The bee., 1882-06-10
the ROMANCE OF CRACKERS
NECK.
I coIoNE1 aEoRaE W, sYMoNps.

7 COLONEL GEORGE We sYMoHDs.
That turbulent and tortuous stream
the Little Sandy river coils itself O. m
pletely around rocky plateau of about
10000 acres area, in the Western corner
of Elliott county, Kentucky, the waters
OF the river being divided by narrow
"trip of crumbled cliff. From time I'm
memorial this peninsula has borne the
euphoEicus name of ''Crackers Neck. Z"
IL is a Uild and gloomy spot, il You
follow the boundaries OF the plsteau
and view it from the opposite bank of
the river. Walled in on all sides by
frowning cliffs, rising nearly perpen-
dicular TO the height Of 800 feet, their
upper edge fringcd by heavy growth
OF stuuted frs and laurel bushes, it Ger.
tainly has a folb ;dding look. III you
have the curiosity to explore the plateau
and climb the summit of the crumblinR
cliff at the point of jointure with the
mainland, the aspect changes. Ten
years ngo there was thick growth of
heavy timber on the meek" but IL has
all been cleared away, ana O vista of
fertile fields aud neatly fenced planta-
tioDs sweep away on all sides TO the
cliff edges, which are still bordered by
the lanrel and fir growth. Evidences
OF civilization in the way of comfortable
houses and stables and sheep hocks
cropping the succulent herbage are seen
on every hand. The country surround
ing this plateau is rocky and sterile and
the fertile neck rises up like an oasis in
fine mountain desert. 1t instinctively
strikes the imaginative beholder as q
6ne spot for romance, and the Romance
of Crackers Neck" / now propose to
tell.
Immediately after the close of the
late war q man named Peter J. Living
stone, who had commanded regimen
ot guerrillas on the Confederate side,
purchased the neck for o nominal sum.
cleared away the timber, laid off ields,
built roads and erected houses and
opened store Just on the verge of The
crumbling cliff, down which you clamb-
cred TO reach the mainland. He cut
down this cliff and graded read TO the
farther edge of the plateau, with lateral
feeders running off on either side. He
brought his family here, installed them
in luxuriou home, and began q -four.
ishing business, the basis of which was
timber, great tracts of which were
owned by him on the mainland. The
geographical situation of the ''neck"
was an admirable one for business
purposes, it being q sort of halfway
station between the undeveloped riches
of wild Kentucky and capital which
stretched out eager hands toward the
new-old country from the other side OF
the Ohio river. He speedily drew about
him an enormous trade and acted as O
factor for the whole of the back coun-
try. He was an affable, pleasant-man-
nered ma and made friends.
At this time Mountain Kentucky was
in q stcte of anarchy, Law and order
were bat little regarded, and the woods
were filled with armed men engaged in
those terrible family feuds which have
made the dark and bloody ground
famous, It was the favorite rendez-
vous, too, for a much worse class of
criminals. Thieves and counterfeiters
mnde their headquarters among the |
wild gorges and deep forests from
which they emerged, at frequent in
-ttesf-+Taals, 90 prey on the fatness of the |
rich bluegrass country but few miles |
distant Robberies were of frequent |
occurrence, and stolen horses and cattle |
we're stampeded out of the low country
by the hundred head. They would be |
secreted here until the hue and CRY was
over, and then conveyed across the
Ohio river and sold. IL was known to
the authorities that the desperadoes
were we'll organized, and all efforts to
break up the gang were fruitless.
During all this time Colonel Peter j.
Livingstone hourisbed and waxed rich,
and no one suspected that he bad q
hand in the lawless acts which were
fast driving honest people out of the
mountains, and deterring others from
coming in to take their places.
Peter j. Livingstone's business pros
pered so well that it was not long
before he had competition. Two vir-
ginians, father and son, named Malone,
set ny store on the mainland, directly
on the road TO Livingstone's store, and
much of the trade which hitherto of
necessity had gone TO him was directed
TO the new establishment. The falling
of in his business cnnged Colonel
Livingstone beyond measure, and he
bad an open quarrel with the Malones.
After this quarrel the two firms tried 10
iniure each other in the way of trade as
much as possible. Livingstone made
threats that he would break up the
Malones, and drive them from the
county. In the spring Of 1877 Malone's
store was broken into and robbed of I
several hundred dollars wc--ssii G :.
goods, and Colcnei Livingstone gloried
IN the discontinue of his rivals over |
heir loss. A few months afterwards
fire broke out in Malone's store, but I
was happily e1tinguished before much
iamage was done. After this second {
Misfortune one of Malone's clerks, q y