The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-10
A KENTUCKY FEUD.
Failure to Respect the Old Saying
''Never Kick a Sleeping Dog"

Failure to Respect the Old Saying
"Never Kick a Sleeping Dog"
''Ihere is an old saying" remarked Col
lector D. W. McClung to Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette man, (which is to this
effect: Never kick sleeping dog Now,
that reminds me Of story once told by a
Kentucky friend of nine, the circumstances
in connection with which led to the orr
gin of feud between two back county
families, the relics Of which still survive.
although the history dates back fully thirty
years. stalwart young farmer was en-
gagged to be married to the daugh-
ter of well-to-do neighbor liv-
ing about five miles away. The
course of true love ran smoothly among all
parties, the only objector being the family
dog of the house Of the bride. He did not
hesitate to show his disapproval of the pro-
ceedings by snarling at the young sutton
upon each and every visit. Well, one dav
the young man got lonesome, so he mounted
up on the hurricane deck of his horse and
rode out to see his girl. The house in which
she lived was one Of the old-fashioned
double hewed-log dwellings, built one room
deep and having front and back door ex :
actly opposite. Both were open, as it was a
drowsy sort of day in the middle of summer
The Old man was seated In a chair COM
fortably tilted back against the lamb of the
door, so that the light fell over his shoulder
upon his newspaper. In the middle Of the
room stood the table, LAID for dinner. In the
middle of the front yard and right across
the path, the old house dog lay stretched out
in the full enjoymen of a nap Our hero
rode up to the gate, dismounted, tied his
horse, and entered. As he advanced he
noticed the object Of his ave sion, and de.
termined to give him taste of his boot.
1.-THE results OF the assault did not enter
into bis mind Re ching the recumbent
form of the enemy he de at out a kick with
his heavy cownide boot that resounded in
she house. The dog leaped TO his feet. took
one dazed look at the awful boot, which
was again ready, turned tail and disap-
peared in the house like a shot. He few
past the old man; right under the table he
went, and here met disaster. The table
cloth was uuduly long, and on the side lead
ing to the back door, for which the dog was
making with race-horse speed, there was a
hole
1.-THE dog did not stop to measure it. but
it fitted around his neck with the precision
of dress collar, and the result was that ho
took the cloth with him, while all the dishes
settled with heart-rending crash upon the
floor. The visitor heard the crash, and
turning, fed for the gate and his horse.
Cutting the strap, he vaulted to his Sc t
and gave The animal the rein and bis spurs.
Away he flew down The road. Away h5I
the dog across the fields back of the house.
with the tablecloth waving defantly in the
wind.
'Tne old man had risen TO his feet with
electric suddenness when he saw the de-
struction and turned to note the cause. He
saw the fleeing lover, and, reaching for
his ready rifle, sent bullet whizzing after
him without effect. The young man rode
TO the house of a mutual friend, quite two
miles away, before be drew rein, and there
narrated the circumstance.
THE listener laughed immoderately, de-
spite the serious nature of che episode and
its possible sequel, and then explained
Said he: That dog beat you here about
five minutes, and is now under the house
with the tablecluth. He won't come out
either Well, the upshot Of i5 all wss that
the match was broken off. Both people
married eight or ten years later into other
families. The difference was never recon
ciled, and it was only by the exercise OF
constant watchfulJess on the part Of mu-
tual fri nds that bloodshed was prevented
On numerous occasions. Such was the
beginning Of one Kentucky feud, aud all
because the old proyerb was despised."