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The story of a people lost in the Appalachians for 
 nearly two hundred years, told in a 
 
 Mountain Pageant 
 
 OF 
 
 Historic Tableaux and Symbolic Figures 
 
 To be accompanied with music 
 BY 
 
 Martha S. Gielow 
 
 AUTHOR OF 
 
 Old Andy the Moonshiner; Old Plantation Days; 
 Mammy's Reminiscences, Fugitive Poems, Etc. 
 
 This beautiful drama can be used in the interest of the work 
 of the Southern Industrial Educational Association, of which 
 Mrs. Gielow is founder; and all schools, clubs, churches or other 
 organizations wishing to present something new, original, historic 
 and educational, can secure that privilege by giving a stipulated 
 guarantee for the benefit of the work of the Association. 
 
 THIS PAGEANT IS COPYRIGHTED BY THE AUTHOR 
 
 WITH ALL DRAMATIC RIGHTS RESERVED. 
 
 INCLUDING DRAMATIC PERFORMANCES AND 
 
 MOVING PICTURES 
 
 Southern Industrial Educational Association 
 
 (Inc.) 
 
 To promote industrial education among the impovprished, uneducated 
 
 people of the Southern Appalachian Mountains 
 
 HEADQUARTERS. SOUTHERN BUILDING, ROOM 325 
 WASHINGTON. D. C. 
 
 ■^Pph for literature and information at above address 
 
MARTHA S. GIELOW 
 
A MOUNTAIN PAGEANT 
 
 — of— 
 
 Historic Tableaux and Symbolic Figures. 
 
 Martha S. Gielow. 
 
 Program. 
 
 Patriotic Music. 
 
 Prologue. 
 
 Scene I. The Appalachians. 
 
 Scene II. War Dance. 
 
 Scene III. Kings Mountain. 
 
 Scene IV. Washington Looking Upon the Ap- 
 palachians. 
 
 Scene V. The Shut-in Cabin Home. (A one- 
 
 act scene.) 
 
 Scene VI. The Mountain Girl's Dream. 
 
 Scene VTI. The Soul of the Mountains. 
 
 Scene VIII. Dawn. 
 
 Pageant of Mountain Sprites axo Resources Ma- 
 terial AND Human. 
 
 1. Dance of the Fireflies. 
 
 2. Dance of the Dewdrops. 
 
 3. The Bluebells of the mountains. (Woodland 
 
 fantasy with music.) 
 
 4. The Arbutus. (Flower dance.) 
 
 5. Mountain ferns. 
 
 6. The Violets. 
 
 7. The Laurel. 
 
 8. The Oak. 
 
 9. The Pine. 
 
 10. The Rhododendron. 
 
 11. The Minerals. 
 
 12. The Human. 
 
 13. Pageant of all characters. The little human 
 
 still kneeling in foreground with outstretched 
 arms in mute supplication. 
 
 Curtain. 
 (Music.) 
 
PROLOGUE. 
 
 The story of the niotintain people is a part of the 
 history of this country. Their ancestors were among 
 our hest soldiers in the French and Indian wars. 
 The}^ were among the pioneers of liberty. They 
 turned the tide of battle at Kings Mountain and 
 Cowpens, making possible the surrender of Corn- 
 wallis at Yorktown and the independence of this 
 nation. 
 
 While history is replete with records of their 
 bravery and valor, while the names of Sevier, Camp- 
 bell, Shelby, Boone are honored and remembered, it 
 is a startling and pathetic fact that thousands and 
 hundreds of thousands of descendants of the revo- 
 lutionary patriots who fought with those leaders 
 have been practically lost to the nation nearly two 
 hundred years. And stranger still is the fact that 
 the strong arm of the nation has not been stretched 
 forth to rescue and conserve this valorous stock. 
 
 Of all the great waste of American wealth, the 
 waste of her own men and women of the mountains 
 is the most tragic. Without a thought to the con- 
 servation of the human resources of the Appa- 
 lachians, this vast undeveloped asset has been neg- 
 lected and forgotten except where the law has been 
 broken. 
 
 Tf the facts and the results of cause and efifect 
 were carefully weighed a mighty responsibility would 
 be found resting at the very door of this nation. 
 
 Isolation and poverty and lack of opportunity are 
 strong forces for annulling the best instincts in hu- 
 
mankind, and yet, though cut off from progress and 
 education, and though **more destitute of all the 
 opportunities that go with education than any other 
 people of our race in the world," these people of the 
 eighteenth century civilization still preserve many 
 of the finest traits of the Anglo-Saxon race. 
 
 When America calls for aid. her mountaineers 
 have been ever ready to respond with their valor, 
 their blood, their all. The mountaineers now call 
 to the nation for the rights that are their due, — en- 
 lightened citizenship and a chance to lift themselves 
 from the darkness of long neglect and isolation. 
 
 A glimpse of our great Appalachians and its long 
 lost people is picturesquely told in the following 
 pageant of historic tableaux and symbolic figures. 
 
MOUNTAIN PAGEANT 
 
 — of— 
 
 Historic Tableaux and Symbolic Figures. 
 
 Martha S. Gielow. 
 
 Program z^'iih Lines and Description. 
 
 Scene I. The Appalachians. 
 
 This great Mountain Range is seen in all its wild 
 grandeur. Caravans of Colonial families are seen 
 passing along into the dark fastnesses. Men with 
 guns, women with babies, and bundles, dogs, calves, 
 sheep, etc. Indians are seen spying among the rocks 
 and noting the trail. 
 
 Scene II. JJ\ir Dance. 
 
 Indians headed by Red Eagle in a war dance. 
 Squaws and papooses take part and make wild ges- 
 tures of angry threats to follow the caravans that 
 have been seen passing into the mountains. 
 
 Scene III. Kings Mountain. 
 
 A supposed review of its blood-stained battlefield 
 by heroes of revolutionary fame. John Sevier, James 
 Robertson, Isaac Shelby, George Rogers Clark, An- 
 drew Jackson, and Daniel Boone. 
 
 A camp fire is burning and guards are standing 
 at rest, the flag is flying from the point of a huge 
 boulder towering above. The men are in eager 
 conversation, noting positions and pointing to cer- 
 tain trees, blood-stained rocks, and other evidences 
 of the late victorious conflict. 
 
 Scene IV. Washington Looking upon the Appa- 
 lachians. 
 Washington in picturesque prominence (alone or 
 surrounded by his officers and aides) is seen in 
 regimental costume standing with one foot resting 
 on the base of a huge boulder. He looks out upon 
 the mountains as if seeing the caravans of the hun- 
 dreds of his heroic troops who have crossed with 
 their families into the Appalachians starting in 
 search of homes in the reputed fertile valleys beyond. 
 He seems to feel the impending darkness that over- 
 
shadows them. He is silent, but the reader of the 
 prologue may be heard in sonorous tones to read the 
 following lines which might supposedly be descriptive 
 of the thoughts of the great General pondering over 
 the recent historic battle and subsequent events and 
 his fear for their safe exit from the mountains. 
 
 "I see the Mountains stand 
 Silent, wonderful and grand," 
 Looking out upon the Nation 
 Where the golden light of God's creation 
 Smiles upon the freedom w^on, 
 B}^ the stahvart mountain son. 
 When we called for reinforcement. 
 When our last resource was spent. 
 From yon hills heroic henchmen, 
 Rushed to aid our dying trenchmen, 
 And the battle all but lost 
 Soon was won — with bloody cost ! 
 Appalachians, great and grand. 
 Mighty Monarchs of the land, 
 Thou didst answer to our call, 
 With thy sons, thy blood, thy all ! 
 To thy mountain heroes brave, 
 Sleeping in a valley grave. 
 We do give thee grateful love, 
 Asking blessings from above, 
 On thy living sons, whose pride. 
 Is for those who bravely died. 
 Farewell brothers, comrades, friends, 
 Go and seek the valley plains. 
 Where 'tis said such plenty reigns. 
 Never may thy children fall. 
 Yet within yon granite wall, 
 Yet within yon wild bleak height, 
 Seems some long endarkened night ! 
 But the soldier knows no fear. 
 And the Star of Hope seems near, 
 And the morning sun must rise, 
 Upon 3'our mighty enterprise. 
 For you are men that "match our Mountains," 
 You are men "that match our plains." 
 Men and women like the Highlands, 
 Where the Anglo-Saxon reigns ! 
 Curtain. 
 
10 
 
 Scene V. Shut-iii Cabin Home. (One-act scene.) 
 One-roomed, windowless mountain cabin, rock 
 
 chimney, bare and bleak environment. 
 
 The mountain mother is sitting on a large rock 
 
 holding her babe, surrounded by six or eight other 
 
 children, variously occupied. 
 
 Old-fashioned weavings are hanging to air on the 
 
 bushes and rocks. A spinning wheel is seen at the 
 
 side of the cabin where one little child is playing 
 
 with the threads. 
 
 Mother to one of the girls. 
 
 "Go pull in them thar kivers Randy, hit's er gitten 
 plum damp." Randy pulls down the quilts and half 
 drags them inside. 
 
 Mother to another girl. 
 
 "Fetch them sticks, Sary Ann, fer the fire." (Baby 
 lifts up and looks.) Sary Ann goes to picking up 
 sticks in a mountain bow basket. The older girl 
 appears at the cabin door stirring up bread in a 
 skillet. As she stands in the door, she calls : 
 "You, Billy, cum long here with that water." 
 Billy comes in from the rocks holding a long-neck 
 gourd of water and proceeds to pour some in the 
 skillet. The small children sitting on the rocks and 
 dirt, poorly clad, look wistfully at the bread making. 
 The old mountaineer father walks up with his long- 
 rifle, rests the gun against a 'tree, seats himself on 
 the tree stump and makes ready to smoke his corn- 
 cob pipe. 
 
 The Mother. 
 
 "Whar's Rotundv. Paw?" 
 
11 
 
 Father. 
 
 "He's er cumin' Maw." Shakes his head reflectively 
 and says : 
 
 ''Roe's er plum sight on them books, sence the 
 fotch-on teacher started that school in the bend." 
 
 Mother. 
 
 "Do tell ! Kin he read yit ?" 
 
 Father. 
 
 "Wal, mighty nigh ! From the way he takes to 
 it, he'll be er lookin' jest like them ole fighters what 
 got lost er crossing these here mountings an' what 
 left us these here old guns." ( Fingers his ride affec- 
 tionately.) Looks up with a brave air, and says : 
 
 "Wal, the nation knows whar to look for fighters 
 when fighters is needed, by Gosh !" 
 
 Rotundy, a long, lank mountain boy. comes up 
 slinging a rabbit by the tail. 
 
 Mother. 
 
 "Lan' sakes er live, he's got er critter ef Fm in my 
 skin! Whar'd you git im. Roe?'' 
 
 Roe. 
 
 "Dad kotched him." ( All the children gather 
 round.) Roe pulls out some wild berries from his 
 ragged shirt front, and pokes one in a kindly way 
 to each child, then takes out a blue back spelling 
 book, sprawls his legs, points at the words and be- 
 gins— 
 
 "B-a. bay, b-e. be, b-i. by, b-o, bo." 
 
 Mother. 
 
 "Jest listen to that now ! Do tell ! What's that 
 mean, Roe?" 
 
12 
 
 Father (excitedly). 
 
 ■'Why hit's readin', Maw. Say it again, Roe. 
 Praps hit'l splain hitself." 
 
 Roe (begins again). 
 
 "B-a. bay, b-e, be, b-i, by, b-o, bo." (Mother and 
 father looking over his shoulder.) 
 
 Mother. 
 "Is hit the Bible, Roe?" 
 
 Roe. 
 
 "Wal not zackly, but hit's larnin', see here." (Be- 
 gins again.) 
 
 "B-a, bay, b-e. be. b-i. by. b-o, bo." 
 
 Father. 
 
 "By Gosh ! Ef that aint the quickest edycation I 
 ever seed. Jes two days ! By Gosh ! Bring that 
 jug, Randy." 
 
 Randy brings jug, they all drink. Night closes 
 down, a torch is held in the door by the eldest girl, 
 who says : 
 
 "Cum eat." They all pile in. 
 
 Curtain. 
 
13 
 
 Scene VI. The Mountain Girl's Dream. 
 
 Same typical mountain-cabin in foreground (like 
 cabin picture). Family in evidence. The man 
 and old woman on rock step smoking cob-pipes, 
 children around. On a big rock off to itself sits a 
 beautiful mountain girl of about thirteen years. She 
 is thinking of all the traditions handed down by her 
 people. She dreams of the outside world her peo- 
 ple had left one hundred and fifty years before and 
 longs for the light of learning and better living. The 
 pent-up desires in her heart rush forth and she rises, 
 still looking out across the impenetrable mountains, 
 holding her arms out in supplication. The following- 
 lines are read by the prologue reader : 
 
 'T see the mountains stand, 
 Silent, wonderful and grand, 
 Looking out across the land 
 Where the golden light is falling 
 On distant dome and spire ; 
 And I hear a low voice calling, 
 'Come up higher, come up higher 
 From the lowlands and the mire, 
 From the mist of earth desire, 
 From the vain pursuit of pelf. 
 From the altitude of self, 
 Come up higher, come up higher.' " 
 And the calling, echoes faintly, 
 Down the mountains to the plains. 
 Will it touch with pathos softly. 
 Thinking men of wealth and brains? 
 Will the call for light and learning. 
 From the hill-tops just above, 
 Where the mountain-child is yearning, 
 For a chance to live and love. 
 Ever reach with higher purpose, 
 Those within the nation bold 
 That can reach out and can rescue. 
 Wasted lives and human gold? 
 Let the bugle-note be sounded 
 For the conservation grand, 
 Of the men and of the women 
 In our own beloved land. 
 Curtain. 
 
14 
 ScKNE VII. The Soul of Ihc MoiDitains. 
 
 Music is heard soft and weird. This scene repre- 
 sents the fulfihnent of Washington's fears for his 
 brave troops that have started over the Appalachians. 
 In other words, it typifies the (Mie hundred and 
 fifty years of darkness and imprisonment of the 
 thousands of people who were lost in trying to cross. 
 Shut in by impassable boulders, forests and raging 
 streams, they dreaded to continue and they feared 
 to attempt to return. Camping to regain strength 
 and courage they never passed on. One-room, win- 
 dowless cabins were built by great labor, small tracts 
 were cleared on the almost perpendicular hillsides 
 for crops. Years came and went. By the world 
 forgotten, the lost tribes of Colonial troops and their 
 families fought for existence. Minus the ability to 
 replenish their few tools and implements, cut off 
 from aid, progress, education, and civilization they 
 peopled the mountains and struggled for existence. 
 With only the traditions and memories of the world 
 beyond handed down by their heroic fathers and 
 mothers, they hoped, yes, ever hoped for the light 
 of the world to penetrate their darkness. Prospec- 
 tors, trappers and missionaries began at last to seek 
 out the mountain fastnesses. Railroads were nearing 
 the golden hills containing the vast areas of material 
 wealth and the unmined gold of America's human 
 resources. 
 
 The scene is weird and mystical. The curtain 
 rises. A blue hazy gloom envelopes the mountains, 
 typifying the years of darkness to the people. A 
 kneeling figure typifying the soul of the people, 
 calling for light, is faintly seen in the blue misty 
 gloom. A voice is heard to speak (the voice of 
 
15 
 
 the figure, or it may be read by the unseen reader 
 of the prologue and epilogues). Voice of the soul.) 
 
 Lost, lost within these granite walls. 
 
 The Spirit for its freedom calls. 
 
 One hundred years and more of strife, 
 
 To keep within our bodies life. 
 
 By the outside world forgot. 
 
 Sore and sad our bitter lot. 
 
 Now we to our nation call. 
 
 Now upon our knees wc fall 
 
 Asking only to be led 
 
 Out of darkness, out of dread. 
 
 Out of ignorance, and its blight ! 
 
 Curtain falls, then rises almost immediately ; soft 
 music is heard. 
 
 Curtain. 
 
16 
 
 Scene VIII. Dazvn. 
 
 Same mountains, same misty light, but the sun 
 typifying the dawn of educational light is seen just 
 rising in a red glow over the mountains. Mountain 
 sprites appear, symbolic figures of the material 
 wealth and beauty, brought up in the rear by a 
 typical nugget of human gold. Symbolic of the 
 Nation's human resources and valuable, undeveloped 
 human assets. 
 
 Pageant of Mountain Sprites, Material and Hu- 
 man Resources. 
 
 1. Dance of the Fireflies. 
 
 Enter these sprites of the mountains representing 
 the golden fireflies that gem the mountains at night. 
 Dressed in yellow gauze with wings and little flash 
 lights in their hands, they flit about, make obeisance 
 to the mountains and say (before they dance) : 
 
 "Hail, mountains, hail ! We the gems that glow 
 upon your breast at night must with the rising 
 of thy sun take flight." Dance. 
 
 2. Deicdrops. 
 
 Figures in white gauze dotted with pearl beads, or 
 isinglass. They make olieisance and before their 
 misty dance, say : 
 
 "Hail, mountains, hail ! We thy pearls of dew 
 have watered well the tender grass and flowers, 
 breathing perfume on tby rocks, thy woodland 
 breast. Thy rising sun would dry our evening mist, 
 till eve again, adieu, adieu!" Dance. 
 
 3. Bluebells appear. 
 
 "Hail, mountains, hail ! The bluebells of thy 
 bosom worn by lovers in the mountain glens, bring 
 
17 
 
 thee greetings from lovers far and near ; our emblem, 
 gratitude, comes from those who bless thee for the 
 blossoms blue that stand for hearts brave, warm 
 and true; we nestle close, we would not hide, for 
 lovers come where we abide." (Woodland fantasy 
 dance.) 
 
 4. Enter Arbutus. 
 "Hail, mountains, hail ! 
 Lovingly we cling. 
 Tenderly we sing. 
 Upon thy rocky crest. 
 Happily we smile, 
 Perfuming all the while, 
 
 Thy fragrant breast." Dance. And then cling to 
 the rocks. 
 
 5. Enter the Ferns. 
 "Hail, mountains, hail ! 
 
 We deck the mossy banks of crystal streams. 
 And festoon with our plumes thy naked rocks. 
 Our emblem (fascination) we use. 
 And serving all man -kind. 
 
 By giving sweet jo>- and pleasure with our dainty 
 frocks." Nestle among the rocks. 
 
 6. The J'iolets. 
 
 "Hail, mountains, hail ! 
 Of all thy flowers rare. 
 The violet is most fair. 
 Colored like the sky above. 
 To represent undying love, 
 We are for lovers true. 
 We are of Heaven's blue. 
 We stand for God and vou." 
 
18 
 
 7. The Laurel or Bay appears. Holding a laurel 
 
 wreath towards the mountain. 
 
 "Hail, mountains, hail ! 
 
 T, thy laurel, sweet and fair. 
 
 Do crown thee Monarch of all mountains rare. 
 
 Reverence and merit do T represent. 
 
 Appalachians, Appalachians ! I crown thee with 
 
 thy great reserves of gold and human wealth. 
 
 the glory of our land." Nestles in the rocks. 
 
 8. The Oak. 
 
 "Hail, mountains, hail! 
 
 T the emblem of bravery do represent the soul of 
 the mountain heroes brave, who from thy 
 granite strongholds went to fill a valiant 
 hero's grave." 
 
 (Stands against the rocks.) 
 
 9. Enter the Pine. 
 "Hail, mountains, hail ! 
 
 My emblem is lofty patriotism. 
 
 T am but one of many of my kind that thou dost 
 
 claim amongst the glories of the wealth of thy 
 
 domain. 
 The products from my leaves. m>- Ijurrs. my boughs, 
 
 the floods of tar thou bleedest from my heart 
 
 are thine, the loving products of thy Pine." 
 Nestles like the others among the rocks. 
 
 1(1. The Rhododeudrou. (Gorgeous pink.) 
 "Hail, mountains, hail ! 
 We. the fair adornment of thy peaks and mighty 
 
 hills. 
 Do bring thee words of praise from far and wide. 
 For the glory of our beauty on the mountain side," 
 Nestles to rocks. 
 
19 
 
 11. The Minerals. Symbolic of minerals and ores: 
 
 coal, iron, silver and gold. This sprite is 
 clad in bronze and gold, holding a waiter of 
 minerals on her head. 
 
 "Hail, mountains, hail! 
 
 Thy flowers and thy timbers fair, 
 
 Are but as nothing to compare. 
 
 To all thy gold and minerals rare. 
 
 To the nation thou dost stand, 
 
 Silent, wonderful and grand! 
 
 Thy great resources now are known, 
 
 The dawn has come, the night has flown." 
 
 Kneels. 
 
 12. The Human. 
 
 The sun that has been gradually rising now lights 
 up the rosy glow, it is now light. Following the 
 last figure in the pageant this ragged, barefoot, un- 
 combed child holding to the rocks, watching with 
 eager eyes the receding pageant of the material re- 
 sources, advances ; she looks beseechingly at the fig- 
 ures, at the mountains, at the dawn, and in quaint 
 imitation holds up her arms and says : 
 
 "Hail, mountains, hail ! 
 
 What do we'uns be? 
 
 We-uns aint no flowers, 
 
 We-uns aint no trees, 
 
 No rocks, no gold. 
 
 We-uns air jest the humans, 
 
 In you-uns fold." 
 
 Kneels with arms outstretched towards the audi- 
 ence and continues to kneel there in silent supplica- 
 tion as the pageant of all the characters take places 
 to form tableau. Soft music. 
 Curtain. 
 
JUN 8 1912 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS