The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1912-09-10
THE MEN OF THE MOUNTAINS
STRANGE SIGHTS WHEN BLUE
RIDGE CONTEST WAS on.
So Numerous a Gathering OF So
Strange a Citizenry Was Never
Seen at States Capitol.

ALANTA.-No more, perhaps
within the life of the youngest gen
GRAFTON will the Georgia state house
have so numerous a visitation of sc
strange a citizenry as filled it's CORR.
doris Wednesday and Thursday while
the struggle was on between the
friends of one man and those of an
other to win an office.
The North Georgia mountaineers
We're here in force then, from the
back mountains of Gilmer county
from Cherry Log district and Carte
cay, and Mountaintown and Coosa-
watee, and Tickanetty, and other dis
tricts that know as little of the out
side world as the world knows of
| them.
They were engaged in their most
engrossing game of politics. They
were playing it as earnestly as they
always do-as though it meant meat
and bread and shelter to each OF
them instead of a judgeship for some
man of their acquaintance. They
were pitted one against the other,
and their fighting qualities were
aroused. The contest had become
matter. of personal interest to all OF
them. They take their politics serl-
ously-almost as seriously as the
more pious among them take their
reIigion-do these North Georgia
mountaineers, whose community top
les are few.
Three or four hundred of them
we're here. When they were herded
together in the capitol it looked as II
the voting strength of the county
had moved down to the city en-
masse. 1t seemed as if ballot box
might have been placed somewhere
in the corridor and the whole disput-
ed primary tried over again. They
were CHARTERED like soldiers at a
couple of the less pretentious hotels
of the city. They ate bananas and
other city delicacies when they felt
hungry. Doubtless they astonished
the women folks with their appetites
when they got back home and found
the substantial meals awaiting them
on the tables.
No foreign type showed among
them. They were old-fashioned
Americans, born and bred in pure
AngIo-Saxon strain for generations.
Sew Many Strange Sights.
Some of them had never seen a
railroad before they started on the
"Trip to Atlanta-this, on the word of
one among them, one who knows
them and loves their kind. Many
had never ridden on train before.
Few had ever seen their states cap
itol before. Gas and electricity and
steam engines and automobiles and
telephones, and the other common
places of modern life were strange
and new to the majority of them;
yet they showed little interest, no
surprise, no wonder. Because it was
bred in them they were stoical and
reserved They took all things out
wardIy at least as matter of course.
AS the Mongolians of the north are
the fighting blood of China, so these
mountaineers are the fighting blood
of the American nation. They are
the eserves-fearless straight
shooting, unconsciously fatalists.
They war quietly among themselves.
Yet they appear mild and quite
harmless, and are kind-hearted.
There are no "Gyp, the Blood" types
among them; but New York's worst
gun men would show the yellow
streak before these mountaineers
would feel a tremor of fear.
To them the contest before the
state executive committee was an ep-
ochal "speakin'." The talk of votes
and candidates was music to their
ears. The sight of the big lawyers,
"coIonels" by right of profession as
they all believe, locking horns over
the intricacies of political combat
was thrilling to them.
Made Themselves at Home.
For two days they were at home
in their capitol building, occasionally
making themselves quite comforta~
BILE in the offices of men whom they
helped to elect, but whom they did
not know by title or name. One OF
them took possession of the private
Office of the railroad commission
chairman Thursday while the chair
man was away at lunch. And the
commissioner found him there, with
the door closed-snoring peacefully,
with his feet on top of the desk. He
was not at all embarrassed when the
smiling chairman walked him and
asked him, is there anything l can
do to serve your"
The committee was scandaliZed
Wednesday when the mountaineers
almost lifted the ceiling of the senate
chamber with their cheers for one
of them who indicated their educa-
tiOnal standard by signing his name
at a challenge to do so. The commit
tee put 'em out bodily and shut the
doors on them.
Again, Thursday afternoon, when
the word was passed by pickets that
Patterson wins!" they made the
capitol echo with their shouts. Aus
tere justices of the high court jump
ed in their chairs at the alarm and
rushed to their doors. The whole
state house force turned out to hear
what had happened, and smiled as