Frank M. Allara Library Special Collections and Archives (Univ. of Pikeville)
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Page 20, Folk Tales of the Cumberlans
No full textA book of collected essays on life in the Appalachian mountains, created by the English Eleven students of Pikeville College, circa 1927.suspected who the witch was and decided to kill her. She got a nail
and scratched a picture of the woman on a tree. Then she stepped back
and with a pistol she shot at one side of the head. This old witch-
woman was seen for a month or two with one side of her head tied up
They said that if the bullet had hit and lodged between the picture of
the eyes in the picture, the witch would have died.
There was a boy who, instead of going up and down the front steps of
his home, always went to the back steps. Everytime anyone asked him
why he didn't go up the front steps he would say the front ones were
bewitched. He kept on talking about this until they decided he was
crazy and sent him to the asylum. His mother, one day tore up the front
steps to see what was there. She found a witch ball with needles, pins
and some kind of medicine tied up in a cloth with two cress sticky ly-
ing on it. She moved this when her son came back home he went up the
front steps, saying they were not bewitched now.
These are a few of the many tales about her. If you go around to any
of the neighbors they will tell you others about the old woman.
AUNT SUZANNE
By Palestine Stumbo
Aunt Zuzannes' small hut is located in a very mountanious section of
Kentucky. The cabin is made of logs and the cracks are filled with mud.
It has only one room and one door. In this one room she and her son
both eat and sleep. The large open fireplace is used gor cooking pur-
poses as well as heating.
Aunt Suzanne is a bery old and feeble woman. She wears a large, red
bandanna around her head and balance her feeble body with a cane.Most
children fear her because she looks so much like an old witch.
many girls and boys from thi community often visit Aunt Suzanne and
get their fortuens told. She has a small oil lamp without a globe.When
she starts to tell your fortune, she looks into the flame and rubs her
eye three times, then tells you your future. She charges only ten
cents for telling these fortunes, or "just enough money to buy her to-
bacco she says.
In the last few years a community-center has been built that has some
of the modern conveniences such as gurnace hear, electric lights and
running water. This is all very strange to Aunt Suzanne and she calls
this community-center "The City dropped down from heaven."
"I reckon you hain't near forgot that time when I was sick and nearly
blind in my eyes. Well, I shore did go to Heaven I thought I was near-
ly gone, Everything went black to me, but all of a sudden some body
touched my shoulder and asked me if I would like to go to Heaven.I got
up from bed and we started. It was all dark outside, but the person
that was with me carried a lantern and led me by the arm. We went up
that steep hill yoonder and honey, you'd think I'd be plun give out, as
weak as I was, but I weren't the least bit tired and when we tot to
the top of that hill I just gook wings and flew up to heaven. Every-
thing was pretty up there, and as I walked along the path, I saw little
girls all dressed in white and playing along in the flowers, and right
about then I saw my little Alice what had been dead all these long years
and she knowed me, too, and run up and kissed me. She left me pretty
soon, but I got to see all the rest of my people. I stayed up there a
long time and then I come back here and got in bed. Nobody had missed
me. But that man said that the next time I went Iwas shore going to
stay and I believe it, too."
She is very earnest in telling this story but we concluded that she had
dreamed it. Still, you can't maker her beieve it was only a dream.
LOVERS LEAP
By S.A.H.
Pikeville's most beautiful and treasured legend is built around a high
rock situated on the hill east of Pikeville,
The legend of "Lover's Leap" has been told from generation to genera-
tion, and as it has been told it has grown more beautiful
Page 34, Folk Tales of the Cumberlans
No full textA book of collected essays on life in the Appalachian mountains, created by the English Eleven students of Pikeville College, circa 1927.When they were about to go to sleep, the door at the foot of the stairs flew open.
They got up and closed it but every time it would fly open again, in a few minutes.
My mother-in-law, who was staying with them, got up and put a prop against the door.
Just as she got into bed it flew open and the prop rolled in under “Bad Jim’s” bed.
They could hear all kinds of noises upstairs but when they investigated, they found
nothing.
The next morning the officers came and locked “Bad Jim” up in prison, where he spen
several years with his cronies, for the terrible crime.
FASTER RIDE
By Eugene Hale
The train wound its way around the mountain curves of the Big Sandy Division December
night on its excursion to its destiny at Elkhorn City. The engineer never once
thought of the tragedy that was impending. The train stopped at the country station
o Harold, letting off some passengers and taking on others. As the train pulled out
of the station it was nearing a horse with a rider just around the curve. The horse
and rider were in the middle of the track racing for their lives while the train was
fast approaching. The rider made several attempts to rein the horse off the track
but his effort was futile. The horse was galloping with all his might when the cow
catcher of the train his his hind legs and, undoubtedly, must have scooped them for-
ward up under his body and the horse in this cramped position broke the girt. The
rider with his saddle and a bushel of apples fell backward and lodged behind the rod
on the cowcatcher instead of falling on the track. The unfortunate horse in this
quick action was thrown off the track and his head struck a rock cliff and he was
instantly killed. The rider along with the saddle and bridle was carried to Pikeville
before he was discovered. He said he regained consciousness at Coal Run, the first
stop below Pikeville. The rider received a few wounds in the head from which he
soon recovered.
ASSOCIATIONS
By Eugene Hale
Associations used to be held once a year in some community, first in one district,
then in another. Each county had an association every year.
Horse swappers, traders and most of the other thrifty men were present at these con-
genial meetings. Nearly every man that visited these places had two or more horses
and mules to trade. They drank, rode their horses fast and traded with a man when
they found some horse or mule they like better.
“One man’s loss is anothers gain,” so some men got cheated and a few left the as-
sociation feeling like a million. The man who came out on top was of course the man
who had the best judgement and knowledge of beasts.
On the other hand, some people rode for miles to these gathering and at night they
put their horses in the other man’s barn and fed him corn and fodder and put up with
him for several days at a time. This was the old custom but now it would seem like
“sponging.”
Some inhuman boys and ignorant men would ride their horse almost to death up and down
the two-acre ground trying to show the people what good riders they were and how fast
their horses could run, and at night the horses’ backs would be raw and blood would be
dripping from the spurred sides.
It is very fortunate for the dub brutes that these associations have almost died out.
But nevertheless a few of them are still held in remote counties.
THE DEVIL ANSE HATFIELD MONUMENT
By Hazel Hammond
On a little hill in the County of Logan, between Williamson and Logan, West Virginia
stand a monument of historical renown. It is the likeness of the well known Devil
Anse Hatfield, the leader of the Hatfield and McCoy fued. The Monument was created
by the Hatfield Clan in memory of their great Chiefton. This monument is so much lik
ime, that people stop in passing to gaze upon it. It is carved from marble and mount
ed on white concrete. His features are perfect. His mustache, his hair, and nose
are supposed to be the work of an artist. Even the wrinkles in the sleeves of his
coat are visible. His boots are copied from the boots he wore during the later part
of the fued. This monument was made in Europe and cost thousands of dollars. It is
said that he still watches his clan from the hill top.
SORE HEEL HALLOW
By Lily Stamper
Many years ago when this part of the country was inhabited only by wild animals, ad-
venturous Virginians pushed past the edge of civilization and explored the Indians’
hunting ground. One of the many things that served as a good inducement was the dis-
covery of salt-petre which was used in making bullets. The men dug the salt-petre
with their long hunting knives
Page 9, Folk Tales of the Cumberlans
No full textA book of collected essays on life in the Appalachian mountains, created by the English Eleven students of Pikeville College, circa 1927.At last Grandma has all her geese in a “pen” as she calls it and she gets her a chair and places it on the inside near the gate. Then she
gets a barrel (one she has used for many years) to put the feathers in.
“Now Johnie, you have to stand right there at that gate and catch me a
goose when I’m through with this one”. But Johnie doesn’t want to stand
on the inside, because he is afraid of the geese. They can bite very
hard. Grandma gets one goose and sits near the barrel. She turns this
goose over on its back and puts its head under her arm. Sometime she
just a little bit too rough and almost brings “hide and all” with
the fearthers, but the old goose never fails to give her a “peck” in the
ribs and sometimes brings the blood. Grandma will give the goose a
slap and tell it to be still and she goes on with her picking.
At last she has this goose finished and puts the feathers in the barrel
and the goose outside of the pen. This goes on until all of the geese
are picked. Then Grandma has a whole barrel of feathers to put in her
new tick which she got the last time she was at town (last fall). Which
she will give to the girl that gets married first ofr next, which is
usually the case.
HOW HOMINY WAS MADE
By Ester Johnson
Although times and customs have changed, people’s hearts have remained
practically the same through the ages. Before the advent of our count-
less labor-saving devices, people would work hours without even tiring
to prepare something for their families. Hominy was one of the hard-
earned delicacies.
Corn with white, smooth grains was selected with great care. Hominy was
cooked in a large iron kettle close to the spring. Plenty of water was
in demand and at first baking soda was applied to loosen the side skin.
Ashes were sometime used instead of soda. When this was done the corn
was taken out of the kettle, washed many times until the skin was remov-
ed, then replaced and cooked until tender. It usually required a day to
cook it, according to the fire that was kept.
GRITTING CORN
By Cossie Quillen
Gritting corn is a beneficial process as well as an amusing one. Corn
is gritted for the purpose of making meal for the familys’ bread.
In gritting you use the best white ears of your crop. Red or colored
ears make the meal look dark. To make a gritter you take a piece of tin
about eighteen by eight inches, punch it full of small holes with a
nail and bend it in a half circle, with the rough side up. The nail it
on a board.
You take the ears of corn, shuck them, clean the silks off, and rub the
ear up and down on the tin. This cuts it into meal.
MAKING APPLE BUTTER
By Addison Wagner
Apples are taken to a cider press and crushed into cider, which is left
in the open for a few days to ferment. When the family invites the
neighbors and they have an apple paring. The group has a delightful
evening paring the apples, and then refreshments are served.
After seven or eight bushels of apples have been peeled the people br-
gin to make the apple butter. They take about thirty-five gallons of
cider and boil it off a long time to take the impurities out of it.
Then they add apples to the cider just a few at a time until the seven
or eight bushels have been used. About twenty-five pounds of sugar are
used to sweeten. This mixture is boiled for eight or nine hours till it
comes to a certain thickness. Then it is placed in gallon jars and set
it away till it is wanted for use. It will keep for four or five years.
PEALING APPLES
By Ruth Wright
Chairs are circled around a nice big pile of apples. Young and old a-
like are seated ready to peel apples. This isn’t considered work by
great fun providing someone else hasn’t take your favorite friend for
the night. The older people want so much to get the apples peeled so
they can make applebutter and can apples tomorrow. On the other hand
the younger set look foreward to the dance with usually follows an ap
Page 32, Folk Tales of the Cumberlans
No full textA book of collected essays on life in the Appalachian mountains, created by the English Eleven students of Pikeville College, circa 1927.Hellier
By Imogene Francisco
The town of Hellier is located in Pike County in the foothills of the Cumberland
Mountains. In the year of Nineteen Hundred Thirty the town had a population a-
bout two thousand, quite the contrast to that of Nineteen Hundred Four. At that time
families were few; there was not even a grocery store in this vicinity. The close-
st store was about five miles away.
In 1904 this was locality underwent a change, due to the building of a railroad. Shortly
after this there came to the locality a man who will be long remembered, Mr. Ralph
Hellier. He became a leader of what is now known as the town of Hellier. He little
realized that this town would bear his name in the succeeding years.
HOW BEAR FORK RECEIVED IT’S NAME
By Esther Johnson
This story is very true. the people who experienced those adventures are still liv-
ing and will tell you the story as they have told it to me.
About thirty-five years ago a few bears were chased out of the mountains of Letcher
County. they never found a permanent place until they reached a very thick forest.
This was at Robinson Creek, on the main highway. In those days men seemed to find
nothing to amuse them except hunting, and this they did the greater part of their
time.
One bright sun shinny morning, Mr. Bill Wright, Tandy Johnson and a few others, took
their guns and dogs to hunt for the entire day. They had no idea they would hunt
bear, but they did and much has been said about it. they had not been in the hills
more than half an hour when they hears a very queer noise. On they went, with a feel-
ing it would be a “hant” or probably a panther. Suddenly Mr. Wright spied a nest of
young bears in a large tree trunk which had rotted out on the inside. In an instant
their dogs were upon the wee bears, and in a few seconds the mother bear was captur-
ed by the Tandy Johnson who carried the best gun. When they were all killed the men
suggested having a feast, and giving the uncleared fork a name. They all went in
different directions except one who was left to look after the bears, and very soon
every body in that locality was gazing, with trembling hearts and weary minds, be-
cause bears were thought of then as hunting for young babied to eat. A huge fire was
built, the large bear was dressed and put into bake, covered with ashes. While some
of the men buried the young ones. When the meat was done they ate with all thier
might until the last bite was gone. The men who killed them, suggested naming the
fork. but firest they asked who would be willing to clear it. Every body was willing.
It did not take them very long to clear the place. Houses were built, and log cabins.
They are still standing today with people living in them with happy hears and care-
free thoughts. Bear Fork has never held anymore bears but it will hold its name for-
ever.
DEERSKIN
By Mrs. Norman K. Burke
Darkness was creeping up the ravines. the crickets and frogs were singing their night-
ly-tunes. an owl called to his mate from his perch high on the mountain side. All
These things of nature were joyful, but the young Indian mother wo sat before her
father’s wigwam crooning an Indian lullaby to the babe held close against her breast,
did not hear the voices of the wild things nor did this cheerfulness bring joy or
relief to her saddened spirit.
She gazed out across the blue hills of the Cumberlands and wondered if the husband,
who belonged to the tribe of the Long Knives, and who had gone away to visit in the
land of his white kinsmen, had forgotten his promise to return. Many moons had pass-
ed now since he went away, and something seemed to tell that some inevitable tragedy
kept him from her and that he would not return. If her keen eyes could have pierced
the veil of distance, they might have seen in the white man’s land a lonely new-made
grave. her Husband had sickened and died.
With the darkness was born her decision. Her child must grow up among his father’s
people, -so, clutching him tightly, she stole silently away into the night.
Dawn came—the clear dawn of a summer morning. many miles to the eastward on the
door step of a white man’s cabin an Indian baby set up a wail of hungry. The inmates
of that cabin were aroused and, on investigating, found this tiny waif to their own
brood of five and he grew to stalwart manhood in the land of his father, hearing the
name of of Deerskin until it was finally shortened to Deskins. He was the first to
hear the name that is still known and bourne by many of our mountain people.
LYNCHED
By Ruth Wright
As Hershel Deyton, mine foreman of Freeling mine, and a gentlemn friend drove home
one evening from work they were stopped by two negro women. The negro man asked
Mr. Deyton if they might ride as far as he was going. Mr. Deyton told him that he
wasn’t going far and couldn’t let them ride
Page 35, Folk Tales of the Cumberlans
No full textA book of collected essays on life in the Appalachian mountains, created by the English Eleven students of Pikeville College, circa 1927.One day while two men were busily engaged in cutting the salt-petre one man fell
and bruised his heel. Paying no heed to it except to treat it as a joke he and his
companion continued their work
In a few days in the pain in his hell grew worse. Soon it became so painful that he could not walk. As their work was almost completed the other man finished it
alone in the hope that his companion would be able to leave when the work was ended.
Each day the foot grew steadily worse instead of better and at last the sick man
begged his friend to go on without him. Packing their provisions in a pack after
carefully hiding the salt-petre, the friend put the sick man on his shoulder and
started out of the hollow. One day’s journey convinced them that they would both die
before they would get out in this way so they camped for the night.
In the meantime the man gathered firewood and placed it near the sick man. The next
morning he made him as comfortable as possible and after giving him most of their scanty store of provisions, he started off alone to find help.
Days passed with o sign of help and the man grew steadily worse. His food supply
gave out, then the firewood. By this time the badly infected heel had set up blood-
poisoning and he died.
When the other man returned with help he found the dead man. Sorrowfully the little
group carried him back to the salt-petre cave and there they buried him.
The cave is halfway down the mountain side of a deep valley. the only way to reach
it is by climbing down a ladder. The inside of the cave gives back ono echoes as
you wander about in it. No rain has fallen inside for many decades and the dust
is veryy soft and fine. The old ladder which has been there for many years is
getting rotten. Unless some on builds a new one people will have to stop visiting
Sore Heel Hollow.
BIOGRAPHY OF UNCLE TOM’S CABIN
By Elmer Rogers
Four miles south of Maysville, Kentucky is a little town by the name of Washington.
It is located on Route Sixty-eight. This is one of the old towns of Kentucky. George
Washington gave Chief Justice Marshall a grant of land and he made his first settle-
ment at this point. This was formerly the county seat of Mason County.
Harriet Beecher Stowe visited this town quite often. During one of her visits here
Uncle Tom was sold in the court house yard. This even created in her heart a symp-
athy for the slaves and she wrote the book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” from the setting that
she got the day that Uncle Tom was sold in the court house yard at Washington.
SALT LICK
By Lillian Fairchild
Nestled among the mountains near my home town in Floyd County, lies a small valley.
Along either side of the stream in this valley rest cozy farm houses. No surveyor
could prove that the “creek,” as it is called by the natives, is more than seven or
eight miles in length. But the small size of the valley does no add or take a mite
of happiness from the people living there. They are a provincial people. When com-
pany comes a race is run to see who gets to tell the story of how their swell world
was given the name “Salt Lick.” At evening when the fire is lighted in the “front
room” usually, the father will start the story, which has been handed down for gener-
ations of how their ancestors had watched deer walking along the mountains top out-
lined against the sky.
After watching them a number of times the people decided to follow to where the deer
were going. Half way up the stream the people noticed the deer were coming down
the hill. They kept very still lest the deer be frightened away. Finally the deer
reached a level near the stream. They lifted their heads to see that no danger was
near, then began as if they were licking something. After they went away the people
went up to the place. They tasted of what they thought was rock, and found it to
be salt. They returned to their homes and kept watching the deer file along the mountain top going to lick salt. Since then the small valley has been called Salt
Lick.
A WEDDING
By Edith Walters
This is about a wedding of 1900, as it was told by my mother. “The bride lived in
a large brick house, surrounded by a beautiful yard. A few of the best friends of the
family were invited to come the day before the wedding. The old house rang with
joyous laughter and how that kitchen did hum with busy workers. Such cooking and
planning and preparing for the wedding supper.
It was a beautiful, sunshiny day in April. In the early evening the house began to
fill with friends of the young folks.
About six P.M. while Mendelsohn’ wedding March was being played by Miss Kay, the
bridal couple entered the parlor and took their places near the piano. The ceremon
Page 39, Folk Tales of the Cumberlans
No full textA book of collected essays on life in the Appalachian mountains, created by the English Eleven students of Pikeville College, circa 1927.SHEEP CLIFFS
By Violet Bentley
The Sheep Cliffs are a great mass of rocks located on the top of a high hill at the
head of Marrowbone Creek, in Pike County, Kentucky.
These cliffs cover about four hundred feet of ground, and the highest part is about
one hundred feet from the ground. This high point can be reached by climbing from
one ledge to another, and this is made possible by a small path which is very close
to the face of the cliff. This path is not difficult to climb, but one must ascend
with caution.
Many years ago when people in this locality were growing sheep, the sheep would some-
times wander to these cliffs and see the nice bunches of green grass that would grow on the
ledges, and they would begin climbing toward them.
They found the climb not so difficult, but when they walked out on the ledge they
could not understand that they must go back to this narrow path to ascend. Here
they would stand bleating until they starved themselves to death, unless some one
heard them and went to their aid. The rescurers pushed them over one ledge to the
next ledge, and from here a distance of about thirty-five feet to the ground. The
happenings such as these occurred frequently and finally people gave this place the
name it still maintains, “The Sheep Cliffs.”
THE RAVEN ROCK
By Alpha Hughes
Over looking the town of Jenkins is a huge rock about two miles in length. From it
one gets a beautiful view of Virginia and Kentucky.
This Rock is visited by campers, hikers and many other people who go there for the
scenery and leave their initials carved on the rock and in the caves. The caves
may be reached from the top, by climbing down into them. These offer shelter when
it rains and a sleeping place when campers visit.
This rock got its name many years ago before the town of Jenkins was established,
because of the great number of ravens that made their homes in it. These ravens built
their nests and lived there peacefully until the people began to come. Their coming
cause the ravens to scatter but the place is still called “The Raven Rock.”
LETTUCE ROCKS
By Maggie Flanery
The Lettuce Rocks are large rocks on the top of a high hill in Floyd County, Kentucky.
There are many of these peculiar rock, apparently the same size, and made in the ex-
act form of a lettuce bed. They range in a straight line down a ridge. In the sum-
mer, moss grows on the top of them adding to the beauty of them. Many people go to
these rocks during the summer for picnics. They got their name from their peculiar
arrangement in the form of a lettuce bed.
Tunnel Rock
By Jesse Dotson
On the lower part of Pond Creek there was once a battle between the whites and the
Indians. Between the opponents was a large stone on a cliff, which was very steep on
the side where the Indians were; and which extended from hill to hill, clear across
the (then) narrow valley.
The Indians climbed upon the cliff and shot several Whites, but the latter could not
ascend the rock because it was so steep on their side. This natural formation gave
the Reds a big advantage over the Whites.
Finally, after a battle of several days, the Whites took one of their number who had
A very tough head, used him as a “battering ram,” battered a passage way through the
Rock, and this gained for themselves a will-deserved victory over their enemy. This
Rock has since been called “Tunnel Rock.”
BOWENS ROCK
By Inoz Elswick
This historical rock played quite a dramatic race in the pioneer days of Big Sandy
Valley. It was located on the banks of the Big Sandy River, near the town of Elkhorn
City, Pike County, Kentucky. It got its name from a man by the name of Bowens, one of
the early pioneers.
Bowens, while hunting deer alongside the riverside, in the year of 1800, came upon a band
of Indians from which he fled to take his stand on top of “Bowens Rock,” as it is now
known. He was out-number and practically surrounded with all hope of escape cut off.
Bowens resolved not to be captured, so he leaped into the river and crawled beneath
a ledge that jutted out over the water.
The Indians, puzzled by the daring act of their enemy, visited on top of the rock fo
Pikeville Collegiate Institute, back
No full textThis is the back of half of a post card. This postcard was sent to Miss Mary Hazlett, Grove City, PA, Box 59
Page 12, Folk Tales of the Cumberlans
No full textA book of collected essays on life in the Appalachian mountains, created by the English Eleven students of Pikeville College, circa 1927.LOG ROLLING
By Frankie Pizzuto
Mr. William Peterson owned a farm on the southern slope of the Cumber-
land mountain. Part of the farm was very rough. He had some excellent
farming land, if it were cleared of the logs.
He and his wide agreed to sell the farm, move to town, and live with
Their son. They were not able to do the work ont the farm. The farm
was sold to Mr. Grizzle; a neighbor, with his family of five who came
to the farm in the fall.
His two boys and daughter were interested in the new place. The three
decided to help their father in making improvements on the place. Their
plan was to have a log rolling. Spring was near, so they wasted no time
in preparing for it.
Trimble, Stewart, and Beulah went to their father and told him of their
plan. He was pleased to hear of their having so much interest in their
farm.
Beulah spent the day inviting their friends. Trimble and Stewart went
over to the old farm place to get a calf which they had almost forgot-
ten they owned. The fatted calf was killed and dressed by the two boys.
Steward had seven fat hens that he was getting ready to market. He
killed them.
The next morning young men came from every direction. Mr. Grizzle and
his friends were in the woodland working by seven o’clock. Thirty-six
men were very bust rolling over logs into heaps. The boys seemed to be have-
ing the time of their lives.
To get dinner for the men there were eight of Beulah’s friends. Meats
Were baked and the hens were cooked in several different ways. Louise
and Stella Deskins were kept busy making pies and cookies. They prepar-
ed everything that was good at eat. At two o’clock there came sixteen
more girls to wait on the mon at dinner.
At two-thirty the dinner bell rang. The men brought in their tools and
put. them away, then washed for dinner. It was five-thirty when dinner
was over. The men rested while the girls did the house-work.
At seven the big barn dance started. Many more boys and girls came.
The barn loft was almost filled. The Skeene brothers, a string band of
eight, played while the young and old joined hands and danced the old
Virginia reel, the Boston, and cut the figure eight. They were all hap-
py and the dance continued until eight o’clock.
NOT UNTIL TREADED DO WE PART
By H. L. Centrell
“People are all created equal,” is a common expression and one which al-
most everyone of us has heard and to a certain extent believes; but ac-
cording to information obtained from many of the “old time” settlers
mountaineers on Pond Creek, “Hoss Tradin” G.R. Taylor is
one person who believes that at least wives are created with a differ-
ence of from the value of a postal stamp to a “brand new” barlow knife.
It is said that Mr. Taylor once traded wives with a friend of his and
in the trade a barlow knife was given to equalize the difference in
value of the two females.
Taylor had a repatation for trading. If it was a pig, horse, or cow,
or a bushel of corn, he would always exchange it for anything you might
have, always requiring, of course some “boot.”
He and a good friend of his were married about the same time. They
lived as very close neighbors. Of course comestic troubles
came up, and since the rows of these particular couples happened, seem-
ingly, at the same time, it was noted that wife of husband No. 1 would
always sympathize with the husband for wife No. 2, and visa versa. Both
men soon became aware of the situation and in the end each exchanged
his better half for that of his friend. The old timers claim that
“Hoss tradin’ George” had to have a barlow knife “to boot.
Page 14, Folk Tales of the Cumberlans
No full textA book of collected essays on life in the Appalachian mountains, created by the English Eleven students of Pikeville College, circa 1927.RELIGIO
Page 21, Folk Tales of the Cumberlans
No full textA book of collected essays on life in the Appalachian mountains, created by the English Eleven students of Pikeville College, circa 1927.marry.
One day the princess and chief met at their favorite meeting place on
a big rock on the side of the hill. The both decided that there were
very few reasons for their living so they clasped hands and jumped from
the big rock. They fell down and down among the soft, green foliege
to their happy, but terriable, death.
This big rock still rests on the side of the hill east of Pikeville and
the story is told to strangers wo come to the little mountain town.
LEGEND OF THE BIG SANDY
By Glima Hughes
During the period of the early settlement of this section of the count-
try there lived, jus across the Cumberland Mountains, in Virginia a
pioneer family composed of a man, his wife and two small daughter, Le-
visa and Mary. Ages nine and eleven.
Onde day while these two little girls were out playing, quite a dis-
tance from the house a band of Indians crept upon them, capturing and
carrying them off into the woods. Before the little girls could give
the alarm or call for help the Indians were hastily carrying them a-
cross the mountains on their way to their own village in Ohio, just a-
cross the Ohio river from the mouth of the Big Sandy River.
On their way down the riber the little girls tried to make all the si-
gns possible that their father and friends might trail their captors
and rescue them. They would break twigs of bushes, turn over rocks or
discard pieces torn from their clothing. This the Indians soon notic-
ed and so closely guarded them that such acts no longer possible. The
two little sisters then agreed to watch very closely all seeming odd
formations or trees so that if the opportunity for escape ever came to
them they could find their way back home. By this time the Indians had
stopped allowing then to speak to each other so when a marker was not-
iced they would agree on it by a nod of the head.
Many times the girls tried to escape but were watched so closely that
not until six years had elapsed, since their capture, were they success-
ful. They recrossed the Ohio river at the mouth of the Gig Sandy and
began their toilsome journey on foot, up the river toward their home.
All went well until they came to the forks of the river, where Louisa
is now located. Here the two sisters disagreed. Levisa, who was the
older and now seventeen, said they must take the fork to the right Mary
said the fork to the left was the right road home. After much argument
the girls separated, Mary taking the fork to the left and Levisa the
one to the right.
Before Levisa had gone very far she noticed two tall chimney rocks side
by side. She recognized them as one of their markers of six years be-
fore. She knew she was onthe right road home and so hastily retraced
her way to the forks of the river, taking up the trail of her sister.
She soon overtook her, telling her of the marker she had found.
Mary was stubborn and still argued she knew she was right. Levisa was
older and stronger than her sister, so when Mary would not be persuad-
ed to follow she took her by force and almost dragged her the the whole
of the distance back to the two large chimney rocks. Her she convinced
mary that this was the right way home, and soon they were peacefully
hastening on, reaching their home in Virginia several days later.
Ever after, the fork of the Big Sandy river up which Mary started was
known as the Tug Fork because Levisa dragged or tugged her sister from
it and up the other fork. The fork which Levisa chose and which was
the one leading them back home was called the Levisa Fork in memory of
the young woman, Levisa.
BEAR TRACK
By Lily Stamper
One of the most beautiful and cerainly one of the most enjoyed spots
in Lee county, Kentucky, is the large rock known far and wide as the
Bear Track. The rock is at the edge of a deep gorge called Hatton Hol-
low. It is thirteen miles southeast of Beattyville and about one hun-
dred feet off the Beattyville--Irvine Pike.
Contrary to the usual disagreements on such points of interest the old
people agree on the legend concerning Bear Trad,. This is the story a