Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-11-14

LOUISVILLE, KY, Nov. Eft il
q curious and unexpected issue thai
has lately confronted three out OF
the four candidates for the Dem.
ocratic nomination for Governor in
Kentucky. A few weeks ago there
were practically but three candi-
dates in the field. The Hon. Will
liam Lindsay, ex-Chief Justice of
the Court of Appeals, would not
present himself for the reelection
that was very certainly his. because
he thought that his nomination to
the Governors chair was equally
certain. But Lieut.. Gov. John G.
Underwood and the Hon. Thomas
L.. Jones, ex-Congressman from the
Sixth District, each had apparent
ly no less well-founded hopes that
certain local issues would give him
the Democratic nomination for
Governor. But the outlook for
each of these three has suddenly
become very gloomy.
DR.. Luke p. Blackburn, of Louis
vile, is a stout, jolly, well.to-do
and well-preserved old gentleman
ct nearly seventy, and an elder
brother of the Hon. J. G. S. Black
burn, Congressman from the Sew
enth Kentucky District. He came
prominently before the Northern
public during the war as one of the
alleged conspirators to infect
Northern cities with contagious
diseases by shipping to them car
goes of infected clothing from the
West India Islands and Cuba. He
is now the President of company
that manufactures and sells the
nimble salts from the famous Grab
Orchard Springs of Kentucky.
When the yellow fever broke out
in epidemic form in Memphis and
Shreveport, four years ago, DIR.
Blackburn promptly volunteered
his services to the smitten cities,
They were thankfully accepted, and
for two months or more the aged
physician labored increasingly in
the hospitals of Memphis and the
homes of Shreveport, giving to the
durable sick aid that proved most
valuable. and to the hopelessly
stricken good cheer in their dying
moments. A photograph repre-
senting him sitting by u hospital
cot, with a sufferers hand in his,
will be remembered as reproduced
in the illustrated journals at the
time. When the plague broke out
last Summer DR.. Blackburn again
made offer of his services to the
Howard Association, aud was as.
signed to the Southwestern cities of
Kentucky,w where the fever was ter
ribly fatal.
"A week or two ago some local
newspaper in this district suggest
ell his name for Governor. The
idea seemed electric. The press
and the people generally through
out the State took 1t up, and the
Courier Journal of this town now
says that if the nominating Con-
vention should assemble this week
CDR. Blackburn would be nominal
ted by acclamation." An enthusi-
as;ie journal in the interior says:
"Buena Vista made General Tay-
lor President; night walk to
Cerro Gordo sent John S. Williams
to the United States Senate, and
the hospitals at Hickman will
make old Luke Blackburn Cover.
nor Of the proud Commonwealth of
Kentucky"
DR.. Blackburn is fairly before
the people for the nomination. The
story is told of him that at a little
dance in Lincoln county, he made
it his business TO be present, and
footed 1t merrily with the girls in
spite of his seventy years. Their
sweethearts and husbands and
fathers promised to man to give
him their votes.
In the face of such prestige and
such o canvass it is natural that
the coveted chair at Frankfort
should seem to the three opposing
candidates q shadow that daily
grows more unsubstantial.