Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-10-05

the smooth streets appear strangely
IL miles across the mountain to Big
Stone Gap, Va, the home of, the late
John Fox, Jr., writer of Kentucky
mountain ,stories-only II miles
across the Wilderness Of Pine Noun
tain. vet about 2 days rail via Mid
dlesboro. and through Cumberland
Gap and back up the Virginia side
OF the range! HrJ- j..
Lynch Is a new camp spic and span,
the highest town in Kentucky, at the
end Of a branch of the Louisville 4
Nashville up Cumberland River and
the tiny affluent Of the Cumberland,
Looney Creek, which rises on Black
Mountain.
McRoberts, at the terminus of an
other branch. running up one of the
FORKS OF Kentucky River. and Jenkins,
across the divide from McRoberts, at
the head of the valley Of Elkhorn, a.
tributary Of Big Sandy River, are old
er camps, less up to date. less con-
spicuous as models, less interesting to
students Of welfare work as it is done
by mining companies. But in some
aspects these camps have been i'm
proved by time.
Jenkin lies / ma narrow valley Of
Alpine appearance, not without it's
blue lake to carry wi the resemblance
to Swiss scenery, and plentifully sup
pied with vine covered cottages and
flower gardens bespeaking long occu-
pany. The lake, some 20 acres of
the water OF a mountain stream inn
pounded by a dam which provides
power, is surrounded by homes of
company Officers and upon one side
OF 1t is the company club house
Wnlcn serves as a home for unmarried
miners and office employees. Cana
dian canoes and a sail boat, cat rig
ged, give the lake the appearance of
a similar body of water thanked by
cottages occupied by a summer col
ony for pleasure.
The Famous Trail.
Above it where blue sky and dark
pine tops meet. runs, the Trail of the
Lonesome Pine" described by John
Fox, Jr, in a novel of hat title which
mas been seen In dramatized form. on
both h stage and the screen. If
Mr.. Fox drew upon his imagination
Tor loneliness of his heroine he did
not have to depart from reality in de-
scrtbing the rare beauty of the seen
cry. '"0-
And almost within sight of the club
house and the lake the primitive life
or the mountains which Fox depicts
still survives. A June Tolliver of the
heights might stand at the Lonesome
Pine at nightfall looking down upon
a dark valley starred, with electric
lights, and return home to q nearby
log cabin lighted only by a log fire
IN the evening.
Czechs. Lithuanians, Creeks, Mag
vars. ltalians,N men OF many races, &C.
Icupy the cottages of Jenkins embow-
cred in vines and flowers, which cling
TO precipitous mountainsides, resem-
bling in their surroundings. not in
architecture. chalets in Switzerland.
When Jenkins was founded by men
some OF whom remain in charge as
company officers, the machinery and
building material were brought in by
OK teams to transform a forested
gorge into a miniature city with wide
lawns Of bluegrass and streets az
smooth as those Of Washington.
communication between McRoberts
and Lynch is maintained for the pur-
poses of the coal mine operators nv
means Of a tunnel under the divide
through which mine cars alone ara
run. Passengers cross the divide f.,
Light automobiles when the a
Is dry. 1t is rougher work than rid.
ing q mule but somewhat faster 90
Ing. 81
Such coal camps as Lynchsand Ian.
kins: and many smaller ones less
handsomely equipped, surrounded by
the old mountain life. draw as labor
ers. BY the lure OF high wages, some
OF the native mountaineers. Others
more conservative remain st~eadfastly
by their cabins. culltivating crops in
fields %; slanting that corn cannot
be gathered in q wagon, but only IL
a slide. 80
No wages would tempt the fellow
VINO lives UP there" said q mining
man pointing upward to q mountain
GERS home perched where an, earle
might have made its nest. The tor
leigners !" indicating a group OF min
ers---"can earn more In d week than
the native eyer had at one time, but
his type prefers poverty ana the ffee-
dom Of the hills.
ANSWERS no QUESTIONS QUESTION:
G. Whsns dosst the monthly nv.
fnent OF pensions bcginfsH. S.E