Page 47 - TheGoldBug1970-71

Trip to C-oon Branch Mountain By Dave Newkirk Soot and dust cake this chair in the remains of the At 10 p.m. on Friday, November 6, six Western down. His strongest desire is to see his children first school. Maryland College students set out for Coon Branch avoid the troubles that his limited education Mountain, West Virginia, in two VW buses laden brought him, He has already led the confrontation with 525 textbooks. This was the response of the of the community with the governor of West Students Opportunities Service to the needs of Don Virginia ("I don't want to talk about that road any and EBen Elmes in their efforts to assist the more") as well as the struggle against the county families of "the-mountain" to obtain a decent school board. He has hopes of infiltrating that body education for their children. Arriving after the ten- in the next election. Currently the efforts of hour drive. we found the burned church which had Daugherty and the community center on the up- previously served as the Coon Branch Consolidated coming court action will determine the fate of the School under the Elmes' teaching. Local kids children's education as well as the penalty for those provided the highlight of t.he weekend with their who challenged the system. The money raised innocent outlook on life, still untouched by the harsh ($509) and the textbooks were greatly appreciated realities of living in coal-company-controlled by the Elmes. They are of course finding things McDowell County. Their simple enjoyment of the rather tight while teaching the boycotting children land, the mountains and clear sky caused in several of us sobering thoughts as to the methods of our own without pay. At least a portion of the money will help in paying the legal fees and possible financial upbringing penalties facing the boycotting parents if they are Finally contacting Don and Ellen, we went for a found guilty. This show of support from the Hill has tour of the mountain. We traveled on the center of proven to the people of Coon Branch Mountain that the controversy. a nine-mile road of which only a they are not alone in facing such a one sided and four-mile stretch had been improved to the com- stacked political fight. munity's satisfaction. This was. of course, the Over the course of the weekend our impressions portion of the road used by the coal company. The led us to a general conclusion as to why these kids community's original demand was that the road be can't obtain a decent education. We didn't need to improved to allow a four wheel drive school bus to look much farther than the coal mines that line the lake the children away from the two sub-standard roads of the county. If these kids can be educated to one room schoolhouses on the mountain to a con- be aware of the world outside McDowell County. solidated school in nearby Iaeger. The response what would happen to the company's dependable from the Board of Education and the State Road Source of labor? Would good wages then be enough Commission was a limited improvement on the four to induce miners to overlook things black lung, mile piece and the provision of a two wheel drive frequent disabling injuries and myriad other oc- school bus to take the children off the mountain the cupational hazards? Or would an educated long way - by way of the section improved for the populace demand reforms in the county govern- mines. Even this section was narrowed by three ment and costly safety innocations in the mines as feel in a recent rain. We were little short of amazed the price for their labor? that a large. two-drive school bus could negotiate The six adventurers were Betty Tokar. Mary the sharp curves and steep inclines of the mountain Purdum. George Sheliem, Mike Mock. Chris mad. Spencer and Dave Newkirk. SOS's thanks go to Wealso met the local leader of the school boycott. Berne for the use of his bus. None of us escaped the Bobbie Daugherty. At 33 he has already been in two emotion and excitement surrounding a community mining accidents. one slide that within five years trying to buck the system. 'And none of us will soon will leave him paralyzed from the waist forget the kids, Bobbie Daugherty or the Elmes. Inside the Coon BranchSchool.