The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1889-08-01

An the E1altntlA AEli ONGN anu uIouuu "
And quIetl.- moved 10 the door.
But her red cheeks % roguishly dimpled,
And her eyes sh0ne - wIekedly bright,
That guessed where her thoughts were stray
ing.
And ! reached mp and turned out the light.
Arthur Stephens
COUNTY COURT DAY IN KENTUCKY
BEFORE THE WAR.
To describe infinitely the scenes Of
q county court day In Kentucky, say
at the end Of the half-century, would
be to write q curious page In the his
tory of the times; for they were pos
slble only through the unique social
conditions they portrayed. IL was
near the most prosperous period OF
state life under the old regime. The
Institution OF slavery was about 10
eliminate and decline. Agriculture
had about ~ nearly perfected itself
- IL wGs ever destined to do under
the system OF bondage. The wal
cloud in the sky Of the future could
be covered with the hand, or ut most
with the country gentleman's broad
bFlmmed straw hat. The whole at
mOsphere Of the times was heavy
with ease, and the people, living 10
perpetual contemplation Of their SUI
perabundant natural wealth, bore
the quality Of the land in their man
ners and dispositions.
When the Well-tO-do Kentucky
farmer got up In the morning, walked
out into the porch, stretched him
self, aud looked at the sun, he knew
he could summon q sleek kindly ne
gro TO execute every wish and within
-One to search for his misplaced
hat, Q second to bring him q dipPer
Of ice-Water, q. third to black his
shoes, . fourth TO saddle his horse
aud hitch Il st the stiles, q fifth TO
cook his breakfast, Q sixth TO walt on
him at the table, q seventh TO stsnd
on one side aud keep OFF the flies.
Breakfast over, he mounted his
horse aud rode out where "the
hands" were at work. The chance
was his OverseeT or negro boss was
there before him: his presence was
unnecessary. What . gentleman he
Was! This was called earning ones
bread by the sweat Of his brow.
Whose brow? He yawned. What
should he do? One thing he knew
he rOUId dO-take q good nap before
dinner. Perhaps he had better ride
over To the blacksmith shop. How
ever, there was nobody there. II was
county court day. The sky was blue,
the sun golden, the air delightful,
the road broad and smooth, the gait
Of his horse the very poetry Of mo-
ton. He would go to county court
himself. There was really nothing
else before him. His wife would
want to 90 too, aud the children; 80
away they went, he on horseback or
In the family carriage, with black
POmpey driving In front and yellow
Cesar riding behind. The turnpike
reached, the progress of our family
carriage Is interrupted or quite
stopped, for there are many other
carriages on the road, all going In the
same direction. Then pa, growing
impatient, orders black POmpey 10
drive out on one side, whip up the
horses, pass the others, and get
ahead. 80 rs to escape from the clouds
Of white limestone dust, which set
ties thick on the velvet collar Of pas
blue cloth coat aud In the delicate
pink maTabOu feathers OF mas bon
net, which POmpey cant do, for the
faster he goes, the faster the others
40, making all the more dust; 50
that pa gets red In the face, and
Jumps up In the seat, and looks ready
10 fight, aud thrusts his head out Of
tho window and knocks off his hat I;
and ma looks nervous, and black
POmpey and yellow Caesar both look
white with dust and fear.
Arural cavaleade indeedl Besides
H. naHefaa..a h2aararfasa hnr
aud pedestrians, there are long
droves OF stock being hurried on to-
ward the tOwn-hundreds OF them.
ny the time they come together in
the town they will be many thou
sands. For Is not this the great
stock market OF the West, and does
not the whole South look from its
rich plantations aud cities up to
Kentucky for bacon and mules? BY
and-by our family carriage does al
last get to town, aud IL left out In the
streets along with many others to
block up the passway according to
the custom.
The town L. packed. IL looks A.
though by some vast suction system
&c had with one exercise OF force
drawn all the country life into itself.
The poor dumb creatures gathered
In from the peaceful fields, aud
crowded around the court house,
send forth, each after It's kind, n gen
eral cutlery Of horror aud despair at
the tumult Of the scene end the un-
Imaginable mystery Of their own
fate. They quite overflow into the
by-streets, where they take posses
sion Of the sidewalks, aud debar en-
frances at private residences. No
stoek-pens wanted then none want
ed now. II q town legislates against
these stock sales on the streets and
puts up pens on It's outskirts, straight
wy the stock IL taken 10 some other
place, and the town II punished for
Its airs by decline In It's trade.
AZ the day draws near noon, the
tide Of life IL at the food. All mixed
In with the tossing horns and nlmble
heels of the terrified, dist ressed, half
maddeued beasts, are the people.
Above the level Of these Is the dis
cOrdant choir Of Ehrill-YOiced auc-
tioneers on horseback. At the cor
ners Of the streets lOng-hAlred-and
lOng-eared-ioctOrs In curious hats
lecture to eager groups on mAladles
aud philAnthropic cures. Every
itlneFaut vender OF notion and nos
trum In the countryside 10 there;
every wandering Italian harper or
musician Of any kind, be he but a
sIghtless fiddler, who brings forth
poor unison Of voice and string the
brief aud too tickle ballads OF the
time, "isntle Annie" and "Sweet
Alice, Hen Bolt" strangely con-
trasted with everything else In phys
ical type aid marks Of civilization
are the mOuntalneers, who have
come down to 1.-THE settlements"
driving herds of their lean. stunted
cattle, or bringing, In siOw-nioving,
OX-drawn steamboat" wagons, ma
ple-sugar, and baskets, aud poles,
aud wild mountain fruit-fHded
wagons, faded beasts, faded clothes,
faded faces, faded everything. A
general day for buying and selling
all over the state. What purchases
at the dFy-gOOds stores aud groceries
Ia keep 81 those negroes at home fat
and comfortable and cOmely-cot-
tons, aud gay cOttOnades, and EOr-
geous tuFbans, aud linseys OF pris-
matte dyes, bags 81 Rio coffee aud
barrels Of sugar, with many another
pleasant thing! All which will not
be taken home In the family carriage,
but In the wagon which Scipio AfTl-
eanus 10 driving In; Scipio, remem-
Der; for while the New-EnglandeT
has been naming his own flesh and
blood PeleR and HPEekiAh aud Abed-