The evening bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1887-1905, 1892-12-22
JUDGEW WALKER REID
A Famous Judge Of Ante-Bellum Times
in This Section.
Some of the Amusing Anecdotes Told
on Him-Tricks Played ON
Him by Friends.

Judge Walker Reid was famous law
yer and Judge of ante-bellum times. His
home was at Washington, Mason County.
He was for many years Circuit Judge
before the county seat of Mason was
transferred from Washington to Mays
vile. He was physically man OF great
size, especially about the girth. Morally,
he was a gem without a flaw, and men,
tally he hardly had superior in the Com
monwealth. He was a man of great dig
nifty of character, and to a stranger, bore
the air of being unapproachable. But he
had heart as simple as a child's, and
those who approached him found his
seeming austerity melted at once into
kindness and gentle courtesy. He was of
rather quick temper, but his anger was OF
that volatile kind that elects itself in
rapid spurts, leaving his mind rosy with
good nature. The pettish quality of his
temper, along with mind that never
suspected underhand tricks in others,
made him a favorite but and an angry
victim of many of the practical jokes OF
his associates as they rode with him from
one Circuit Court to another.
Ex-Congressman Wadsworth, OF Mays
vile, at present one of the attorneys Of
the G. and o. railroad, was one of Judge
Reid's most active tormentors, as well as
his greatest favorite.
One time when the lawyers and the
Judge were on their way from Washing
ton to Flemingsburg, Wadsworth, as
usual, began to torture his brain in an
effort to concoct some scheme to vary
monotony of "playing one on the old
Judge" His fertile mind soon accom-
modated him. Near the edge OF the road
he perceived large sand rock as white as
snow, the edges of which were pulverized
into grains that looked exactly like salt.
He made an excuse to alight, telling his
companions to ride on. When they were
out of sight he picked up handful OF
the pulverized rock and put it in his
pocket. He then galloped after his COM
panions, overlook them and passed on,
stating that he was going to get some
onions at the next house. The old Judges
eyes twinkled, and his mouth began to
water in blissful anticipation at the an
nouncement of Wadsworth's intentions,
for the latter we'll knew His Honor's pas
sion for onions. He got the onions and
handed the old Judge the largest one.
"Now, here, Judge, is some salt-you see
how thoughtful 1 always am of your
tastes and comforts"
The Judge took the supposed salt,
sprinkled lot of it on his onion and
"took big bite" When the grit ground
between his teeth wild yell of desper-
ate anger went up from him. But Wads-
worth had popped spurs to his horse and
was soon out of range OF the Judges old
pistol. The Judge rode furiously after
Wadsworth for over a mile, then gave up
the chase. He was violent tor hall an
hour, during which time Wadsworth
would not have been safe near him, but
his anger evaporated rapidly after that,
and Joker and victim occupied the same
bed at the hotel that night.
The Judge had an uncomfortable pen
chant for the backs of fried chickens, and
at the hotels, when the plate containing
the delicious fowls would he passed, OF
course first offered to the Judge, he
would take all the backs on the plate,
whether they be few or many. Wads-
worth, who also loved backs, got very
much fatigued at this, and finally, at
Clarksburg, in Lewis County, he hired a
boy, who assisted in the cook-room, to
fill the concavity OF one OF the backs