The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1922-07-27
A TOUR OF EASTERN
KENTUCKY
Ivy NJ. T.. Vaughn

Eastern Kentucky by President
IIutchins, DR.. J. d. Trawick and son
II Louisville, and myself, ended al
Lynch, the modern mining center Of
the United States Steel Corporation
Our former student, Samuel z.
Riley, favored us with n ride thru the
town Of Lynch, thru Benham, and &c
roor Fork. six miles below At Poor
Fork we employed Steve Day, a cous-
in Of DR.. Jonathan c. Day, who is
now working for Berea College. TO
convey us across Pine Mountain and
down Line Fork in Letcher county,
eighteen miles TO the railroad.
The ascent Of Pine Mountain was
invigorating and picturesque. In the
Pass on top Of the mountain we
stopped TO view the huge form of
Big Black Mountain that stands as
barrier between Kentucky and Vir-
ginia. Black Mountain Is full of
coal; the first vein is 100 feet below
the surface Of the valley: the second
90 feet below; the third 100 feet up
the side Of the mountain; and the
fourth still 60 feet higher. The COM
bined thickness Of the coal in Black
Mountain is % feet. But Pine Noun
tain. which rises parallel To Black
Mountain, and is more than one hun
dred and fifty miles in length. is non
workable. There is some coal in the
Yountain. but the stratum does not
Ne horizontally. and therefore cannot
be worked. Black Mountain looks
just like Pine Mountain on the sur
face, but its value extends into thou
sands Of dollars per acre. while Pine
Mountain, except for little timber
on Il, is practically worthless. Pine
Mountain is the last Of the great
ridges Of the Appalachian System.
II is almost as straight as the crow
flies from where IL Is cut in two by
the Big Sandy River in Pike county
10 where IL is cut by the Cumberland
River in Bell county.
In the Pass that marks the divid-
ing line Of Betcher and Harlan coun-
ties, on top Of Pine Mountain. stands
little hut that has sheltered the
same family for seventy Ave years.
We were informed that the old man
who lives there was born on that
spot three-quarters Of century ago.
Seventy percent Of the mechanical
achievements of the modern era have
occurred since this old man was born
IN this lonely spot. Far removed
from the haunts OF man and the track
81 civilization. this old man has lived,
oblivious TO the fact that there is a
throbbing. pulsating world on the
outside. Neither education nor re-
ligion, as we think Of them in tie
modern sense, have played any part
in his life nor in the lives of his
children. Our driver was asked WHY
he would continue to live there thru
out his life. His answer was, There
is a difference in folks. What suits
one don't suit another. II you give
that old man a blue grass farm. he
would not stay on it. II takes
heap Of kind of folks to make world.
II wouldn't do for everybody 10 want
- live in the same kind of place.
They amt enough SIGH places for
en-"
The top Of the mountain is so
sharp that we had scarcely reached
~ highest point until we started
down the steep incline of the other
side. At Gordon postofiice we found
two Of our students.
At this point our journey turned
eastward down Line Fork. one Of the |
principal creeks of Letcher county.
Line Fork, with its narrow valley
fourteen miles in length, has been /
the scene Of as many tragedies. as
m any moonshine raids, as
many spiritual revivals, as many
weddings, as many horse-swappings,
and as many deaths, as any creek Of
its length in Eastern Kentucky. The
road is the creek. The direction that
a friend once gave me will apply TO
Line Fork. In Knott county ! asked
a man the way to certain point.
He replied. "Do you see that creek
Well, Git in it and stay in il, and it
will take you to the place"
Darkness came about four miles
from the head of the creek. We
drove up TO the first place that looked
enough To take care of
Tour men and three mules. IL hap.
pened TO be the home of "Uncle
Johnnie Hawkins" whose grandson,