The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-09-24
tEOR THE ISDErESpENT rEEsS.
Notes of a Tourist.
BOURBON County, Ky, Sept. 10,

| 1>oURBoN SptSIf, Nf., ScpI. ~, 1898
Mr. Editor 1t Is. l think, II remark of
Sternc's. that he could find fun employ ncnt for
the exercise Of his descriptive powers, were lie
travelling in n desert Although there arc
very few Sternes. yet there are many Of us.
who, when placed i'll new scenes, can readily
find subjects. sufficiently interesting upon
! which to employ their pens, were they 80 dis
posed. That am disposed, is owing 10 the
iaci. OF being under Il partial promise to your.
self, TO contribute something for your paper
Bourbon County, Kentucky. has n wide cc.
lehrity for the fertility of its soil, and the ex.
cclfcnce Of its stock. 1t is properly n stock
raising county. Horses mules ana cattle, are
| the staple articles of export +; and the Gu tiva.
! tion of the SOL, is subsidiary to this one object
| It's county site. Paris, isThc great mart for the
sale and purchase Of all kinds Of stocI, but
mostly ol'iors-' ana mules. which are bro,Iph,
! hithrr from! all directions, even from Missouri
| Ind ;ana Illinois, &c.
Thcs" public sales take place once a month,
on County Conrt day. had been told tha, |
| sh"n.d by all means visit Paris on Court .lav,
| which happened on last Monday. Monday
morning therefore found me in company with a
! friend on my way to Paris. The distance of
eight miles took us only an hour to accomplish.
over beautiful turnpike, well graded and us
| hard as floor.
| The general features Of the County nre SINH.
| lar t. old Atb"vi!!c, but the character of the
soil AMI The different system Of culture make
! the old hills Of Bourbon clothed i'm living
! gr".n--to present more ccmclv aspect ard
| much more cheerful Prospect than the ;..i old
hills so conla"'i IN parts Of Carolina aud Gror.
! gin. Tie natural growth has been mostly de-
! str,'yed and even where allowed to s!:,l the
| unh,rrr"w;h is removed. and the land .nwcd
! down in grasl. | noticed several groves ni la.
Gust trees. which have bccn planted E.r lh..
! purpose of furnishing POSTS for fences Stone
| fences are. however, Very common and ar. l...
! coming more So. They are made of the ln...
! stone rock which unrrlirs the soil Il few feet
! aud is readily icnnv"i in lnvcrs, so us to l,r
admirably adapted for this lnrp">c The work
! is done lv lr:Shnci. It. is built up co,nuac,ly
for ab"nt four feet, and then u Gaping Of loose
rock. placed ut III angle of ~ deg, raises it
! one foot more. These Stone fences, s,urgrs.
: rcrinancncc. s"li.!!v. ar'l perhaps an incr-as
rd value, of til" enci"srh land. but think
Father contribute To mar all otherwise, beau.
Lifnl prospect.
: wise ..'l in the construction oflhe ,urnrik,.
nnl .mI"S ground To powder by the passage
! of vehicles, making one Of the best roads in the
! worll.
: To this limestone rock ia sa i'll to he owing,
! likewise, the extraordinary fertility of the soil
! of this country and the fact that it can never
he worn ont requiring only short rest to be
as productive rs ever. The selling price Of
| land, however, will give YOU Il better idea Of
| the estimation in which it. is held When ".
| in, Hear the turnpike, it sells at 50 TO leo dn.-
| lars acre, nII'i can seldom be houuht |
$40 ncrrs at S?5.n2 an ncre. When farther re-
novel from the turnpike, it will bring from
, 80 to - dollars an acre.
| II sounds very stran:e to CGrolinan. to
| hear Of these t,rres pail flr land, to he cnl,i-
vnte'l in grass but it is so-anl suppose is
| owing very much to the enhanced valu. of
| horses and mules. which are frrnished the cot
ton growing States. But nId the reflection,
| that tn" enhanced value given these lands is
| furnished At the expense of the South by the
| Diet rterioatioI and destruction ofour best soils
| which are worn out and washed away under
the present system u: cotton culture The farus
! here ns may he supposed are small, as even the
! purchase of q tract of 200 counts ZIP Il
? very pretty sum.
|; Still the device is here. with us. Of aiding
! field to field, bu' only Ice graf flied TO any
extent by the we .lt,y when opportunity nc
ours. The residences Of this class exhibit mn.,
| taste, being mostly of brick and charrninglv
| situated at some little distance from the road.
| But here We are ut Paris What perfect
Babel Of confusion 1t appears very d"ui .tful
! if we can drive through the crowd. that fills
the street i'll front of the Court House, so IA TO
reach stable for our horse. We accomplish
it however, and now will survey things more
| closely.
Here. on this side Of the Court House, is nm
| open space into which mules are driven hy
drovcs, an'l are disposed of ut 50 much IL head.
| Here several 'lrov cs at the same time, and
the auction is in full blnst. This drove before
us-GS in numher-n likely set of = years old
is being cried at Sl06, but ns n" one is will.
ing to give more, they nre Withdrawn, uns"ld.
The selling prices appear to hc for one ycnr
| old, at from 50 to CO dollars and for = wears
old at from 10 to lis dollars. 1t is quite
| business to buy them young, Of n few months
or one year, and raise theln
| On the opposite side Of the c. H., cattle az.
disposed of in the same way.
| But the most animated and excited scene is
the sale of saddle and draft horses, carriages,
hngcics. harness, saddles. brides dc, taking
| pncc at the samc time different side of
the C.. II. Here are the auctiuEcers mixed up
| pell nell. each fellow for himself and his pa
| ron. doing his best, and Mt the top of his
voice striving for credit and rcnown, for there
is full room for the display of his talents. if not
| of his hammer. 1t is enough TO frighten the
poor horses out of their senses-they really
| look very much frighc cncd.
| Look ut that stout fellow there, over the
| way, mounted on i:is wagon. and crying in n
stentorian voice, his own saddles and hrrs
and ever and anon wiping the perspiralion
| il streams down his face i.
| Here is a fine buggy Just from the manufn.-
! turer. it is going nt SlI5. Here is second
handed buggy being sold, and hkewis the hDr,e
; attached I" II. Tint fellow there. at the wa.
gor, has been trying for the last ten minutes
to get rise on his last bid-hc appears to be
almost in despair
! Thus it is kept up for hours, and is such n
scene as has never been my lot to sec before.
| You would not know that the Court was in
session. were it not that you would hear ocra
| sionalir some one summoned to attend. The
tax.collecor appeared likewise busy at h is tn.
| bic placed in the shade Of some trees before
the G. H., door.
! The next day, Tuesday. is the first of the
Bourbon Co.. Agricultural Society's fair. which
oninnes four days. may possibly give sou
| some account of it.
| YOURS.