The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1911-06-16
MflODIES OF OUR KENTUCKY HIGHLANDS
OR SONGS that jest GROWED UP'
Heredity and Environment According To The Mountain
Demosthenes.


y
ger, a boy from Bloody Breathitt,
in the moutains of Eastern Kentucky
was spending vacation at his ma
tive home, jackson, after a long mis-
sionary services in Japan, heard
one of his vacation sermons. by ma.
tive dark oomplexioned, residence
abroad had nodded the mountaineel
into something of a Monaghan. His
tongue had been tipped with the in
voluntary twist that turned his great
native land into the "Oonited Ia
tes," in spite of the painful effort
10 subdue that and other parts OF
speech back into the dialect of his
native hills. His facial expressioH
had caught the Orient tone. His lit
tie one-year-old girl Gas she then
was,) born in Japan of the purest
Cumberland mountain pareRtage migh
have been the fruit of a long line OF
Mongolians reaching back to the
Japanese Adams apple tree. Respec
tive champions of honedity and en-
yironment as most influencing mental
moral and physical development might
find this a puzzling case, with odds
in favor of environment.
Judge Carlo B. Ly1ttle, of Manches-
ter, Clay county known on the stump
and at the bar as the Rough and
Ready Demosthenes" of the noun
tains, holds to the theory that even
the names of towns, rivers, creeks
and other surroundings are impress
cd upon the character of the people.
What" he once asked the writer
as We sat amusing on the shores of
Goose creek, what could be expect
ed of Red Eye, Hoss creek, Big, Stink
ing, Cut Shin, Goose, Hell-for-Sar-
tin and the like except disaster to
the community?
My friend was not pressed to guess
what effect the name OF Manchester,
If exchanged for Winchester" (the
latter, at that time, being much in
evidence around Manchester,) might
have, for Manchester was his home,
where charity begins and sometimes
abides.
Drawing his pencil, the Judge jot-
ted down "on the spur" and on a
stray sheet of paper these impromptu
lines:
When Red Eye into Hoss Neck pours
Its measly moonshine tide,
Big Sinking seatters, as he goes,
Old Hell-for4Sartin wide.
When Bull Skin into Cut Shin runs.
And Cut Shin into Goose;
No wonder people get their guns
And (sometimes) tarn 'em loose.
Suppose" the Judge went ON, mus
Ing half aloud, "our winding streams
just look at Goo.e creek, dimpling
as it flows, none lOvelier on earth
sVlfIrsose Goose creek and our other
:epphemisms We're set to heavenly mu-
sic like Flow Gently Sweet Alton,
Among Thy Green Braes; Bonnie Ayres
Thou Sweet Gliding Kedron; We
Banks and Braes O'Bonnie Doom and
other immortal melodies? Could there
ever have been any shooting from
behind these rocks? The very ten
derness Of name and song would melt
into the heart to civllize, to sancti-
fly and TO soften"
The regular proposition against"
is rarely heard in the highlands. The
college graduate, after brief so
journ, catches himself running up
"again" somsthing. The wise Judge
the erudite lawyer utters his edic,s
from the bench or Eliminates from
the forum "agin" whatever stands in
his way. Men and women whose edu
cation may be as liberal as the uni
university can supply employ the sole
cism invohntarily after a brief stay
1t shows what environment or acct
dent either, may work.
And, by the way, what right has
the cultured East TO turn up its
pointed nose? Some years ago ] was
incidentally associated for several
months in the same household at
Washington City with cultuned New
Bngiand lady, some years past mid
die age. of the bluest Boston blue
blood ito mention which strain would
cause surprise,) who had become deep,
1y interested in General Ben But
ier's flat-money fad, and drew her
Inspiration from Nading newspaper
reports rather than oral discussion.
Her giases We're perhaps, not as good
as her reducation; she invariably dur
sng her financial arguments, refer
red 10 General Buffers papes as fiat
money. The treasury not being flat
lwhen spsead oat). the good old lady
very naturally misconoeived the lis