Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1913-07-17
TpIcNL noUNLAINEER's Horn

there are several beds In one Of the
most home-like rooms imaginable.
Sinking lazily into a feather bed which
fills the old f%our.poster. the tired way
farer is Don In the land of dreams.
Awakened the next morning by the
quack. quack Of geese-for this Is a
place OF many fowls-the voices OF
eve and lambs are heard calling
across the hilltop. The cowbells
tinkle cheerily. This Is mountain life.
The housewife cooks the breakfast.
You are up, dressed and ready. Soon
one Of the girls goes out to milk. She
uses a cup to milk in. When 1t ia full
1t Is emptied into the bucket. Ask her
why she doesn't milk in the bucket.
and her reply Is: III the COW should
kick. I'll lose only a cupful Of milk
instead of q bucketful."
In these mountain homes there are
many children. Usually one or two
Of the older girls walt on the table.
and they press you always to have
more. The children eat when the rest
! do. every one sitting in his accus-
toned place on the long bench. but
not until the guest Is seated first.
In the center Of the table Is a large
dish Of honey. Near 1t Is a pitcher OF
milk. The honey Is passed first, for
the m~ountaineers are good livers"
and they believe In having the best
first. Next come the corn or wheat
bread. apple butter, peach butter.
stewed b%lackberries. pawpaw. ham
and eggs. beans and tree strip.
The mountains have only bride
paths and trail ofttimes SO steep that
one misstep would mean death to
horse and rider hundreds Of feet be-
low. The first automobile has yet to
come. The locomotive halts in a far
distant valley. The telephone does
not ring. These trails wind and wind
until you have lost all points Of the
compass, but are the main thorough
fares Of travel.
Where they cross streams, notches
are cut in trees on the river bank. Ir
the water Is above the notch cut In the
tree, 1t Is unsafe to cross at the near
| est habitation until the waters fall be-
low the safety mark. At different
points along the larger streams dug
outs are used for crossing. They are
logs chopped out, something in the
shape Of a boat. They are the ferries
at foot-path crossings, as we'll as the
canoes Of hunters and trappers.
Down near the Kentucky line you
are liable, in the forest on the steep
mountainside, to meet a man on horse
back, a bag OF grain in front of him.
A short distance away, In a deep ra-
vine. is a log building about six by
nine feet. II Is the grist mill. The
roof Is covered with thin boards, split
out OF oak timbers. called Shocks"
They are laid like shingles. To hold
them down, a stif pole is laid cross.
| wise In the center, and a hole Is bored
in the end Of the pole. A pin is then
driven In to hold the shocks down.
The people come to the mill. carry.
Ing their grain on the horses, from
many miles. The mills are free for
them to do their " grinding. The
door, II there is one, is never locked.
A small water wheel in the bottom
turns the burr stone. After the grist
is ground, It is placed on the horse
and the miller returns. Sometimes II
takes one day to come and grind, and
the shades Of twilight fall the second
day before home is reached.
Uhap Tho diotaura Ia mt I'M Sor
the women go to market. Their eggs
are placed In either end Of a bag
made with both ends closed and the
opening in the middle. The eggs are
| packed In buckets Of grain and then
they are placed on a horse. one on
| each side.
Nearly everything Is packed, ex.
cept in the valley. where wagons are
used somewhat, though it's not un.
usual to zee a %six.footer with a pack
on his back slowly winding his way
up the mountainside.
Even Uncle Sans mail is carried
in leather bags. The men and women
in the region are Of giant stature and
the families are large. There are fam.
lilies In which the children number
twenty and many where the number
rum from a dozen to fifteen or
eighteen.
Crude as is the life, the people are
really progressive. They are honest
and industrious. Their hospitality IL
unbounded. But II you do them an
Intentional wrong, you might Just az
we'll disappear, quietly and humbIy,
They have no use for a crooked"