Blue Grass; Black Coal

By William Clayton Evans

The fictional story of a young Eastern Kentucky girl who leaves the mountains to attend a large university. It shadows her quests for a better life and the tragedies that shape her character.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524671938

William Clayton Evans

This is the second book by the author, William Clayton Evans; the first was entitled “Lincoln Institute Revisited”. He resides in Versailles, Kentucky.

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© 2017 BY WILLIAM CLAYTON EVANS. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 03/25/2017

ISBN: 978-1-5246-7194-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5246-7193-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017902611

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Dedicated to my mother,

Ida Belle Chambers

September 8, 1919 ~ September 1, 1989

She never read the manuscript but there are parts of her teachings in every word. We all miss her so very much.

W.C.E. – 1989

The Appalachian mountains are a mountain range in Eastern North America, extending from South Quebec Province in Northern Alabama. The highest peak is Mount Mitchell which is 6684 ft. and located in North Carolina.

Appalachian is a region in the Eastern United States in the area of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, usually including Northeast Alabama, Northwest Georgia, Northwest South Carolina, Eastern Tennessee, Western Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, West Virginia and South West Pennsylvania.

The mountains are rich with coal and gas. Mining quickly became a job producing industry in the area. Generally deep mining was the way to get the coal out of the mountains but now strip mining (where the earth is stripped from the top of the coal and the coal is extracted) is often employed.

Chapter 1

I T WAS A HOT July day but the breeze that circled the mountain easily cooled John’s feet as he sat by the stream. The smell of sweet mountain laurels, which seemed to blow with the wind as one gave it a smell of perfume. For as long as John could remember he had come here and sat during his lunch break. While it was hot in the valleys, the top of the mountains were cool, yet warm in a friendly gentle manner. John liked to walk barefoot along the mountain trail with his shoes tied across his shoulder; the faded blue jeans and khaki shirt open and now blowing in the breeze was his favorite combination. He recalled how happy he was when his mom and dad presented him with the slacks last year on his sixteenth birthday. His sister Sarah Jane had given him the shirt. She had saved and bought it for him at a large department store while on one of those shopping trips to Pikeville. John really appreciated the gifts because his father worked long and hard in the mines to help them get ahead in life. Since John could remember, his mother and dad had talked about making a better life for him and sister. Thus far he had failed to see the connection between hard work and getting ahead because though his father had worked hard in the mines, he had not seemed to get ahead. Below, across the ridge he heard the bell ringing; reminding him that it was time to get back to school.

Jefferson Davis High School was an old red-bricked structure reminiscent of the little red school house only of stone instead of wood. It was located on what had seemingly been a bare parched piece of land. To most of the kids who went there, and all did, it seemed like home.

The building had three floors and educated everyone from the first to the twelfth grades. The teachers were mainly local people who had themselves graduated from Jefferson Davis (or JD as it was called) and gone to the university, obtained a teaching certificate and returned home to the same basic life of their parents. They were bred in the southern Baptist family tradition, religious worship and hard work. The Baptists were one of the first religions that practiced an ironic type of women’s liberation, it pushed for working women. The parents of the school children appreciated this because they could count on their kids at least knowing their ABC’s and having what they deemed a good basic education.

Everyone knew and understood that the professors and teachers were serious about their work. A whipping at school for any nonsense only assured you of a second strapping at home. That was the way it had been for years, (generations) but on this day John felt there was another world beyond JD and was anxious to find it - or was he?

As John walked back to the school yard he heard his friend, Peter yell.

Come on John it’s time for our history class, he picked up his pace as the adrenaline sped through his body like a shot from a twenty-two rifle.

Okay, okay.

He smiled. History was his favorite subject American and European, he liked it all. The thought of Kings, Queens, and Kingdoms fascinated him. American history with its cowboys and Indians, outlaws and gangsters was all intriguing. John did not have much of a library from which to study but in his spare time and on Saturdays you could always find him there buried head first in a history book.

Mrs. Rena Thomas was the History Teacher. The Room became quiet as she entered.

Good afternoon students, she said putting her books down on the desk. After yesterday’s session I had to go order more books, for you who are interested and want more information on the American Revolutionary War. I see everyone is here so no need to call the roll. Today’s lesson deals with that period of American history leading up to the Civil War. What was the Civil War and what caused the Civil War? Who would like to start out?

Three or four hands went up and as she surveyed the room she pointed to a shy looking girl with long blonde pigtails.

Okay, Loretta.

Yes Ma’am, said the girl whi1e getting up out of her chair to relay what her understanding of the causes of the war were. The Civil War started because the North had all the factories and wanted to dominate and rule the South. There were lots of Southern Senators at that time and they did not want the North to rule them so they joined together to prevent it. They gave lots of speeches in Washington, D.C., but no one would listen so finally they decided under the leadership of the Honorable Senator Calhoun, from South Carolina, I think, to withdraw or secede from the union. With that she sat down.

Very good, said Mrs. Thomas.

Loretta sneaked a side look at John, who was sitting two seats away. There was a sly but sheepish smile on her face.

What was the name the seceding states gave themselves? And Whom did they designate as their president and vice-president?

Peter furiously waived his hand and was called.

Jefferson Davis was president and they called it a confederacy or confederates. Ugh, ugh, he stammered and bashfully admitted that he did not know who was selected as their vice-president.

You did very well Peter. Let’s have another volunteer.

After a short pause no hands went up and Mrs.