Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-07-30
CHAPTER vi.


Lescott had come to the mountains
anticipating a visit of two weeks. His
accident had resolved him to shorten
1t to the nearest day upon Which he
felt capable of making the trip out to
the railroad. Yet June had ended;
July had burned the slopes from EN-
erald to russet-green; August had
brought purple tops to the ~ironweed.
and still he found himself lingering.
And this was true although he recog-
|nized a growing sentiment of disap-
proval for himself. In Samson he
Thought he recognized twin gifts; a
spark OF a genius too rare to be al
flowed to flicker out, and a potentially
for constructive work among his W
people. which needed for its perfecting
only education and experience.
Samson" he suggested one day
when they we're alone, II want you to
come East. You say that gun Is your
tool, and that each man must stick to
his own. You are In part right, in
part wrong. A man uses any tool bet
ter for understanding other tools. You
have the right to use your brains and
talents to the full"
The boys face was somber In the
Intensity Of his mental struggle, and
his answer had that sullen ring which
was not really ~sullenness at all, but
ls~elf-repression.
reckon a. feiiefs biggest right U.s.
ito stand by his kinfolks. Unc' Spicer's
gittin' old. He's done been good ter
me. He needs me here"
Il appreciate that. He will be older
later. You can go now, and come back
to him when. he needs you more. If
what l urged meant disloyalty to your
people, / could cut out my tongue be-
fore / argued for it. You must be-
lieve me In that. / want you to be in
the fullest sense your peoples leader.
] want you to be not only their Sam
son-but their Moses"
The boy looked up and nodded.
Il reckon we aims ter be friendly,
all right" was his conservative re-
Spouse.
The painter went on earnestly:
Il realize that / am urging things of
which your people disapprove. but it is
only because they misunderstood that
they do disapprove. They are too close.
Samson. to see the purple that noun
tains have when they are far away. l
want you to go where you can see
the purple. If you are the sort of man
l think, You won't be beguiled. You
won't lose your loyalty. You won't be
ashamed of your people"
81 reckon l wouldn't be ashamed"
said the youth. Il reckon there hain't
no better folks nowhar."
I'm sure of 1t. There are going to
be sweeping changes in these noun
tains. Conditions here have stood as
immutably ~changeless as the hills
+ themselves for a hundred years. That
day is at its twilight. l tell you, ]
know what I'm talking about. The
/ state of Kentucky is looking this way.
The state must develop, and it is here
alone that it can develop, Here are
virgin forests and almost inexhaust
ible coal veins. Capital is turning
from an orange squeezed dry, and cast
ing about for fresher food. Capital has
& seen your hills. Capital is inevitable,
relentless, o%mnipotent. Where it comes,
it makes it's laws. Conditions that
have existed u~ndisturbed will vanish
The law of the feud, which militia and
courts have not been able to abate,
will vanish before capitals breath like
the mists when the sun strikes them
Unless you learn to ride the ave
which will presently sweep over your
country, you and your people will go
under. You may not realize it, but
ithat is true. 1t is written"
The boy had listened intently, but at
the end he smiled, and in his expires
sion was something of the soldier who
scents battle, not without welcome.
Il reckon if these here fellers air
a-comin' up here ter run things, an
drowned out my folks, hits a right
good reason fer me ter stay here-an'
holp my folks"
by staying here, you can't help
y them. It won't be work for guns, but
for brains. BY going away and com
ing back armed with knowledge, you
can a v them. You will know how to
play the game"
Il reckon they won't git our land,
ner our timber, ner u coal, without