Evening star., 1935-12-06
Virginia Park Folk, Contrite,
Only Plead Lack OfNeU Home
Dark Hollo'O Family Waits for Sheriff,
Who Hates Thought of Throping
Children Out on Road.

To date none have found any. al
though all claim they have been
searching asSiduously. They are not
worrying They say Sheriff Lillard
told them If they were unsuccessful
to come to Madison today and talk
1t over with Judge Smith and members
of the Park Commission.
Yesterday the sheriff said he didn't
know what would happen until the
Judge rendered some decision today.
Others Allowed to Stay.
The situation is made more COM
plicated, he pointed out. by the fact
that some of the neighborS of the
Caves-up near the Hoover camp at
the headwaters of the Rapidan-who
signed up to go on resettlement
projects have been allowed to remain
in their old cabins as tenants of the
Government until their new homes
are ready. However logical it might
seem to others, it doesn't seem quite
logical to the mountain minds of
the Caves that they should be cast
out and others allowed to remain.
Yesterday Judge Smith heard the
last of the park eviction cases at
Standardsville, county seat of the
next county.
When told that Sheriff Lillard was
waiting for him to hold court in Madi-
son today he expressed surprise and
said that he was not aware that any
court session was scheduled. Moth
ing more remains for him to do. He
has issued the writS. The further
action of the law is automatic. Every
possible consideration has been given
to the Dark Hollow folks and the
Judge feels that the sheriff may be a
bit confused.
However, the mountaineers have no
better friend than the judge. He sat
on the Condemnation Commission and
invariably met their claims more than
half way.
The apparent impasse. however,
may not be so difficult as it seems.
The Writs were returnable today. But.
with reasonable excuses. they can be
renewed from day to day by the clerk
of courts, so that the Caves will have
plenty of opportunity to get new
homes for themselves. And in con-
sideration of their present contrite
and cooperative attitude, everybody
concerned seems more than willing to
stretch a point.
After all, Virginia doesn't set chill
dren in the middle of county road
in cold weather.
Willing to Go.
Up in Dark Hollow there didn't
seem to be much apprehension. Rev.
Mr.. Cave was away over the ridge"
His wife, carrying two heavy pals of
water from the spring, paused to ex-
plain, without setting them down,
that she herself would be glad enough
to get out of the hollow. There is no
school for her children. The nearest
village. Syria, is 8 miles away over
an almost impossible saddle road and
she has been to town only few times
since she has dwelt in the mountains.
A few hundred yards beyond, her
eldest son Ralph, two chubby children
clutching at him, was splitting wood.
He will be glad to go, he says, as
soon as home can be found for him
in any way comparable with the little
shanty he now occupies. He wouldn't
have defied the State over what he
considers the unfair price they offered
him for his apple orchard this Sum-
mer If he had thoroughly understood
the situation.
Ralph, by the way, wants to be a
radio artist. He played a guitar over
Station WJSV one night last Winter
in tryout of amateurs and folks tell
him he was good. He specializes not
In mountain. but In cowboy music.
He believes he has a great future once
his talents win national recognition.
Just now the writs of possession
stand, however, against Ralph Cave.
Walter Cave, Wiley Cave, Douglas
Cave, their cousin Tom Breeden, who
married a Cave girl; Roy Woodward
and George w. Burracker.
With the Winter and all it's deli
cate situation for the Caves and their
neighbors, the sheriff and the Com
monwealth Of Virginia.