Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-09-04
A FEuD SETTLED.

The feuds Of Kentucky have been
celebrated in song and story, and many
stirring refrain Or bloody tale has been
founded On the family wars Of "the
dark and bloody ground,'' but no feud,
ancient or modern, was ever settled in
more satisfactory manner Or resulted
in a more lasting peace between the
factions than was brought about by the
settlement of the feud between the
Brown and Jones families in county
bordering ON the Ohio river which shall
be nameless
How the enmity between the families
arose in the first place belongs not to a
story Of modern times, for the beginning
was far back in the early history of the
state. At first it was bloody enough to
spit the most sanguinary partisan, but
as the county became more settled and
peaceful the Brown Jones feud took the
shape of political rivalry no less bitter
than the old warfare, but not quite so
destructive of the population of the
county. Business rivalry also sprang
up, and the family of Brown was ar
rayed against the family of Jones Oh ev-
cry possible occasion, and their respec-
tive retainers always stood by their
chiefs.
This led to some deplorable affairs on
such occasions as conventions, election
days and other gatherings, where both
parties came in contact, but the leaders
Of the factions, advising law abiding
conduct on every occasion, managed to
keep the ill feeling from breaking into
open warfare as general thing. No
one accused either of the parties to the
feud of cowardice and when at the
breaking out of the war Brown cast his lot
with the Federals it followed Of course
that Jones took up arms for the Con-
federacy, as he was in duty bound to do
even if his sympathies had not been
with that cause.
Each began as captain of company,
and during the whole progress of the
strife each fought valiantly, and on
more than one occasion their commands
met in the midst of the horrid storm of
war and helped to make few pages of
history sodden with the blood Of heroes,
for in those days, when men in gray met
men in blue, deeds of daring were per-
formed that made the actors immortals
and wrote their names high in the tenn
pie of fame
The people at home watched anx-
iously the course Of their respective
leaders, and when Brown was promoted
his partisans held grand mass meeting
which was still the talk Of the town
when word came that Jones had been
promoted also, and his retainers met to
rejoice.
So the fight went on, and Brown and
Jones were in the thick of it, and their
bravery was rewarded, until when the
days of peace came at last, it was Gen
eral Brown and General Jones who
came back to the little town, and neither
of them had performed deed Of valor
that had not been equaled by the other.
General Brown had son, John, and
General Jones had a daughter, Jeanette,
but they passed each other by in scorn
when school children together, and as
they grew older they were never known
rarely met at any social function, be-
cause there was no middle ground in
that county. He who was not for Brown
was against him, and the same might
be said concerning Jones.
Society was divided into the Browns
and the Joneses, and the members of
one party did not associate with the
other more than was absolutely neces-
sary. When Brown partisan died, the
Brown faction buried him from the
Methodist church north, and when
Jones died he was carried to the ceme-
terry from the Methodist church south,
and the only place where the two parties
rested together in peace and quiet was
the little cemetery on the hills beyond
the town.
John Brown and Jeanette Jones were
10 and 10 respectively when the war
ended, and they grew up hating each
the name of the other, as had their an
cestors since the memory of man went
not back to the time, and the Brown
Jones feud was as bitter as it ever was
as the years went on.
Then came sad blow to each. On
the very same day General Brown was
thrown from his horse and killed and
Mrs. Jones died sitting in her chair from
some sudden stroke, and the coroner Of
the county rendered his verdicts ac-
cordingly, and from the church north
and the church south solemn professions
moved, composed of the friends of each
party, and there was one day when the
two factions met and passed no jeering
word OR insulting remark between them
and when each went his way decorously
as becomes Christians in a civilized
land
Then the years went on again. Mrs.
Brown, fair to look upon, and as stately
as queen, became the leader of the
Brown faction, while General Jones,
the courtly and polished gentleman in
all things, pursued the even tenor Of his
way, having regard for the sex Of his
opponent, and gradually peace began to
settle over the community.
The Browns and the Joneses were as
bitter toward each other as ever, but
their partisans noticed that there was
an unwonted quiet between the imme-
diate members of the families, and those
who were not of the blood of either be-
gan to see that one might belong to the
faction they were opposed to and still
be decent sort of person, and gradu-
ally better feeling began to find a
footing in the community. To be sure,
no one deserted this party. 1t was not
that party fealty had grown weaker,
but the charity that covereth a multi
tude of sins spread its white mantle
over the whole people and made them
understand that others might be good
men and women and not believe in all
things as they did.
Now a strange thing happened. John
Brown and Jeanette Jones were sent
north to finish their education, and it
happened that they were sent to the
same college, and it being coeduca:
tional institution both entered the same
class. Then the old feud took new
shape, for these two heirs apparent to
the leadership of the ancient feud began
| a struggle for educational supremacy
that lasted from the day they entered
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