The climax. [volume] (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1887-1897, 1888-04-04
SOUR WOODS.

To the Editor Of The Gilman:
have been requested to write in
vindicatiOn Of the above named IOcali-
ty. The reason for the request is on
account OF an editorial that came out
in the Register, which reads about this
way:
"As usual, the hard lot of customers
seen on the first days Of Circuit Court
were ia town on Monday and Tuesday.
They were from Red Lick, Coon HOl-
low, Bear WallOw, the Glades, the
Slashes, the SOUR Woods and other
like localities, aud they seemed to en-
joy civilization immensely"
In the next column, opposite, the
editor has this heading-"Fatal Shoot
ing" Now II murder or the shedding
of human blood is what he means by
civilization, he IS lsbOring under a
grand mistake, when he thinks the
people Of this community enjoy it. The
people around here enjoy civilization
where they can every Sunday morn
ing hear the Curious gospel of the Son
OF GUd proclaimed by some worthy
divine, and then in the evening at
Tend Sunday-schOOl, where we can
join our voices in songs Of praise to the
Holy One of Israel, investigate and
study Hiss blessed works of truth, and
where We can enjoy friendship, love,
peace and harmony among ourselves
and with all the surrounding cOmmu-
nifty, without aDy fear OF being shot
down. This IL the kind OF civilization
we have out here, and we enjoy it
very much. Now, Mr.. editor, search
the records Of the grandjuries and
courts back for twenty years, and see
how many indictments have gone up
from this locality. 1 have been a resi-
dent here for fOrty-eight years, and in
that period Of time can not call to
memory, st present, but one killing
that has taken place in what is called
the "SOur Woods ;" and that was
thirty-three years ago.
How does the killing record Of Rich
mODd compare with the above? l i'm
agine if the editor Of the Register were
standing on Main street and ali Of the
host of skeletons Of human beings,
Who have been killed on the
streets and in the suburbs Of the
city in the last twenty years, were to
rise up, instead Of believing that he
were in the most civilized place on
earth, lie would think himself sur
rounded by some Cannibal tribes 10
Central Africa, and that his bones
were just about 10 be picked.
To those wh0 think the people of the
Sour Woods are heRthens and bar
baTians, 1 would just say you are mis-
taken. AS a general thing, they are
poor, SO far rs this worlds goods are
concerned, SO If being poor and hon est
is a crime, we are guilty.
Within four miles square there are
five chuTches-gOOd substantial build
ings-twO Of them brick, the other
three framed-beautifulIy painted aud
well finished. Services are held regu-
lGrly in all these churches. Then there
is preaching about twice a month at
Broom Sage" Academy the place that
is looked upon by outsiders as the very
heart OF the SourwOOds. In the same
boundary there are five public school
houses where school is taught from
five to ten months in the year. In the
rame locality there are five Sunday
schools that meet the year round, aud
at Broom Sage" there has been, the
last year, an average Of thirty-five or
forty pupils. aud sixty in attendance,
the year round, aud the other schools
have been we'll attended. Now we
ask is there another locality 10 the
county, outside OF Richmond, that can
show forth better facilities for acquir-
/ ing information and knowledge than
the much-despised ''Sour Woods"
DIFFERENTIATION.