Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1917-01-05
ON Pine MOUNTAIN
Pathos of Conditions in Corner OF
Unknown America.
Kentucky Mountaineer's fearning to
Obtain Advantages for His Mother
less Brood of Seven Children
Related by Woman of Set
Element School.

The searching pathos of conditions
in a small corner of what might be
termed Unknown America is mirrored
in communication received by the
National Geographic Magazine from
Miss Ethel De Long of the executive
committee of the Pine Mountain Set
Element school, Pine Mountain, Harlan
County, Kentucky. Striking indeed
is this picture given by the correspond
ent in her simple yet supremely SYM
pathetic recital of the paternal yearn-
ing of white Kentucky mountaineer
to obtain educational advantages for
his motherlesS brood of seven:
"a man has just walked in from Big
Creek, thirty miles away, to try to en-
ter all of. his seven children in our
school. He would not leave only the
older ones, because as he said, If
part 'em while they're leetle fellers,
they won't have no feelin's fer each
other when they're raised. I want We
to take 'em all or none. Hit was their
mammy's last wish that keep 'em
together. I'll jest do fer 'em myself
the best ken. if you CANT take 'em
ALL
"He brought with him an irresistible
appeal, word picture of the seven,
and his tale Of how he had 'keered'
for them. Thirty-four years old, worn,
stopped, toothless, he has made gal
liant fight to raise his children right.
He mentioned the children's clothes.
I've made 'em ALL he said. I couldn't
hire nobody to sew fer 'em, so jest
made 'em everything they wear, my
self. I've washed fer 'em, I've tended
'em, an I've gone out in the cornfeld
to work fer 'em. I've raised 'em as
right as know, but CANT do fer 'em
lax I ought.
"T get right sick with the phthisis,
and I've studied about what would hap
pen to 'em if I was to be TUX off from
'em. When I have to go away from
'em to earn leetle money, hits sech
a dread on me, les they git burned up
at night, sposin' the house should
ketch fire, an leetle fellers allus so
sleepy-headed at layin'-down time.
Sometimes I'm afeard to go home
"'Why didn't you marry again? I
asked, so as to get help in raising your
childrenP
"Tears came into his eyes, Hits best
fer leetle younguns to hev jest one
nanny, an s'posin' I'd thought to help
'em a-marryin' again, I might got 'em
in a mighty bad state
"If we take the children, are you go
ing to marry AGAIN. said I.
"'No'm, I'm done with marryin'. I
jest want my younguns raised right,
whilst I'm a tryin' to make the money
fer EN-
"'You see, we don't want children
whose parents want to get rid of
them said I, but those whose parents
want them to have a good chance
eyes, he said, I know. That's the
reason I want 'em here. You want
younguns whose parents has got dill
gence and with innards to raise 'em
toward humanity. Yes, I'll pay We all
I can make fer 'em, eff yell jes' raise
'em right. I've raised 'em to work.
I've worked myself. I begun when 1
was seven, an couldn't git much ed
ucation. In my raisin'-up hit was one
day in school and the next day out;
one week in school an the next week
out. I want 'em to git a chance to
make their ivin's-to live, an not to
be bowed under lax I've been.
"'No, they don't sw'ar, ner cuss; an
they hain't got no mean ways when
they're in my sight. I've brought We
Recommendation from folks that
met We when We come through Big
Creek five or six years ago.
eve were moved with compassion,
although our annual pledges must be
multiplied feur-fold to care for the
sixty children we already have, be-
sides the seven 1eetle fellers,' from the
chunk of a girl jes' goin' on FIVE to
the ffteen-year-old boy who has hoed
corn all summer.
GLOW could we resist those faces
and the patient father who had done
the best he knowedp We told him to
bring them, all seven. An hour ago
he started back on his long thirty
miles to make the children ready"