The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-12-22
Letter from Kentucky.
<FREEsToNE, Rowan COUNTY, KY,
December 18. 1883.

<FREEsToNE, Rowan COUNTY, KY,
December IS, 1888.
MEssRs. EDITORS Il am not dead, but
have only been taking quite long rest within
the seclusion of Rowan hills, for we don't
have anybody's business to worry with here
except our own; our neighbors do very much
as they please and we do the best we can.
We are about as far from the city as West
ster is from Baltimore, but do not have the
railroad facilities that you have, as there are
but two daily trains each way over our road
Il mean passenger-and there is no end to
freight trains. They run by here any hour
in the day, and | am often awakened by the
rumbling of heavy freight trains during the
night. This road does an immense freight
business. | have seen as many as three sec
tions of single freight, all carrying fat cattle
from the blue grass to the East, and great
many of them are carried to New York; In
fact all the finest ones are sold IN that market.
The rock auarries are still running, as we
have had but little cold weather out here.
This kind of rock, when fresh from the quar-
RES and with the quarry sap yet in it, is crack
ed by the frost, but when it has been broken
and exposed to the sun and air for ten days or
two weeks, will stand the hardest kind of a
freeze without the slightest sign of a crack or
flaw. We are now running the mill with a
full head from 6 a. m. to 9p. M, and tell
you they are turning out some very fine stone.
The mill saws about carload of stone per
day, and | have counted some loads WHICH
sell for the round sum of S125. Some would
not call that slow business.
Well. we had few regulators about here
last week Their captain is called Judge
Lynch, but he scarcely deserves that name
now, as it has been about three years since he
caused a poor ''cuss' to look up limb.
They pay most of their attention to Migrants,
and when men who do not make pretense OF
supporting their families, ''old judge" and
bis boys just happen in upon such a case,
probably about the 'sYee sma' hours, bring
him out. and give him SO or 80, as the case
may demand, and leave orders for him to go
to work, and if he fails to do this they pay
him a second visit, and charge pretty lively
interest for their time. They paid some ladies
a visit the other night, which has caused some
rum0r, but most of the people are Of the
opinion that he did not come too soon. They
all go masked, or at least disguised, and well
armed, too. They scarcely eyer think OF car
rying anything less than 80 calbre, and all
know how to use them. ] saw one man shoot
a iaybird from the top Of . tall tree with an
old revolver which looked as though it might
have been in the Revolution, One OF our
men was out few weeks ago with stranger
when old Judge suddenly lit upon them, and
he told me that two of them stood one on
either side, and third caused him to look
into the muzzle of very ugly looking Colt.
He said he had revolver in his pocket, but
thought three could shoot faster than one, so
he stood ag still as little mouse while
they gave his friend about so. They told
them they could go, With The gsEy gQgsoling
promise that they would blow their braips qqt
if they made any fuss about it.
| went down to see the blue grass last Sun
day. The pastures are still green and the
cattle find plenty of grass. Had a very pleas
ant ride through some of Montgomery's finest
lands. It was just eG9l enough for one to be
comfortable in the saddie. saaw some fine
short horns. The Jerseys are eohqiag into
favor more and more every year, and the Zen
lucky live stock records show some fine sales
in their favor, but the Durham still bids fair
10 be the fayorite of the feeders Of the blue
grass. Would like to be able 70 show you
around asd let yoq see some Of the blue gf54S !;
cattle at home, as many as 100 steers, all
grazing lazily along the gentle slopes, and
such as would make our mouths water to
think of the fine steak they would make.
GIsF