The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-07-05
CONCERNING THE NOUN
TAIN WHITES

has been a FOOD Zeal written concern
ing the condition Of the population IN
Western North Carolina. What has
been written from time to time has
given evidence OF varying degrees OF
accuracy and familiarity with facts on
the part of the various writer's. Born
and reared in one of the few counties
in this State hat have no railroads.,
and therefore feeling that l ought to
know something Of conditions some
where in the vicinity of what these
writer's would term their worst, l de-
sire to add a few words to things that
have been said.
Not long ago there appeared an
article in The News and, Observer
(Raleigh) a STORY Of the Pluck and
Ambition OF Children and Parents in
the Mountains Of Mitchell County"
To no people that l know anything
about, either personally or through
books and papers could the qualities
of PLUCK and Ambition" be applied
with greater ~propriety than to the
Mountaineers OF Western Carolina. No
one will deny that the inhabitants OF
this section have difficulties to con-
tend with and to overcome before
what the world is pleased to call sue
cess can be won-difficulties which the
people of Middle and Eastern Carolina
know but little about. The rugged
ness and inaccessibility Of the country,
the rigor of the climate in winter, the
thinness of the soil in some localities
and the objectionable badness of most
of the roads are some of the things
I should call difficulties. On the
other hand the freshness and light
ness OF the air and the poetic beauty
of the country and the inspiration and
the grit due to the very presence Of the
above named "difficu1ties' themselves,
may be mentioned as a few Of the ad-
vantages Of this country.
Now against the spirit of the article
mentioned and its subject matter I
have little to say, but as a text for
what is said there is given a quota
ton from the letter of a certain learn
ed minister to the Outlook. 1 give the
quotation herewith:
NEARLY a quarter Of a million
people in the mountains Of
North Carolina alone are today
without religious affiliations Of
any kind, untouched and uncared
for by any religious denomination;
fifty thousand children in these
same mountains do not attend any
school, and a hundred thousand
have chool advantages only four
months in the year. Many families
of from six to eight persons live
on a single wages Of $40 to $50
Month
These people are the descend
ants of the best Anglo-Saxon
stock that came to this country in
the early days. $ = 3 Industrial
education is what is needle now
a series Of primary industrial
schools"
The same writer also says further
that these people are living the life
Of nearly a hundred years age" I
wish briefly to consider some Of these
statements. First, are these people lfv-
ing a hundred years behind the times?
r = Wv - ~
based upon average conditions and
not upon isolated conditions. No one
can deny that the traveller through
the mountains of North Carolina will
find people who are leading a primi-
tive life. I myself know people who
same room. Some of them live IN
Western North Carolina, some in Cen
trail and some in Eastern North Caro-
lima I should be at a loss to say
whether a larger per cent of homes
Of this kind are to be found in the
mountains or elsewhere. I do know
that the mountain cabin is as neat
and as clean as almost any similar
residence to be found elsewhere. I am,
however, painfully, aware that these
homes and the people in them need
modern advantages, but I refuse to be-
lieve that reformation and enlightment
are needed worse in the homes of Ashe
and Mitchell than in similar homes of
Orange and Johnston. Again it must
be said that the country homes of
Watauga and Macon will In general
compare to advantage with the coun-
try homes of Central and Eastern Car
DINA. Watauga and Macon are AXE
as examples and not as isolated in
stances.
l am willing to admit that a series
OF Primary Industrial School is need
ed, but I am unable to see why the
statement is not equally applicable
to other sections Of the State. L is
quite true that the and is not always
employed to the best advantages, but
so far as 1 have been able to learn
from observation and reading, other
sections Of the South could learn i'm
portant lessons in this respect also.