The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-04
School Plan
of Kentucky
Hills Is Told
Secretary of Industrial
Institution Explains
System Here.
BY ELIZABETH CARR

They like mountain music, those
young uns", of Pine Mountain,
Harlan County. Kentucky, and
they play it on mountain instru-
ment, dulcimer, hand carved Of
white pine or white oak.
The dulcimer is long, slender
kidney shaped instrument with
metal strings which are picked with
tiny metal picks.
These youngsters come from their
homes to the Pine Mountain Set
Element school knowing how to
plav the dulcimer, mandolin and
guitar. and with an understanding
of the mountain ballads and a
smattering of Chaucerian express
sions.
In this industrial school in the
heart of the Kentucky mountains
we foster traces of that innate cul-
ture which we speak about so OF
ten," Miss Alice Cobb, school secre-
tary, is telling indianapolis audi
ences this week. Sometimes it is
in a rare pattern of weaving or an
unusual shade of the vegetable
dive: sometimes in form of the
dance, preserved here, and lost to
all the rest of the world, Again 1T
is in a snatch of song, Or a bit OF
tune; sometimes only in an odd
turn of phrase in some lndlvld-
uals manner of speaking"
An eight-mile walk to the school,
a 10-hour -a-day job loading stones
and an eight-mile walk home con-
stitutes what one Harlan County
boz was willing to do for his edu-
cation.
That's an interesting case, but
not an exceptional one" Miss Cobb
explains" OF course, when this
situation was discovered, the school
saw to it that the boy became a
boarding student and allowed him
to continue working for his edu-
cation"
Choose Work or Trade
Seventh and eighth grade pupils
choose be, cen academic work or a
trade and around their choice their
programs for four years are built.
Woodworking and mechanical
work seem to appeal to boys, while
weaving and cooking are the girls
favorites. Students unable to pay
board are given work in line with
their vocations..
The school was founded in 1913
by Miss Katherine Petit, Licking
ton, KY. Miss Petit formerly had
been co-director of such a school
at Hindman, Knott County, KY,
with the late Miss Ethel Delong,
who had resigned her position as
a teacher at Manual Training High
School.
Miss Petit had this type of
school in mind as early as 1899, but
it was not until 1918 that she was
approached by persons living in
the region at the headwaters of
Greasy Greek and asked to open
such school.
Applicants were headed by Will
liam Creech Sr. who gave his farm
of 1876 acres because he wanted "all
young-uns taught to serve the liv
ing God"
IT don't look after wealth for
them" he explained. Il look after
the prosperity of our nation. l
have a heart and cravin' that our
people may grow better. Hopin' it
may make bright and intelligent
people after I'm dead and gone"
First Glass in Store
The first school was held in the
upper story of the local store and
post Office while the ground was
being cleared for the initial build
ing. Gradually one building after
another was erected, all being con-
structed from material at hand by
local and student labor. In 1928
the last building was completed.
Fireside brooms made of brown
corn stalks and topped with handles
carved of walnut, shawls, rugs,
purses, table covers, sewing bags
fashioned of homespun yarns and
colored with vegetable dye COM
prise the colorful craftwork made
by the pupils. Miss Cobb was care
full to point out that commercial
dye never is used. All reds are
made from madden, brown is OBJ
tanned from boiled walnut hulls,
and yellow is made from onion
skins.
1.-The Kentucky running-set dance
is danced even better at the school
than in England Miss Cobb says.
1t was introduced by Cecil Sharp,
an Englishman. who visited in
Kentucky. While there he dis
covered some traces of the dance
which was brought over by the
English who had come to Kentucky
years ago. The pupils have given
exhibitions of this runn4ng-set
dance and English country dane
ing. The school now is member
of the English Folk Dancing So
ciety of America.
"StyleS?" Miss Cobb smiled.
'.They wear cotton dresses and cot
ton stockings; no silk. The wo-
men knit their own sweaters, which
sometimes aren't so stylish, and
their stockings and mittens. They
often wind scarves arounds their
! heads"
Many Subjects Taught
Dairying, poultry care, forestry
weaving. home nursing, simple store
work, fundamental bookkeeping
sewing, home management anC
agriculture, together with courses