The Treasure of the Hills

Deep in the mountain forests of West Virginia, far from the haunts of men, wild ginseng still grows undisturbed, as it grew centuries ago. The returns from this product annually run into many hundreds of thousands of dollars, and to many people living in the hill country, ginseng is a treasure. During the summer months, the money derived from gathering and selling these precious roots has often alleviated the pinch of poverty, being a source of income that requires no investmentor qualifications beyond knowledge of the herb and a generous supply of patience and persistence in gathering it. During the lean years of the Great Depression, wild ginseng was a heaven-sent boon, and the characters in this tale roam the woodlands, near and far, gathering this precious root and building their lives around it. Harold Milton was born in Marietta, Ohio in a log cabin on a farm in 1913. He had four sisters. He loved the trees and the woods, digging ginseng, writing books, tailoring, the Church of Christ, and most of all, God. Although he only had an 8th grade education, he remedied that when he was 80 years old, receiving his G. E. D. in 1993. He spent the 1940s, '50s, '60s, and '70s writing novels and short stories he never was able to publish. Having Harold's writings published has been a labor of love for his niece, Janice Blanton. He took her in when she was orphaned at a young age, and she is forever grateful for his love and care.