ne, was
not always untutored or illiterate--of the type we sometimes encounter
today in remote mountain regions. In early days he was quite often both
preacher and teacher, such as William E. Barton, father of Bruce Barton,
who after preaching in the thinly settled parts of Knox County,
Kentucky, became the pastor of a Chicago church in later years. Some of
the early roving preachers even studied theology in the great centers of
learning both in America and Europe.

At one time, even as late as the last quarter of a century, there were
strait-laced Baptist preachers (my own blood kin among them) who would
not permit an organ in the church. But today it is quite the vogue for
young evangelistic couples to hold forth with piano-accordion and
guitar. "It peps up the joiners," the evangelist says. On the other
hand, in remote churches, where preachers still hold that note-singing
and hymn books with notes are the works of the Devil, these same fellows
will play up the hysteria of the audience with the "Holy Bark," the
"And-ah," "Yep, Yep," and the "Holy Laugh," chiefly at foot-washing
ceremonies.

The number of young people, however, who cling to the custom of
foot-washing is comparatively small. One reason may be that they are too
busy with other things, or that they consider such practices
old-fashioned.

MOUNTAIN MEN

Old Virginia had its Patrick Henry, the Blue Grass its Clays and
Breckinridges, but the Big Sandy produced from its most rugged quarter
as fine and noble timber as could be found throughout the breadth and
width of the Blue Ridge Country.

Early in his youth Hugh Harkins came from Pennsylvania to settle in
Floyd County in the heart of the Big Sandy. That was far back in the
1830's. He knew the saddlery trade but the young man preferred the
profession of law. So acquiring a couple volumes on practice and
procedure he began to study for the bar. He built himself an office of
stone which he helped to dig from the mountain side and with every spare
dollar he bought more law books and timber land. He died in 1869, but by
that time his grandson, Walter Scott Harkins, had a thirst to follow his
footsteps. The boy, even before he was old enough to understand their
meaning, listened avidly to the speeches of his grandfather in the
courtrooms of the mountain counties. And when Walter Scott Harkins was
only a strip of a lad he rode the unbeaten paths to courts of law with
his law