The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1895-02-22
A "Reminiscences.

blonde beard, both it and his hair
more noticeable for being in a
chronic state OF disorder than for
being familiar with comb and
brush. He came with a pack on
his back, aud was at once dubbed |
"Old Ped and from his first APP
pearance among US until his death
at Fuller's station a few years ago
he was far better known by that
slang cognomon than by his real
name Of j. II Mckee. From drift
ing hither and yen with a pack
Mckee finally Heated into u house
near where James Vhnson now
lives, and in it he opened a "store."
lie must have read sold Curiosity
shop" for such another outfit was
unparalleled save in that creation
Of Dickens brain. Hardware, dry
goods, groceries, clothing, notions
and country produce We're piled
into the room without the slightest
regard to order or arrangement. But
the "Old Podn knew what he had
and where to find il, and what he
had one could buy usually at much
less price than that asked by the
store keepers in town. For many
years Mckee continued in this
business, occasionally varying his
business by making trips into the
country, always with his pack or
hand cart. lie dealt largely in
produce, shipping TO Cincinnati
merchants and from his returns
replenishing his varied stock. This
semi-permancnt, semi-itinerant life
the man led up to the day Of his
death
Mckee was singular character.
He had no intinates, sought no
friends. lie evidently chad e his
tory as we say, but he made no
conlidants, and II was only by his
infrequent lapscs into exception
ally good English, with an occas-
ional dash of the classics,
that some believed that he
at ono time was more and
higher than q dirty, unkcmpt, bad
| ly dressed, ignorant pcddler lie
was what was called a good trader,
that is hc was familiar with the
markets, knew what to give and
how much to ask for his goods.
But ii was well known that he was
robbed numerically His way of
keeping his heterogeneous stock
piled on counters and on the floor
made his ware, a tempting sight
for a thiol, aud those who were in
Ia position TO know have said that
his sales hardly equallcd the
amount stolen from him. Mckee
was an inordinate eater and drink
er, and his gluttony and other
vices hastcncd his end when di-
seaso seized upon him. lie died,
was buried and was forgotten, and
probably none other than a passing
thought would have been given TO
the man or his memory il 1t were
not for an incident OF the present
week. Tuesday evening, gentle
man arrived in Louisa and regis
tered at the Brunswick as j. IL
Johnston, Blanch, Ohio. On the
following day lac was heard making
inquiries at the Court House con.
corning the estate Of j. IL. Mckee
deceased. An interview with HIM
revealed the fact that Mr.. Johnston
and Mckee were brothcrs-in.law
and that johnson was an heir to
whatever property the Old Ped
had left in Lawrence. lie found
forty dollars, the amount left OF
the neutrality-suspicious. estate.
From Mr. Johnston we also learned
what We had always suspected
that Mckee had not always been
an lshmaellte--a ragged, dirty and
seemingly ignorant man. He was
well-b6rn, was a graduate of HAIRY
ard, had beena polished man OF
the world, and a successful bust.
ness man up to certain date
That date was the day n prominent
Eastern bank closed its doors, and
with the closing McKee's capital
was lost forever to him. 1t wa.
further limited that when lucrt
vanished Love plumed its pinion
and sought gilded nest. Thes,
roverseS, these sharp thrusts from
the sword Of tickle fate, cut in,
ties which bound John IL. McKe,
to the civilization of the cultured
East, and the erstwhilo Harvard
graduate, he who perhaps had wo
a laurel crown as Greek salutatori
an or Latin valedicto rian, forsoo
the classic shades Of Cambridge
and sought in the hills aud dalc.
of another East-that part of on
own Kentucky which lies neares
the rising sun-a forgctfulness Of
a past which held naught save bitter
ness for him.
fi...,r ALI Ib,lf M $50, "a, a.,