The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-01-04
ON 4 KENTUCKY PIKE.
Episodes of Country Travel on Horseback
 and by Stage.
GFrom the Boston Evening Transcript.

or spring than riding through Ken
 lucky on the fine bikes, at the sides of which negroes are seen lazlly grinding
 up rocks to repair the rayages made by
 the swlft-footed steeds. This occupa-
 tion, by the way, is not held in much
 esteem by the more arlstocratic negroes,
 and there is, believe, but one means of
 livelihood that Is considered more de-
 grading As the traveller rides on he
 sees much to interest him. The scenery
 is not at all of the grand and awful
 style, but it is, on the other hand, cheer
 ful, sunny, and peaceful and has cer-
 tain capability of inspiring like qual-
 ities in the mind of the rider. Along
 the road one meets other riders who always bow courteously. Oftentimes one sees a whole family riding out. A young father with one of his numerous | 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 sun bonnet. Ther, there is the small boy l going to the mill with bag of corn to sit on, or returning with his saddle, 1 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 material for romance as | she takes the money from a gallant | Kentucky rider, who always pays her with a complimentary glance, or seizes an opportunity for tarrying a minute | by quibbling about the price.
 Occasionally one may meet families passing through Kentucky while nov ing from state to state. One evening, attracted by the gleam of a fire among the trees, stopped to see what was 1 there. Seated at camp fire was an l old woman, toastlng bread with one hand and holding a child with the oth- er Grouped about her were several men, young woman and little chill dren, while near at hand was a capac- | ious kind of gypsy wagon, in which they travelled. They explained to me | that they were moving from Tennessee to Indiana. that they had been on the road number of days and thought it l hOhiA bS 9OiilC LllAG UGIOiG they IedCHtu Indiana. What more delightful way of traveling-stopping by the way to rest at will and when a storm arises tarry- ing at a hospitable Kentucky farm house.
 Another feature of Kentucky travel is the stage which carries the mail from one town to another. as the railway connections are often defective, for the Kentuckian has too much pride in his fine bikes and e-grass-nourished steeds to feel dependent on steam or electricity. recall journey taken one December day from Shelbyville, the county seat of Shelby and the scene of Uncle Toms Cabin," to Frankfort, twenty-two miles distant.
 Our comfort and pleasure were great ly enhanced by the stage-driver, who was the typical representative of his class-a jovlal, frank, burly, kind-heart- ed Kentuckian of real English stock He had a word and a joke for all he met along the road, and passed the com pliments of the day as he stopped to receive commissions for spools of thread or molasses or took in eggs and butter, and alas! most frequent of all, empty whiskey bottles to be filled at Frank fort Occasionally his baggage was more exciting as when he received a live turkey, which, in spite of being fas- tened on behind, kept our interest in him constantly active by his occasional savage pecks. This somewhat distract ed our attention from the dusky young people on the front seat who had just been off to be married, and were smil- ingly conscious oe their position. This consciousness was expressed by the young black girl whenever the groom in somewhat sheepish way performed any little attentive office, by her ire quently iterated coy remark that "she | wished she was to home"
 Occasionally, too, drummer, strand ed 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." Pike's Peak, and orig inal sin.
 Whenever we came to a hamlet con- sisting of two or three houses, one of which generally served as postoffice. the driver would take out the well-worn | mail bag, and after the rural govern ment official had selected the few let ters that belonged there and put in a \ possible paper and postal card, he would bring back the bag, not much in- creased or diminished in weight to re- main with us until we arrived at the next United States station. Our stage driver entered fully into the spirit of his position, and had something of in- terest to tell us about nearly every house we passed.
 The Death of the Stag.
 Straight before us is the stag His