The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1913-12-12
OPPORTUNITY
Wealth Awaits Those Who Meet Present
Demands.

Prof. John f. Smith, in the
course of thoughtful article in
the Berea Citizen, asserts that the
great problem of the Kentucky
mountain counties is the bread prob
lem.
Prof. Smith points out that con-
ditions in the mountains are chang
Ing rapidly; that population is in
creasing while resources are van
ishing. There was a time he says,
when the people could hunt all the
meat needed for the table, but that
time has passed; there was time
when thousands of hogs and cattle
and sheep could be raised on the
open range, but that can be done no
longer; there was a time when the
ready money needed for the pur-
chase of food supplies could be Sc
cured by selling timber, "but that
i day has recently gone," there was a
time, only a few years ago, when It
was possible for great many peo-
pie to obtain money by the sale of
the mineral rights on their prop
erty, but the mineral rights have
been bought up nearly all over the
region and the people who once had
untold riches on their lands can
realize no more income from that
source
In the thirty-five counties de-
nominated by Prof. Smith as noun
tain counties there is population
of more than half million. In the
last census decade the increase of
population was 20 per cent. 1T is
remarkable that in spite of the bad
roads in many places and other
things that are supposed to drive
people from the country into the
cities only two mountain counties
lost population" There is every
reason for believing that this in
crease of population will continue
and 1t Is an important feature of
the bread problem that these thirty
five counties are not providing e.
nough foodstuff to. support their
present population. Hundreds of
thousands of dollars" Prof. Smith
says, "go out Of the mountains
every year for canned tomatoes.
peaches, corn and beans, for bacon
and meal and flour and for other
produce for the table,"
The remedy. of course, is larger
production. There Is good osil in
the mountains and there is no good
excuse for buying, in any consider
able quantities, any of the commod-
tiles that are mentioned. The peo-
pie of the mountains should raise
their own hogs and cure their ba-
con; they should have corn to sell
and keep; they should grow wheat
in sufficient quantities to supply
their own needs; they should can
their own tomatoes. peaches, beans
and other products; they not only
should grow all they need, but
they should grow surplus to help
feed the world. What would be the
result If they did this? Let Prof.
Smith answer.
The millions of dollars that go
out of the mountains every year,
and the hundreds of thousands of |
dollars that are paid for freight and /
hauling every year in order that the |
people may have wherewith to be
fed, Is drain too heavy to be en-
dured much longer. The money--at
least, much of it-ought to be kept
In the mountains and can be kept
there. 1t is needed for improving the
soil and homes and adding to the
comforts of living. Millions of dol
ars used each year for building bet
er homes where they are needed,
or improving the land, for bringing
n more home comforts and more
community joys would in very
hort time make the mountains
PARADISE on earth. Roads could be
,uilt, bridges constructed, better
chool houses and churches could
70 erected. Every kind OF improve
nent could be made II the money
hat is paid now to wholesale mer-
hants outside the mountains for
ood could only be kept at home.
and the greater part of it can be
ept there If the fruit and the corn
nd the bacon that Is now hauled
n by the thousands of tons Is pro- !
uced on the mountain fields. These
lelds are capable of producing it
ll-and many times as much"
This Is condition that is by no !
1eans peculiar to the thirty-five
counties. There are many a
ther counties in Kentucky that are Q
OF producing what they consume, G
ut are paying out thousands of dol =
lrs every year for food staples I
'hich should be grown at home. I'M \
er ordinary conditions no agricul- a
lral community in Kentucky should \
nd 1t necessary to go away from \
ONE for meal and bacon. When
reat agricultural State fails to
row as much foodstuff in the .
,urse of a year as its inhabitants &
squire to feed them there Is some o