The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-02-10

Here is a region rare and radiant
Hunt all merry England for wales OF
peace; search all New England for
valleys of plenty. and there will not
come to your finding reaches of such
beauteous landscape. Gently descend
ing from the Cumberland plateau, which
forms the western flank of the Ken
lucky mountain region, are numberless
-winsome hills and enhancing valleys
In the heart of all this wondrous gar
den is the ''bluc-grass" country. On
its breast like noble rose or lustrous
Jewel rests the royal county of Bour-
bon.
Its soil. like that of the far valley of
'Guincs. is cxhaustlcss in opulence.
The forests are mighty sentinels of
peace. Its pasturage is the envy of a
continent. Its streams are as ribbons
of silver flashing from vclve: of green.
Its sinuous highways are poems in
thoroughfares. Its fountains and
springs. unkempt by man. leap MUIR
murausly from myriad rocks and
roadside coverts. Its fine stone walls
and rail fences are idyls to pastoral
toll All its seasons round are Area
dian. Here the spring is IN ecstacy of
bud and bloom and song. Summers
are natures psalms of God. The
autumn is splendid in its housings
of the fruited world. Its very
winters are balm. Its mansions
have that largeness and amplitude
which gladden. the heart. They pos
-sess that age which engenders and hal
lows honest home pride and love. The
firesides are ingfenooks of largeness
and content The women of these
homes are American types most g!ori-
Gus in physical perfection and winsome
in gracious courtliness. The men of
these homes are noble of frame. strong
of arm. brave of heart and lofty OF
soul. Who enters here leaves care be-
hind. Who remains is rested and
healed. Who comes and tarries and
goes has mended his pace and car
ried back into his workaday world
better content and safer calm.
just across the way from one of
these fine old Kentucky farm mansions
in which i am Hospitality housed stands
a little church. 1t is not much larger
than the country log school-house you
knew in your childhood. Its windows
are little; its door is meager; its caves
are so low you can all but touch them
from the ground. 1t stands ut a cross
roads upon little hill, or ridge"
and in the cramped half acre behind it.
beneath cluster of walnut, locust
hickory. ash, buckeye and evergreen
trees, are the headstOnes of MANY who
have been asleep for nearly an hundred
years.
Alexander Campbell was born of
Irish parents in County Antrim. Ire
land, September II. 17SS-just one
year after this little Cane Ridge church
in which the Christian Church was
born was erected in the wilderness.
His youthful days were spent chiefly
in Rich Hill. County Armagh. Here.
about mile from the famous Shane's
castle. whose moidering ruins TO this
day testify TO its former grandeur. the
family were living, when his father,
Thomas Campbell. having broken
down in health through labors as
teacher and preacher. sailed alone for
America April s. 1907. leaving Alex
ander in charge of his mother and six
younger children. Alexander. then in
his twentieth year. continued the
school in his fathers place. Thomas
Campbell was received cordially by the
Presbyterian synod in Philadelphia.
and appointed to a charge in Washing
ton, Pa From thence he wrote in
January. 1903. for his family to follow
and join him in America. The family
finally reached Philadelphia October Z.
1909. and from thence proceeded ;y
stage to the fathers home in western
Pennsylvania.
In the meantime the latter had been
assigned to the Presbytery of Char
tiers of Washington. by the Seceder
Synod of Philadelphia But he had not
been long officiating before there arose
az the minds Ut his ministerial brethren