St. Paul daily globe., 1888-01-09
THE KENTUCKY BARRENS.
A TreeleSs Region Where Streams
Are Few..An Indian TIe0en6


Are FeW--An Indian Legend.
There was no fact in the history of
Kentucky fifty years ago that was bet
ter authenticated than that what was
called the Barrens, in Southern Ken
lucky, was an open prairie as late as the
beginning of the present century, says
the Louisville Courier-Journal. My
grandfather, who came to the region in
1876, related to me that he could ride all
day in Warren and Logan counties
without being able to find so much
as riding switch; that the land
was regarded as almost valueless,
and that he could have bought a
hundred acres where Bowling Green
was afterward located for an ordinary
w0rk-horse. The late venerable Ed
mund Gardner told me, only few years
ago, that when he came to that coun-
try, shortly after the beginning of the
present century, the whole region of
country was destitute of any tree or
shrub, except along the margin of Green
river, and that when the grass was
burned off in the fall of the year he
could see the grayiSh-white masses of
limestone glistening on the slopes of the
knobs at long distances. In the days of
generally understood by the old set
tiers that it was rarely referred to, ex-
cept when contrasting the blackjack
thicketS with the bare face of the cOun-
try forty years before.
''AnOther feature of this belt is that it
has no surface streams, except the
larger water courses, which have their
sources in the hilly region to the east,
and run across it in deep channels. In
passing over the Louisville q Nashville
railroad, between Green and Barren
rivers, no running water is seen, and
the same is true of the country between
Barren river and the Tennessee line.
The soil rests upon, or, more properly,
is mixed with fragmentary masses of
limestone, sometimes called Kentucky
marble, forming crust so porous that
the water falling OH the surface speed
lily runs through it and passes off
through deep Subterranean channels.
This makes the country peculiarly a
thirsty land. East of this belt. and es-
pecially on the upper waters of Barren
river-perhaps the most heavily tim
bered portion of the state-the forma-
ton is more compact, and the region
abounds in never-failing springs and
numerous perennial streams. Along
the margins of these streams there are
great numbers of graves, the origin of
which is unknown, except in so far as
we may credit the traditions am about
to record.
During my boyhood a respectable
and somewhat prominent farmer living
ren river, in Allen county, often visited
my fathers house. His name was
James Moore. 1 suppose he and my
father were warm friends as well as
neighbors, for they spent much time in
talking over their early adventures.
Mr.. Moore related his pleasant associa-
ton with some friendly Indians who
occasionally visited the valley of Barren
river in his boyhOod. He became es-
pecially attached to very aged Indian.
and would ask him many questions,
which the old man seemed to take much
pleasure in answering. Among other
things. he asked him about the great
number of graves scattered along the
banks of Barren river. The aged Indian
answered gravely to the following pur-
port:
ga great many years ago. began
the old man, when ! was little bOys
like you are now, the country lower
down this river was covered with great
forests. A great many buffalo, elk,
bear and deer roaffled through the
woods, and it was a famous hunting
ground for our people. But there came
a great drought, which continued long
time. There was no rain fell for about
forty moons. All the trees died. and
every green thing dried up. Ali the
game died or went away. Many of our
people perished of hunger. Then we
CAME further up the river, where we
found green trees. But we could get
but little food; our people were sick
aud nearly all died. The few who re-
mained alive buried them in these
graves. After this we travelled many
days toward the setting sun. At last
there came plenty of rain. When we
came again to our old hunting-grOund
there were no green trees on it, but it
was grown over with grass, and the
trees never came up again."