Evening star., 1933-08-22
Rocky Crags Guard Old Ways
Of South Fork Valley Folk
Revolutionary Days Customs Tnge
Social Life and Independence on
Bottom Land Farms.

escaped being woven into the pattern
of industrial America. So they have
reaped few Of the advantages or shared
few Of the troubles of the industriali-
zation of the past quarter Of century.
Just at present the economic depression
does not exist for most of the people.
They are nearly self-suf1cient and
would be quite so If it was necessary.
The mountains are stingy givers. but
their gifts do not lack variety. Wheat
and corn still are ground into flour in
the valley mills, to be consumed in the
homes and not sold to the cities
Dairying is confined largely to the two
or three family cows. Deer and bear
are shot for overcoats. The day Of
homespun it Is true. seems to be gone,
but the art OF spinning and weaving
the wool Of the sheep is not lost and
could be revived easily enough Wild
turkeys still forage over the mountain
sides-one OF their last strongholds.
Happiness Rockbound
There has been little drift of the
population to the cities and, conse-
quently, little drift back The hold of
f-sufficiency has been greater than
the lure of wages. Thus this 4O-mile-
long valley affords material fer vital
economic study Of community which
has preserved its happiness by preserv-
ing its independence and guarding the
simplicity Of its ways of life.
The spirit of the community extends
to the individual and there is little
compromise with the principle of self
sufficiency. In one cabin half way up
mountain run. for instance Is a
woman who has been stone blind for
80 years. who never has seen her chill
dren, but has had no help whatsoever
in caring for them, whose cooking is
extolled throughout the neighborhoOd.
although 1t is done entirely by feeling
and smelling: who weeds without aid
her vegetable and flower garden be-
cause she knows the feeling of weeds
as distinguished from the feeling OF
cultivated plants, and who walks to
chuTch over the narrow suspension
bridges alone in the black night.
She was boiling milk for soup the
other day and suddenly. from across the
kitchen. she ran to take 1t off the stove
because 1T smelled like it was going to
boil over"
She thinks little of her accomplish
nents nor do her neighbors comment
upon them. 1t is just characteristic Of
the self-suflciency Of the valley.
Base Ball Is Pastime.
Aside from fiddling. base ball is the
prevalent sport at this time of the year
There are games two or three days a
week. 1t was said of the pitcher for
one Of the teams that he had hardly
ever been known to throw anything
but strike. He spurns a gun when he
goes hunting for turkeys or squirrels,
he Is SO much better a shot with stone
He pitches as if he were trying TO kill
squirrel at home plate-straight and
swift as an arrow. The batter knows
just where it is coming and is almost
sure of hitting it if he can see it, which
he seldom can
Smaller and smaller grows the river
as one goes farther and farther up the
valley until it is only a fair-sized brook
fed by mountain streams from scores
OF cold springs that gush out of the
rocks out of mysterious depths and go
dancing down the hillsides to disappear
just as mySteriously in the earth. There
in the mountains it is young, eternal
ly singing river. But as it progresses
out of the valley and down into the
lowlands, with cities and villages on
its banks throwing their pollutions and
their troubles upon it. there is an end
to the singing of the river. its dancing
steps grow heavy. its back bent with
burdens. The child-like river flows
through a child-hke land, and partekes
: somewhat of the nature of its habitat.