The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-05-31
.-ran-raav1n nHNTUOhX.
Barhourville and It's Surroundings---A
pypical Southern Village.

AJRASha 5Ou9AOAA A'ANnN
BARBoURvILLE, KY, May %, '8S.
EDITOR DEMoCRAT: AS l promised
when | left Canton | would send occa-
sioually something that might perhaps
be interesting to the DEMOCRAT read
ers, | will try and partially fulfill those
promises. The old village of Barbour.
Vile, where | am, is 200 miles south OF
Cincinnati, surrounded by mountains,
a ridge of the Cumberland, and has
about 800 inhabitants. A railroad has
Just been opened to it about two months
ago, which is the first that ever pene-
trated this section, belonging to and
being a part of the Louisville u Nash
vile system, which has a network OF
railroads through the South. The place
is a fair type of the old slave holding
Kentucky home, and is seventy-fVe
years behind Canton. The old well
sweep of a hundred years ago is IN com
mon use, and the gourd instead or the
dipper is used to drink from, while a
COW and a mule may often be seen on
the street, harnessed together, drawing
all old shackdown apology for a wagon,
haunug III a few dozen OF eggs with the
"wimmin' folks riding and smoking a
corncob pipe or chewing tobacco, ana
the man walking with a great long OK
CAD ON his shoulder, his toes perhaps
sticking through his worn out boots,
but a fine A calibre revolver III the bell
around his waist, and often a Nlncl es
ter rifle laying on the bottom OF the
wagon. THESE people come from ne
hills where moOnshine whisky is made,
and are termed mountain outlaNs,
who live in log houses plastered WIN
mud and having no windows. Every
thing about here has an ar of llStle' s.
ness and a dilapldated and careless ap-
~pearance. characteristic of the South,
at least such is the case where | have
been, from Macon, Ga, to this place.
In the room of the hotel where L
write this can be seen Knox coul ty
Jail about twenty rods distant. A
small square stone building 2Ox2O and
~ Levi D.lgu, with four siueot " Lne roof'
What would Canton do with ucl a
Jail? Confined in this small build ng
are % male prisoners and two female,
while among the men are IL murdereTs,
tie other five being "moonshine' dis
Jillers. Court was III session a ! W
weeks ago trying three of them for
shooting the L. S. Marshal on Christ
mas eve last. This tragedy took place
ull Tie puUnc square, d rev rUua 4rtm
where | write today, and as 1t Is 81 u
day morning 1 am now looking out
on that square and spot and see running
at large SIX or eight old horses, a dozen
COWS, hogs, geese and chickens. What
would the people of Canton think to
see it's public square like that on a
bright and beautiful Sabbath morning
when going to attend divine service;
1t is all ole adage but a true one that
one half of the world knows not how
the other half lives.
Talk about foreign missions and the
heather ot the dark continent. Why
the field is right here. There are men
in this county who do not know who is
president of these States, or who is gov.
ernor of Kentucky. 1t is amusing anC
interesting to hear some of the old fell
lows of ante bellum times recount thu
days when a white man. was better than
a "nigger." Like the broken vas'
about which still fingers the fragrance
of the rose, it has a charm for many tC
rehearse the days before the war, OF
before the N~ortherner came in.
| will close by sending you a poem
which ] hope will not be consigned t.
the waste basket.
HOPE ON, DEAR HEART.
As reads a book, by fading light
OF sinking sun, till comes the night
Which lays 1t by; so ever
with hope and doubt and endless strife
Man reads his destiny in life,
And finds 1t finished never.
OF mystery no fiction tells
The half, which in existence dwells,
Mistakes and wrongs unrlghted;
OF longings never satisfied,
OF secret TRIALS that betide,
And fondest projects %blighted.
Hope on, dear heart, say not in tears
Lies story closes with its years,
A fragment and a cheat;
Lies but a chapter of the tale
Eternity will soon reveal.
All-wise, exact, complete.
JOHN BRYAN.