The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1921-05-13
CONFERENCE OF
MOUNTAIN TEACHERS

Inc nl0tn, annual NotlItItnCt pl
Mountain Teachers at Knoxville. April
5, ana I, has an unusually large at
tendance. One OF the brief addresses
which gives the spirit OF the whole
conference was given by President
Frost on THE Aims of Our Mountain
Work" and may be summarized as
follows:
almost wish that you had never
heard OF the mountains 50 that | could
describe them to you for the first time!
To many of us the mountains have
come TO be an old story. and we are
not moved as we should be by their
beauty and interest, and by their i'm
portance in Gods plan for America
First OF all, our southern mountain
region is extensive. The Bureau of Ed
ucation marks on two hundred and
nineteen counties in the VIrginias, the
Carolfnas, Georgia. Alabama. Tennessee
ard Kentucky as constituting the
mountain region And some ~ us
think that half IA dozen other counties.
NJ least. mighty properly be added
This. then, Is a region larger than the
whole German Empire.
And. in the second place, the condi-
tons Of life in this mountain region
are super. rural. Educators and states
men have Just discovered that America
CONSISTS OF something besides New
York. Chicago and the smaller cities
that are trying TO be- like them To
feed and warm the cities we must have
the country districts. And many OF us
think that the best and most truly
American people are those from rural
homes Now. an the conditions Of
country life arc intensified In the
mountains. A mountain family Is far
ther from its neighbors has more diff
ticulty IN getting to market or TO
church. and. in general. Is more shut
In. and. AT the same time, more self
sufficient and more independent
And. in the third place. our noun
tains are inhabited by the most IN
rnixed American population to be found
anywhere in our land. The majority
OF the mountain folks are descendants
~ Revolutionary soldiers In many
counties there Is not a single negro or
a single foreigner. Coming as they do
from English and Scotch stock, they
are red hot Professionals. The Great
war certainly showed their patriotism.
And they have one other notable char
aeteristic-4 they are prolific The
american families in eastern cities
have few children and are dying out.
bur \ mountain household always num-
hers good bakers dozen"
Now we mountain teachers are here
because we have profound faith in the
fnture of the mountain people But
yTr recognize their special handicaps
and dtfficulties. The first of these is
moi what is called poverty, but lack
Of money and material resources The
first settlers had plenty of good valley
land for their own use, and In addition
rood hunting. But as the mountains
filled up. the good land has been ex-
hausted and people have been forced
10 plow impossible hillsides. The noun
tairs had no nayigable streams or IN
land lales 10 serve as a means OF
communication. OF course they could
have no Erie Canal. and until recently
~ railroads. Their lumber was remote
from market Their mineral wealth
mas but RECENTLY been opened up, so
,lst while IN New York State there is
three tbonsand dollars OF taxable
nronerty for every child of school age,
there II n our southern mountains
less than three hundred dollars worth
- t.x.bIe propertv. II Is necessary,
therefora for The government and the
..s.rss,a arc graa. ratioious hodieg