Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-11-07
ON A KENTUCKY PIKE.
Episodes of Country Travel on Horsebac
and by stage.

Episodes of Country Travel on Horseback
and by stage.
There IS nothing pleasanter in fail or
spring than riding through Kentucky on
the fine stone pixies, at the sides of which
negroes are seen laZlly grinding up rocks
to repair the ravages made by the swift
footed Stecds. This occupation, by the
way, is net held in much esteem by the
more ariStocratic negroes, and there is,
| believe, but one means of livelihood
which is considered more degrading. AS
the traveller rides on he sees much to in
tereSt him. The scenery is not at all of
the grand and awful style. but is, on
the other hand cheerful, sunny and
peaceful, and has certain capability of
inspiring like qualities in the mind of the
rider. Along the road one meets other
riders, who always bow courteously. Oft
entimes one sees a whole family riding
out. A young father with one of his nu-
merouS progeny on his Steed in front of
him and. one behind, and, on another
horse beside him, his young wife, with a
sweet face peeping out from under a big
SunbOnnet. Then there is the small boy
going to mill with a bag of corn to sit
on, or returning with his saddle softened
by conversion into meal.
At frequent intervals along the pike are
the toll gates. with little houses close to
the road, where oftentimes a pretty girl
comes out to receive the toll. suggesting
money from a gallant Kentucky rider.
who also pays her with complimentary
glance, or SeiZeS an opportunity for tarry-
ing minute by quibbling about the
price.
Occasionally one may meet families
passing through Kentucky while moving
from state to state. One evening, at
tracted by the CLEAN of Il fire among the
trees, | stopped to see what was there.
Seated at campfire was an old woman,
toasting bread with one hand and hold
ing Il child with the other. Grouped
about her were several men, Il young
woman, and little children, while near at
hand was a capaciouS kind of gypsy
wagon, in which they travelled. They eX-
planned to me that they were moving from
Tennessee to Indiana, that they had been
on the road number of days, and
thought it would be some time before
they reached Indiana. What more de-
hgntful way of notwithstanding by the
way to rest at Will, and when a storm
arises tarrying at a hospitable Kentucky
farmhouse?
Another feature of Kentucky travel is
the stage which carries the mail from one
town to another, as the railway cOnnec-
tiOnS are often defective. for the Ken
tuckian has too much pride in his fine
pixies and bluegrass -nOuriShed SteedS to
feel dependent on steam or electricity. l.
recall Il journey taken one December day
by and the scene of Uncle Toms Cab
in to Frankfort, twenty-five miles dis
tant.
Our comfort and pleasure were greatly
enhanced by the stage driver, who was
the typical representative of his class
4 jovial. frank, burly. kind-hearted Ken
tuckian of real English stock. He had q
word and a joke for all he met along the
road. and passed the compliments of the
day Us he stopped to receive commissions
for SpOols of thread or molasses, or took
in eggs and butter, and alas! most fire.
quently of all. empty whisky bottles to
be filled at Frankfort. Occasionally his
baggage was more exciting. as when he
received live turkey. which, in spite OF
being fastened on behind, kept our inter
est in him constantly active by his occa-
SiOnal savage pecks. This somewhat
distracted our attention from the dusky
young couple on the front seat, who had
just been off to be married, and were
smilingly conscious of their position.
This consciousness was expressed by the
young black girl whenever the groom in
a somewhat sheepish way performed any
little attentive office. by her frequently
iterated coy remark that ''she wished she
was to home"
Occasionally. too, a drummer, stranded
in little hamlet, seized this mode of
conveyance to the next town. Then there
was the frank, entertaining young man
from Denver, on the way to pass his
Christmas vacation in Frankfort, with
whom we discussed Darwin" and
"Gray's Elegy," Pixies Peak and orig
inal sin.
Whenever we came to hamlet consist
ing of two or three houses. one of which
generally served as a postoffice, the driver
would take out the Well-wOrn mail bag,
and after the rural government officials
had selected the few letters that be-
longed there and put in a possible paper
and postal card, he would bring back
the bag, not much increased or dimin-
ished in weight. to remain with US till
we arrived at the next United States
tation Our stage driver entered fully
into the spirit of his position, and had
something of interest to tell us about near
ly every house we passed.-Boston Even
ing Transcript.