The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-09-22
A MOUNTAIN FAMILY.
The Story of Eddie, Elite and Bar
ton French'-A Study OF Lite
That is Close to Nature-A
Baltimore Lawyer from
South Carolina.
Col. James T. Bacon in the News ana

Col. lanes 7. Bacon II the News 1nu
Courier.
Hot Springs, Va, sep. 14.-1A:
native mountaineers OF this region
are far superior in physique, colo1'
intelligence and industry to those We
southern people are accustomed 10
GEE in West North Carolina and East
Tennessee. The yare very poor, ana
most of their houses are Wretcheo
cabins but their children-whlch goes
to prove a great deaf in their 1aVor-
are strong, pink and pretty. Ana OF
these children there are great many
in every cabin. Generally speaking'
there IS no horse or cow, very often
not a pig, but there are always from
eight to fifteen children.
Elite. Eddie and Barton French
To thoroughly understand the nu-
NOR in our little narrative about Et'le'
Eddie and Barton French, Our readers
must know who Mr.. and Mrs. french
are Mr.. Seth Barton French IS
r,,ddv. stalwar1, polished gentleman
Of the high old Virginia school, an o.
ficer of the Confederate war, and
m;llennial millionaire who lives ~
white and yellow palace overtopping
all Hot Springs. His wife is oeautl- ga
ful New Orleans woman, 'llant'
graceful and popular. They ootn
noted for their charity and gooddeeds.
Mrs. spalding and Mrs. Gunton are
wealthy southern women we'll known
to most of our readers.
Some days ago, wandering alone on
4,a further mountain side from the
sor;nqs some three miles from the
springs. we came upon log cao'n'
about 20 by II, inhabited by a man.
woman and eight or nine chllofen
There were two openings for ooors'
b,,t nc doors. There have never been
an,, doors. And that in this climate!
W. learned that eleven children mad
lived in the cabin last year. And we
learned further that the man and "o-
., had never been married, but mao
lived and loved in that doorless nut
for eiehteen years and begotten tour
teen children-the man having large
batch of lawful ones in an adJacent
county. Subsequently we hea7e It
discussed in the great hotel Whethe1
or not these people were entitled 10
charity and were surprised 10 sec
some wealthy Christian women take
the ground that they were not en-
titled to charity because the parents
were living in sin. But charlty
thew do receive; and the man, IN
many respects, appears to us nero
II he had been married to the woman
~ course he would have beaten her
and banged her and dragged her about
h, the hair of her head, and quit her
dozen wears ago, but instead OF tnat
he sticks to her and multlplles cne
family.
~ man was not at home, but the
woman was, and invited US TO come
IN saving: "Youse the old gentleman
that's stayin' with Miss SpaIdln'
She's one of the best ladies that ever
lived" She, the cabin woman, was
small and thin, and might, years ago,
have been good looking. At present
her face looks like rumpied brown
oaoer bag. She was dressed to go
down to the springs and wore hand
some black hat with a proius!on OF
crimson flowers, a handsome black
cloth skirt, and an exceedingly hand
some silk waist-gifts from rich wo-
men. She looked funny beyond all
description, but her face and smile
were very kindly and the remains OF
teeth were still there.
She had in her arms tiny, skinny,
weezen, but not s;ckly, looking 0a0!
Of two months DID, The baby was
also very gorgeously apparelled IN
clothes, poor little thing, that were
never made for him.
We said 70 her: Mrs. 5, IS TINS
the famous fourteenth baby, OF which