Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-04-18
GROTESQUE PEOPLE.
ANumber Of Them Who Have
Been Found In the Interior
of Kentucky.

ANumber Of Them Who Have
Been Found I'm the Interior
of Kentucky.
Louisville Post.
The grotesqueness Of many OF the
characters in the novels OF Charles
Dickens is accounted as preposterous
and impossible by American readers.
The monotony Of individual character
with Us apparently makes the material
for literature meager. Yet there are
quaint personages in every community,
and heroes and heroines OF novels are
walking about among US every day. A
correspondent from New Haven, Nell
SON county, this State, writes to us an
account Of family wherein odd given
names have run riot. In the family
Bible are written the names OF London
Judge, Revenue Belle, China Figure,
Reptile Kingdom, Hebrew Fashion,
Greek Wisdom, and He'll in the kltch-
en-. These are the children OF Mr.. Ham
ilton, three Of them girls and three boys
The domestic occupation OF "Hell in the
Kitchen is obvious from the appella-
ton by which she was consecrated at
birth 10 the work her name implies. VI
course no living creature coming under
the control OF Mr.. Hamilton could es-
cape the freaks OF his nomenclature, and
when London JUICE and Revenue Belle,
girls, 90 about their ploughing,it Is with
such oxen as Buck and Belly Not con-
tent with the original name OF London
Judge, Mr.. Hamilton has added TO her
the nickname OF Squeezle Toilet. Mr..
Hamilton goes TO Louisville once year
and purchases clothing similar to meal
sacks, says our veracious correspondent,
and these garments last the children an
entire year; the meal is then scattered
upon the garnet floor to the depth OF
several feet to prevent itfrom moulding.
Such is the outline of the circumstances
OF a remarkable man. He is not account
ell peculiar in other respects, and is mas
ter of his own household, an intelligent
man OF comfortable estate, and q good
citizen. Nelson county is one OF the
best in Kentucky.
All who are familiar with the talk OF
any country town are able to recall very
MANY similar histories. In Jessamine
county a man by the name OF Bowen
would never enter his house except by
the back door, and never leave it, ex-
cept by the front. He selected early in
life the spot for his burial, bebeath an
old oak tree, remote from all other
graves, in an open field, and there was
buried. Mackey Duncan, OF the same
county, whose occupation, that OF car
penter, is altogether unfavorable to the
pursuit Of knowledge, is one OF the most
learned men, after fashion, in America.
He knows the date of every important
event in the worlds history, the year,
month and day. and, when essential, the
minute. His knowledge OF the family
history OF all prominent people is some
thing marvellous II our correspondents,
ike ELM" OF New Haven, will con.
tribute the curious histories OF their
communities, We shall be able TO fur
nish our readers most interesting chap
ter.
One OF the best pictures painted by
General ). w. Price, produced in his CO.
reer, and still in his possession, is that
of Old Solomon, the Grave. Digger.
Years ago his bronzed and hardened
lace was familiar in the streets OF Lex
ington. He was rarely seen in his tat
tered garments without the stump OF
cigar in his mouth. He was a connois-
seur in this article, and kept himself
supplied with fragmentary Havanas,
the refuse OF the streets. He was q
graye-digger worthy OF Hamlet, and be-
ing possessed of both humor and senti-
ment, he was well capable OF reflections
on the Ioricks OF his day. Old Aunt
Mary, the colored rag-picker, and better
Known as the Judge, has been figure
IN that Athens Of the West as long as
the memory Of a generation or two. In
dustriOus in her pursuit, she has accum-
ula;ed few hundred dollars, but indie
pendent enough to live in dry goods
box surrounded by her rags. tits pain
full to say that this temporary domicile
was utterly consumed by fire winter
or SO ago, the Judge only escaping with
the rags on her back.
Perhaps the bluegrass region OF Ken
lucky does not afford greater number
OF queer people than may be found else
where, but a few instances may make
good our point that personages as quaint
as may be found in Dickens, suitable
material for any genius OF his kind,
abound with US. We would not have
10 go far from home to find characters
grOtesQue in person, as we'll as in man
ners and mind. But we do not court
personal violence from our local Quasi
modos and Quilps.
To return to the district where both
the cattle and those who eat them are
well fed, ii not fat. Was old man Billy
Cook, of Nicholasyille, ever known to
drive horse OF any other than cream
color1 There was Spriggins, also, who
lived in the pugnacious days OF fist
fights and personal encounters, who
was a man well connected and educated.
His general course was in the middle OF
the street, especially at night, a stone in
his pocket or hand. When asked the
reason of this habit, he used TO reply,
30, a man never knows who is waiting
around the corner for him." In Wood
ford county lives man, the owner OF
| 900 acres OF the best land in the world,
who accumulates enough money every
year 10 add 100 acres to his possessions,
who only buys what is absolutely essen
tial to existence. A few years ago he
married. During his courtship he
bought buggy. Starting to Lexington
on his first trip after marriage his wife
spoke Of buying some articles necessary
10 the house. "Have you any money
for the purpose?" he asked. "Why,
haven't your" "No." Whereupon he
at once drove back, nailed the buggy in
the carriage house. whence it has never
emerged.
The sanity of the hundreds Of queer
characters within the experience OF
every man cannot be fairly questioned.
They exist in every community. There
is q great deal of monotony in Ameri-