The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1942-04-30
Turning Over An
Old Leaf
By Phillip A. Gladheim

There were faces to remember in the
Valley of the Shadow;
There were faces unregarded, there
were faces to forget;
There were fires of grief and fear
that are a few forgotten ashes;
There were sparks Of recognition
that are not forgotten yet"
Blue Ridge Country, by Jean
Thomas, The Traipsin Woman, has
just come off press. 1t is published by
DueIl Sloane and Pearce Inc, N. Y,
and is priced at $500. The author has
read a number of Miss Thomas books,
all dealing with folklore of the South
ern Appalachians. Blue Ridge Coun-
try is a comprehensive summary of
distinct class of mountain people,
who, through the accident of isola-
ton, We're conditioned to keep alive
even to this present generation the
folk traditions of their ancestry In
many sections Of the Appalachians
the people soon capitulatcd to the
tawdry way Of life of the vagrant
and hillbilly.
The book is written in a racy, nara
tive style, breathtaking in its interest.
The first part of the book gives one a
new insight into the motives, prob
lens, and influences that developed a
folk-life unique and sincere; a folk
life that reflected itself in all the
prime events between cradle and
coffin. No school book has ever given
so much interesting data on Daniel
Boone; others Of his generation which
had been forgotten are Gabriel
Arthur, DR.. Thomas Walker, James
Robertson and Capt William Russell
There is also a hair-raising chapter
entitled Land Of Feuds and Stills"
If one is interested in reading COM
plete story of the feuds in our south
EN- mountains this is the book to read
As for homespun stories packed with
mirth and awe such as Devil Anse'
and the Tin Peddler, Granny Partlow's
Baptism, Philomel Whiffet's Singing
School, and The Deer Woman and the
Fawn, this book certainly adds
brilliant chapter to authentic litera-
ture drawn from new sources of
Americana.
The final chapter is entitled Re
claiming the Wilderness This is
graphic description of the manifold
efforts Of conservation Of the soil, re-
sources, historic places traditions,
and the simple homespun way of Iiv-
ing The theory is that the simple
way Of life is what made these people
great in virtue and feeling. Because
Miss Thomas and Sid Hatfield took
part in the Folk Festival held in con-
nectien with Maryland Chautauqua at
Mt. Lake Park last summer, out Of
which has since grown "The Ameri-
can FolkWays Association, this final
chapter includes a reference of local
interest. Also in the same chapter
there is reference to a Governor
Shelby. The author is inclined to be-
lieve this Isaac Shelby was the person
who purchased land in the northwest
part of Garrett county, later known
as SeIbysport, yet never lived there
himself
"Snapshots Along The Way" writ
ten by one who styles himself as The
Wanderers is published weekly in The
Cumberland Evening Times Sunday
edition, editorial pageD Blue Ridge
Country proved so fascinating to
The Wandcrcr that for three success
sivc weeks he devoted bis entire space
to its review. Editors of newspapers
are most likely to write on subjects
that have large appeal. 1t is
symptomatic Of the trend Of the read
ing public that books dealing with
American history and folklore
should at this time become so i'm
mcnsely popular On reading Jean
Thomas Blue Ridge Country' one
finds a new meaning to the adagc
'+,r,+b * s+1.anurr than fiction