The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1920-05-22
THE MOUNTAIN GIRL
AS SHE IS NOW
Shooting and Scouting Have Done. a
Great Deal for Her. Rosy Cheeks
and Accomplishments That Put
City Dwellers to Shame
(By Earnest H. Edinger.)

Virginia and Kentucky, North Caro-
lima and Tennessee, have formed one
of the most picturesque people of the
nation. Their isolation from the rest
of the world, through natures natural
barriers of mountains and forests, has
been largely responsible for insult
ficient school education, failure Of in
dustry and enterprise, prevalence Of
feuds and "home made" law, ac
complained, however, by deep rooted
ideals of sturdy/virtue.
The girl of the mountains as you
have pictured her from the novels of
best known authors and still more re-
Gently from the modern "movie"
screen is lank, rugged, untutored, ill
dressed girl, woman before her
years. She did all the hard work
about the home but otherwise differed
little from the men of the country,
and she was just as dangerous a per-
son to trifle with, for of course she
"toted" gun.
This conception is all wrong and
out of date today and if you would
know the mountain girl as she is, you
must revise all your previous ideas.
Miss Mail Of the Blue Ridge is now
ii sharp, alert, tidy, neatly gowned
young person. The same ruddy
cheeks and flashing eye with the head
held high, and the sturdy frame and
little figure are still hers and always
will be, for that is her heriatge. But
there is dash and vim about her that
gives her an entirely new character,
pleasing personality and one quite
as distinctive though different, from
her old self.
If you chance to see her in her ia
vorite regalia of brown MILDLY blouse
and khaki skirt, scarf and olive drab
roll hat, you will best appreciate and
Immediately recognize her. She is a
Girl Scout.
Scouting for girls has been intro
duced into the mountains and is
spreading like the growing of green
grass in spring. In Kentucky and
Virginia especially has scouting al
,eady taken rot. Girls are keen for
the scouting programof healthful and
helpful fun and activity, and parents
have accepted it for it's worth.
In the breaking down of the reserve
and natural aloofness of these girls
and in bringing about the group idea
of participation in sports and COM
panionship, scouting has worked won
ders. All that her sister Of the city
or surban town can do, Miss Noun
taineer can accomplish and not infre-
quently excel, for she catches on"
quickly. This is the case of Pine Mt.
Harlan county Kentucky, in the heart
OF the Blue Ridge. Natural physical
conditions have not changed much in
:he mountains, however, and the
magic outward and mental change in
Re girls is simply the product of
one big idea-scouting. The schools
G'ill lack electric light and hot water;
80 miles is, AS before, a long days
,ourney, and Baltimore and Washing
ION, as England and the Alps, are
'out yonder" in the general direction
Of the northeast where the nearest
.ailway lies. There is only the
vaguest conception of either the
United States or the Kentucky gov
"rnment.
At school the girls get up at $50
clock in the morning and do the
,hores and after lessons are finished
engage in tasks about the house and
ield that is their lot. And after a
days work, the size Of which might
put to shame the efforts of many
city dweller, the girls find time for a
.ialf hour or more of scouting before
supper and for whole two hours on
Eaturday afternoons when work is
finished befors o'clock. Bed time is
ut o'clock sharp, which may account
part for the general health of the
girls. What do the city girls think
about this?
From the small beginning of one
troop with single patrol, less than
year ago there are now several hun
lred girls in the region enrolled as
couts, and the movement is still in
IT'S infancy.
An interesting description Of the
'!'e of the district is contained in a
liter received at the national head
uarters of the Girl Scouts, 189 Lex
lgton avenue, New York City, by
Mrs. Jane Deeter Rippin, national di-
ector, from Miss Lucretia Garfield, in
large of the Girl Scout movement
u the Kentncku n1nnnntaina Miss