Big Sandy River made at its mouth the largest
round timber market in the world and brought untold fortunes to
capitalists who ruthlessly cut down the virgin forests along its banks.

Here at the waterfront taverns a motley crowd of loggers and raftsmen,
woodsmen and timbermen, were wont to gather for nights of revelry. The
old taverns rang with as rollicking songs as ever enlivened a western
bar in gold-rush days. Here too woodsman and logger rubbed shoulders
betimes with Devil Anse Hatfield and Randall McCoy, for it was to the
mouth of Big Sandy, the village of Catlettsburg, the county seat of
Boyd, that the clansmen repaired to reinforce their ammunition for
carrying on their bloody feud.

And here, in the spring of the year, the calliope could be heard far
down the Ohio as the showboat steamed into view. Shouts of glee went up
from the throats of youngsters along the way as they rushed excitedly
for the river-bank to watch the approach of the flag-decked boat. And
when the _Cotton Blossom_ had docked and deckhands had made her fast to
her moorings with rope and chain, a gayly uniformed band--led by a drum
major in high-plumed hat and gold-braided coat--with sounding horns and
quickened drumbeat walked the gangplank, leaped nimbly to shore, and
paraded the narrow winding village street.

Old and young wept over the death of Uncle Tom and hissed viciously the
slave-whipping Legree. Woodsman or logger, who had imbibed too freely at
the waterfront taverns, sometimes arose and cursed angrily the
black-mustachioed villain. Whereupon the town marshal patted the
disturber on the shoulder (the officer always had passes to the showboat
for himself and family and friends), wheedled the giant mountaineer into
silence, and left him dozing in his seat.

When the curtain fell on the last act, woodsmen and raftsmen and their
newfound friends in the village returned to the riverfront tavern to
make a night of it.

By sunup the crew would be on its way back up to the head of Big Sandy
to make ready for another timber run.

WOMAN'S WORK

The woman of the mountains has always been as resourceful in her way as
the man. She made the sweetening for the family's use from a sugar tree
and as often used sorghum from cane for the same purposes, even pouring
the thick molasses into coffee if they were fortunate enough to have
coffee. She made her own dyes from barks and herbs. And though she may
have had