131 
resources of a region by outside capital tends to harm the native, es- 
pecially if his civilization is not modern. In this case the outcome is in 
the balance. 
THE FUTURE. 
If exploitation pure and simple continues, twenty-five years will bid 
fair t6 bring about the following results: The disappearance of this race 
of true Americans as a unit; the passing of the valuable timber ; numerous 
forest fires in the region slashed over; greatly increased erosion of the 
steep hillsides with their soil already thin; short periods of flood within 
and below the region; long intervals of low water within and below the 
region; the reduction of fish and game; the introduction of a foreign mining 
element, also a foreign manufacturing body; and a region of great natural 
beauty changed to a region of squalidness. Presently, with the increase 
of population and the value of land in the United States, the region may 
be reclaimed at great cost. 
Outside aid might do the following things: Regulate the exploitation 
of the coal and timber so that it will be gradual; aid the counties in 
building good roads; assist in educating the mountain people along broad 
lines to close the gap between them and us; help them to develop stock 
raising, fruit growing, scientific agriculture, and scientific forestry. Some 
of the results would be: The saving of the mountain race as a unit; the 
addition of a happy, prosperous, food supplying area to the United States; 
the prevention of the disasters of soil erosion and of flood, and the utiliza- 
tion of water power. 
It is being pointed out that men break down under the tension of 
modern industrialism, unless they, somehow, are brought into contact with 
the beautiful, and get away for frequent moments of change and recrea- 
tion. The government owls our national parks; but they are far out 
West, beyond the financial reach of the average worker. The government 
might also establish numerous small parks in the Southern Appalachian 
Highlands, which would become the recreation ground of millions of 
workers east of the Mississippi River. 
