Reminds me of the Ellison Hatfield story. The Hatfield and McCoy troubles started over drinking at the polling place in Mingo county. The three McCoy boys fatally wounded Ellison Hatfield in a drunken brawl on election day. Ellison's brother "Devil" Anse Hatfield, caught the three boys as they were headed back to Pike County Ky and killed them. Those killings touched off the famous feud that lasted for decades.
The Hatfield-McCoy Feud 100th Anniversary
http://www.wvculture.org/history/crime/hatfieldmccoy02.html"Bloody" Mingo and Logan counties may be marked, because of what Captain Michael Cresap's group of men did to the family of Chief Logan of the Mingo tribe. Lots of bad things happened in Mingo and Logan counties over the years. Things like the gunfight at Matewan and the floods the Buffalo Creek disaster and scores of mine fatalities, strikes, shutdowns and layoffs.
Logan County History
http://www.polsci.wvu.edu/wv/Logan/loghistory.htmlCHIEF LOGAN'S LAMENT
"I appeal to any white man to say, if ever he entered Logan's cabin hungry, and he gave him not meat: if ever he came cold and naked, and he cloathed him not. During the course of the last long and bloody war Logan remained idle in his cabin, an advocate for peace. Such was my love for the whites, that my countrymen pointed as they passed, and said, `Logan is the friend of white man.' l had even thought to have lived with you, but for the injuries of one man. Colonel Cresap, the last spring, in cold blood, and unprovoked, murdered all the relations of Logan, not even sparing my women and children. There runs not a drop of my blood in the veins of any living creature. This called on me for revenge. I have sought it: I have killed many: I have fully glutted my vengeance: for my country I rejoice at the beams of peace. But do not harbour a thought that mine is the joy of fear. Logan never felt fear. He will not turn on his heel to save his life. Who is there to mourn for Logan?--Not one."
There are some mighty tough folks in those southern WV counties and some even to this day, are so poor that they would sell their vote to feed their kids a square meal. Some still rowdy enough to trade their vote for a pint of whiskey. How sad in a country that is so wealthy, so well educated and so well off.
Coal Tattoo
Written by Billy Ed Wheeler
Travelin' down that coaltown road,
Listen to those rubber tires whine;
Goodbye to Buckeye and White Sycamore
I'm leavin' you behind.
I've been a coal man all my life
Layin' down track in the hole
Got a back like an ironwood bent by the wind
Blood veins blue as the coal.
Somebody said "That's a strange tattoo
You have on the side of your head."
I said "That's a blue print, left by the coal
Just a little more and I'd be dead"
And I love the rumble and I love the dark
I love the cool of the slate.
But it's on down the new road lookin' for a job
It's the travelin' and lookin' I hate.
I've stood for the union, walkin' the line,
Fought against the company;
Stood for the U. M. W. of A.
Now who's gonna stand for me?
I got no house and I got no pay,
Just got a worried soul;
And this blue tattoo on the side of my head
Left by the number nine coal.
Someday when I'm dead and gone
To Heaven, the land of my dreams,
I won't have to worry on losin' my job
To bad times 'n big machines.
I ain't gonna pay my money away
For pensions and hospital plans.
I'm gonna pick coal where the blue heavens roll
And sing with the angel bands.
***************************
I in no way want to come off like I'm making fun of anyone, in those counties. I know a lot of those great, friendly, helpful, folks over there, because I've worked and stayed in the area over the years. I admire the people for their toughness, their willingness to work hard and their ability to adapt and to overcome extreme adversity. I have made some lifetime friends over there in coal country. An example of that toughness would be their ability to bounce back, even from things like this....
http://www.wvculture.org/history/buffcreek/bctitle.html