The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1892-02-19
IN THE BLUEGRASS.
Th. OpinIons &c Howard saxby and Hui
Davidson.

proper has by no means an extended area.
II is readily embraced In u square Of 90
or 20 miles, or taking Lexington ne y
center, In circle with diameter of 20
miles. 1t is n gently rolling country,
we'll supplied with water from running
streams; with deep, rich soil, orna-
men,cd with fine variety of forest trees,
aud dutted here and there by farm houses
that will rival in architectural beauty
many a prctentious city residence. The
vclvety smoothness Of the lawns, the
well.kept grounds, the everywhere ap-
pearance of a refined and comfortable
home life. make one wish that he, too,
might turn Arcadian, and sing with Viz
gil, "Tytyre tn recubans," under his own
spreading beech tree.
The excellence, Of course, Of the ami
NAL aud other products Of this region is
due To the agencies which supply the nu
tritive elements to the soil. The princi.
pal one is believed to be the blue lime
stone which underlies IL at depth OF
from four to eight and even ten feet.
Where il is wanting, or where 1t comes
too near the surface. the soil degenerates.
An example Of this will be found In
conversation with bluegrass Kentuck'
ian and Tennesseean. Said the latter:
81 don't zee why you think your Ken.
lucky land 81 much superior To ours,
when both have the same kind of lime.
stone underneath p
THAT is just the difference" answered
the Kentuckian; "your rock is not un-
derneath; it is mostly on top"
With all else in perfect accord, il would
be strange indeed If the inhabitants did
not partake of the general advantages.
A fertility Of soil, an equable climate, a
more than comparative return for labor,
all conduce TO natural refinement which
makes one skepticsl Of the "Greenland's
Icy Mountains story, where every
prospect pleases, and only man Is vile"
and while in the sense Of the hymn, that
all is "vile" that is not dogmatically re-
ligious, the average Kentuckian may not
pray as often as some Of his neighbors,
and may be considered as beyond the
anctimonious pale Of an orthodox here.
after
ain the day Of jegtment
I'd stand my chance with jim,
Agin many pious gentleman
As wouldn't shook hands with him"
Generous TO a fault, hospitable beyond
compare, quick TO resent an insult, yet
slow in giving Offense, the Kentuckian,
like the bluegrass, is tenacious" to his
soil, and loves his native State with u
passion that is seldom witnessed in other
parts of the Union. Having 10 much To
be proud of, il is natural that just little
boastfulness should creep into his con-
versation, aud cause outsiders TO sneer at
the Colonel from Kentucky, by Cad,
sab :" but his heart is in the right place,
and his purse and home are always open
TO the needy or the guest. Said one OF
those guests ON enc occasion, a lady, by
the way. from erudite Boston: 81
thought you Kentuckians were always
quarreling and fighting, and instead Of
that find you are more polite tn eacf
other than the men Of Boston" " Yes
madam, j" answered her host, 4" It's safer.
Longfellow wrote Of Catawba wine: =
There grows no wine
BY the haunted Rhine,
by Danube or Granddaughter;
Nor on island or cape
That bears such grape
As grows by the beautiful river"
This was all very well for sour wine
aud muddy waters Of the Obio river, bu
Hull Davidson has written somethinl
more apropos Of Kentucky
"You may speak of your wine,
Yer Catawba 50 foine,
Six BEETLES would ne'er make ye risky
hut by the powers so great
There's no ether situate
That grows such beautiful whisky"