The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-10-02
STORIES OF THE OLDEN TIME.
Glimpses of Life in Kentucky in the Early
Days.

Glimpses of Life I'm Kentucky In the Early
Days.
BY Wv.
In giving sketches of primitive times
in Kentucky and Tennessee, the clerical
profession and their gatherings appear
to figure rather conspicuously. The
reader must bear in mind that, at that
period, SO limited, comparatively, were
the means of trayeling-a good deal of
it being done altogether on foot or
horseback as well as good carriage
roads, that very few outsiders in the
way of lecturers or other speakers
ever found their way there. Conse-
quently, in the remoter or wilder dis
tricts, where, indeed, the inevitable stump
orator was constrained to find his way,
the chief source of entertainments
mean it in no invidious sense-was the
pulpit, however rude its surroundings
or however marked the oddities of those
who occupied it; for many of the preach
ers really prided themselves on eccen-
tricities, real or somewhat affected,
which gave them wider field and
larger audiences.
In illustration of the difficulty of PEN
etrating Tennessee in ante-railroad
times, even the central portion of it,
and especially in the winter when the
rivers were sometimes very low, and
perhaps partially frozen, long stage
route across Kentucky being the other
alternative, fancy-which, however, was
the fact-our musical celebrity, M.
Strakosch, stuck on sand-bar in SOL
itary part of the Cumberland, on his
way up the river in small steamer, and
tranded, too, for several days, short
both of provisions and fire; and then
fancy further the great leader of opera
feelingly describing his troubles on that
occasion, the hardships undergone and
the "cold taken," until he could express
it no more emphatically or plaintively
than TO affirm that he was then and
there, as consequence, troubled "with
schwindling [swimming] in mine head" ;"
OF course, that was long time ago
and he "spiEts" better English now,
and is under no necessity of making
precarious jaunts into the interior and
off of the lines of railroads-and good
luck to him-for he is remembered as
an affable and pleasant gentleman; but
the hardships he underwent were not
singular, and it is my purpose to deal
with some of the incidents and condi,
tions which grew out of such disabilities
On horseback jaunt then upon one
occasion to look after some land titles
up on Big Sandy, being detained for g
few days while the surveys were being
looked into, I was honored with an invi'
tation to attend quarterly meeting,
under the supervision of Elder some
body, whose name-for he was loca
celebrity-I have forgotten. Setting
out on horseback in company with my
entertainer and his wife, half days
ride brought us to the place, large
double log-house with an L attached
mansion SO much above the average
of the section that it was the very aris
tocracy of log-cabinism.
We were very emphatically welcomed
to the place by remarkably sturdy
gentleman in Kentucky jeans, man O
herculean build, about feet II inches
in height, about go years of age, will
iron-gray hair in short vigorous curls
which, ,crowning massive, bulIet-shapet
head, didn't need a marked expression
of bull-dog-like courage, qualified b,
kindly expression, however, to staml
him as indeed a peculiar specimen O
Kentucky growth and sturdiness, sucl
as stranger would look at twice beior'
concluding to nssdlessly arouse or pro
yn1nA.