118 



Naturally, the region is a splendid fruit country, especially for apples ; 

 but spraying is unknown, and the stock has degenerated. Therefore the 

 trees bear abundant crops of gnarled, sour fruit. One mountain woman 

 told us to take as many apples as we wished, since they were of no value 

 except to sharpen the teeth on. Often apples are sold for ten cents per 

 bushel, are given away, or rot ; cause, poor transportation. 



Manufacture. 



Manufacturing within the region always has been meagre, primitive, 

 and for local use, except in the case of salt in the early days. 



In 1901 Bell and Boyd counties contained 172 manufacturing establish- 

 ments, with an aggregate capital of $5,201,489, an amount which was more 

 than one-half of that invested in manufactures in all the thirty-five coun- 

 ties in 1910. The cause for the emergence of these two counties is the 

 recent growth of Ashland and Oatlettsburg on the Ohio River, and Mid- 

 dlesboro near Cumberland Gap, a local supply of coal being the factor in 

 each case. Hazard and Jenkins soon will rank as manufacturing cities. 



The status of manufacturing for 1900 is indicated in the following 

 table : 



Establish- 

 ments. 



Capital 



Men, 16 



Women, 



Chil- 



Per 



Years 



16 Years 



dren 



Establish- 



and 



and 



Under 



ment. 



Over. 



Under. 



16. 



$7,221 



4,853 



44 



85 



10,886 



51,101 



9,174 



2,687 



Capital. 



Value of 

 Products. 



Kentucky Mountains. 

 Kentucky 



1,156 

 9,560 



$8,347,993 

 104,070,791 



$11,993,195 

 154,166 365 



The mills are small and are driven by water, animal, and hand power. 

 Machine made goods from the outside have supplanted the linsey-woolsey 

 cloth, counterpanes, and baskets formerly made in the cabins. But. 

 recently, the missionary and settlement schools have begun to sell such 

 goods outside of the mountains for the people, to supply cash, and there- 

 fore the industries are reviving, in part. The W. C. T. U. Settlement School 

 at Hindman, for example, sold $1,800 worth of such goods last year. 



Distilling always has been a widespread industry in the mountains, 

 since thereby corn, the chief crop, is converted into a product which can be 

 marketed with profit, and since the custom has been inherited. Illicit dis- 

 tilling increased greatly after the imposition of the liquor tax of the Civil 



