Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-10-28
NOTES OF A SUMNER rRIP.
Mum Der HI,
TIE HOMES OF KExruCKY.

! Spring Hill was one OF the earliest inn
proved farms in Woodford county, and has
| long been noted for its liberal hospitality.
| 1t would be difficult 10 conceive of a more
beautiful estate, or of more spacious, con-
| venient and imposing mansion, than that
OF Spring Hin, deeply embowered among the
original forest trees which have wI:hstood
tie storms OF many centuries. The place has
/ been improved by its Successive owners
always of the name OF Hart-untiI, under
| the management of the late Mr.. VIM. Pres
| ton Hart, il attained its present attractive
| features and productiveuess. Mrs. H.
! since the demise CT her husband, has COZ
| tinued 10 reside at Spring Hill, ami has
| managed this large estate with much ability.
and has fully sustained for it its ancient
reputation for generous hospitality.
On Saturday Nathaniel Gather, OF Har-
rocsburg, and John c. Thompson. editor
| OF the Harrodsburg ObSeTC,r dsad ReJorfer
| both on a visit To Spring Hill. drove over
with me TO General Beaufort's, about two
! miles and half ON the same road I had
| driven the day before with DIR. Carter, i'm
| order that might return the Generals call
and see his handsome stock and farm. He
has built himself an elegant house, with all
| the modern conveniences. His fenciags
| stables, and all the improvements, as well as
The land, are in flrst- class condition. The
gates are well hung and in perfect order and
newly painted, while all the board fences
and out-houses were neatly whitewa shed.
General B. has hanging up in his hau
number of fine portraits of the celebrated
blooded horses of Kentucky. He also dis
| plays with some pride the different purses
! his horses have won upon the turf.
/ How time flies when we are happy! The
days spent at Spring Hill seem as but a few
hours, they stole by so quietly. 1 made fire.
quent short excursions ia C iferent directions
through Woodford county and established
agreeable social relations with many charm
ing people whom l shall be delighted TO meet
again.
On the afternoon OF July 9Th started for
Danvllle in private carriage ana had for
travelling companions most agreeable
company; Governor Magoffin hearing that
1 was in Kentucky had sent a special request
that we should spend night at his home I'm
HarrOdsburg. Although this was thirty
miles distant, we made IL our objective point
Tor The days journey, and telegraphel the
Governor as We passed through Versailles
that we were en- route and would take tea
with him.
A shower had laid the dust and cooled the
air, so that the drive throughout was very
pleasant. The road selected lay through
keene In Jessamfne county, and thence over
the iron bridge, across the Kentucky river,
through Shakertown, 10 Harrodsburg. A bout
three miles hey ond Versailles, where the
road forks, we passed Clear Creek Church,
vast extent of country. The farm lands
throughout the whole course of The
drive were OF the same character as
in Wocdford county, although i'm parts
served, and the country perhaps some
what more rolling. The most notice
able feature of the dwellings we passed was
their spaciousness, and the fact that they
were nearly all of brick, although timber is
so plentiful In this region; we noticed few
stone and some frame mansions. The houses
are usually located at distance from the
road, generally not nearer than a quarter OF a
mile. The roads leading to the dwellings
arc frequently macadamiZed through the
font yards, which in most cases is an extern
N. these hand
some southern residences are often large, in
Guiding as many as ten. twenty, and even
thirty acres. In many of these beautiful
park ks the original forest trees have been pre-
served, and give very pretty effect ID the
landscape when all the underbrush has
been cleaned away forming a smooth blue
grass meadow. The flower and vegetable
gardens are usually separately enclosed on
the side or in the rear OF the houses, SO that
the fine lawns of blue grass is unmarried by
a...S object, and frequently serves as pas
ture TO iaNoIite stock.
KENTUCKY HOUSES
In The construction OF many of the Ken
lucky houses a good deal of architectural
taste has been displayed. The mansard roof
is coming quite into fashion, and the orna-
mental verandas and great porticos running
the full length OF the house are often met
with. A style of architecture much en-
piOyed In the building of the better class OF
houses in Kentucky, some thirty or forty
years ago. was TO have in front. six or eight
or more columns running full two stories
high, forming grand piazza. We saw many
dwellings built in this style, which, when
viewed through the shrubbery, or from dis
lance, present very imposing appearance,
and reminds one OF style much in vogue i'm
colonial times among the wealthy land owti-
ers of Virginia. The uniformity of design
manifested in building shows that architects
adhere 10 the conventional mole with as
much pertinacity as people follow the fash
ions in dress. There are but few large barns,
such as are seen in Pennsylvania and Ohio;
rns,. 60 L. -kzxl -
shortly after harvest, and the winters are so
mild as not to require the housing OF stock as
in the northern states The farmers along
wheat. and in few places they were thresh-
ing. We passed on this road the bluffs
familiarity known as the
CLIFFS OF THE KENTUCKY RIVER.
which are grand and beautiful. The river is
approached by following an easily graded
road down a ravine for a distance Of seve.si,
miles. Here, for the first time, vertical
section of the limestone rocks of this region
were exposed TO view in position. The strata
lie superimpOseJ one upon the other as regu-
larry as boards could be piled up on eacn
other, while evidence OF the disiniegration
OF this rock are everywhere visible. The
Kentucky river at the time we crossed was
at flood height, and an immense quantity of
drift wood came floating down. From the
bridge the perpendicular walls or banks
lGomed up to a height of at least three hun
down the stream as the windings would per-
nit of view.
The Kentucky river rises in the eastern
part of the state. in the highlands known as
the Cumberland mountains, and sometimes
called Laurel mountain. Its general direc-
tiOn, toward the Ohio river is q little west OF
north, the upper portion bearing nearly due
west, and is navigable for steamboats, as far
as Frankfort, and by system of locEage TO
Shakertown ferry, nearly a hundred miles
further although the general direction of
the river is preserved, IL is exceedingly
crooked. From Frapkiort, for a distance OF
fifty miles. the banks are formed chiefly of
the exposed limestone which underlies the
sOilOf This portion of the state. There are
evidences all along here that the stream has
worn its way from the surface TO its present
depth. In mary places both sides OF the
river are precipitous; at others, again, for a
considerable distance, the banks hav crum-
bled away, and make an easy approach TO the
waters edge. No grander scenery can be
found anywhere in Kentucky, or perhaps I'm
our country, than along the shores OF this
river. For distance OF thirty miles above
Frankfort the river has perpendicular walls
from one hundred to three hundred feet i'm
height. The water power of this stream,
which is very considerable has never been
utilized to any great extent for manufsctur-
ing purposes. There in D good deal of minera
oltk< In,