The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1921-12-09

ing car, belonging to said member
of School Board, and set forth once
again on that nights ride. How
ever, the ride was very short. as
they were stopped at the Secretary's
home. where a delicious supper
I awaited them and, also mo. S"
No. was even more unsophisticat-
ed and inexperienced than No. and
No. 4. She possessed a very unGig-
nified disposition, and in after days
proved to be "a jolly lot of fun "
She was a last years student of u.
of Ky. Having found the work too
distressing and also possessing a very
rowing nature, she, too, desired to
seek her fortune in the everlasting
hills of Kentucky.
After supper and the usual "get
acquainted" discourse, the Big. Five
as It must now be expressed, were
again loaded into the car and hur.
ried on to the final end of their
journey. Up some sixty steps they
scrambled and landed in a lonely
little six-room dwelling house, new
ly furnished, and pronounced per
fectly darling by the charming new
member, No. s. sh'sidHIs
The Community Nurse graced their
little home the first night to protect
and mother the tired travellers. AT
ter much arguing and conglomera-
tion, bed rooms were decided upon
and though there was a wild desire
to talk-.talk continually, sleep soon
became master and not until "Old
Sol" was high up in what No. de-
clared was the Western sky, did the
Big Five awake to behold--what?
A very modern little mining camp
of about three thousand inhabitants,
stretching Itself over territory Of
some five linear miles, the width can
scarcely be considered. bordered on
the north, east, south and west by
what the Big Five termed mountains.
(but what in reality are only yer.
large hills.)
In the very heart of the eamp-
If an absolute oblong can have a.
heart-stands the general store, car
rying an assortment of everything
needed in mining camp, from a
double mesh hair net to seven-inch
stove pipes. Across the street from
this We find the meat shop. Post Of
flee (regularly visited) and the Of
flee building, containing the offices
of all men connected with the Van
Lear Consolidated Coal Company.
About fifty yards from the office
building rises the lofty structure Of
the Recreation Hall. This contains
the office of the Community Nurse.
the ice cream parlor. pool room on
the first floor and the second floor
composes the theatre. j
The pride of Van Lear is the Won
'derful Club House situated on a
huge peak, approached by two hum
dred wooden steps, 1t is also close-
ly connected with romance and still
holds room for development.(3
Many and wierd are the stories told
concerning it's origination and exist /
ence. Some thirty yards from the
building stands tree from under
whose captivating shadow (it is
said no couple ever emerged with
out welded hearts. OF course, there
is not word of it true for the. Big (
Five and even No 6. who was added |
later. Toasted on roasted 'winnies' one
night under that same tree and-but
that4belongs to another chapfer.
In any one part of Van Lear it is
impossible to see more than a very |
small portion Of the camp, due to |
the endless curving and twisting of |
valleys which form exquisite sites for
residence sections. In wandering |
over this territory one would be sur
prised to see in almost every valley /
a continual row of houses and in the
main valley traversing the entire
length of Van Lear flows lovely lit
tie mountain stream which affords
fun and frolic to the children in both
summer and winter. The main, fork
of the Big Sandy also borders the
west side of the camp. In all it is
a very picturesque little mountain
town, and well liked by all the
bunch.
-LOUBEL WILLIAMS.
KNIGHTS or PyTHIAS