more primitive handmill
Wheat IS si also ground into Whole Wheat
-four and chiefly used in biscuit M Many ~ families
travelling teacher found fire in the fireplace. and
ye Tef0ce Goals L and more p@d on the lid lifting
the lid. she saw beautifully baked loaf of salt
primitive quaintness Of the baker lent an addi-
tionaI favor to the excellent bread when she sam
Could Martha Washington return to earth she
meG mesc pPo6sns better than those Of
yelt said the lectureT In sPe 0t 1ae GUt9oo5 1901
black each fan with the smoke of forest fires For
three We s heyt o@n RS e 9oe % %
chestnuts, but we are going to stop that too; we
cooa srs IN Way to help the highest branches but
in way to help the poor man % on Sr poor SOL esre e
about rotation Of crops" -. .--..
Horseback rfoing Is the = SOLE aS5nSt Si otbeT
viii take her baby in her lap. put two more on or
neighboTs nef hGfSs miles away married daughter
cSa tSFning gSbSoW to Bst and ptcSer Carrying them ten
miles on horseback over vtIlanous mountain roads
S.t & yeaR yeaq Win Th0 hosspun hired who
lived four miles away to Ior neT s o Ss SaS
in all.
IL Is said that in travelling through that region
every place showing signs OF neatness, thrift or
an attempt at beautifytng will be found to have
Berea graduate somewhere in the family In many
cases Berea graduates bave put windows and
bIackboards in the desoIate little log schoolhouSss
at their own expense. Berea graduates are teach
ing IN the mountain schools; they are school trus-
tees. county officers and members Of the legis-
iafIIre The public schools of the mountain region
are largely in the hands of trustees who have
never been TO school. Many of them have no seats
ft IN sit en- and holes In the log walls for win
dows There IL not a globe, not a map: not q
6icfiourarv often not blackboard. During the
last few years thousands Of dollars have passed
through the hands of Beyea for the Improvement
NJ the u,Ibc school system. II ts a very common
thing for the trustees to sell the position ot f~srn-
~ 10 the highest bidder. s-,-. -. -.
-dIcqtIor --s,er, hre'sebt ip contact "1tF - r.
.r t, flor Of the persistence Of the ardE
a5terpTisfne. fnteIgenf pioneer strain which SET.
fIad tfeas r1ou41fains Nearly all the students AT
lseTe1f r. without tea coffee and butter at the