The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-16
PART ].

There was a stir in Wilkesburg when
the Pearsons arrived from New York.
WilkesS'Wy was a small town on a
branch railroad in the hilly region of
Kentucky, and time was never very
important commodity there The peo-
pie grew to be very large and lived
TO be very old. The representative of
their district in congress was the great
est man they knew, though they heard
much of New York. and their notions
of 1t were vague These dim impress.
sions they derived chiefly from the
county newspaper that fearless and
vigorous opponent of the trusts and
monopolies, OF which New York was
the home. it is said. from their con-
gresham, who delivered valiant and
terrible blows at the plutocrats of the
east when he spoke in the little court
house square at Wilkesburg.
So, without any direct attempt at
an analysis of their feelings, they
thought of New York as a great but
distant shadow, place where most of
the people were entirely given over to
unholy greed and to all phases Of
wickedness. The idea was firmly i'm
bedded in the minds of every man
and woman in Wilkesburg that Wilkes
burg and the thousands of other little
places like it scattered between the
Atlantic and the Pacific were the true
salvation of the country and it's rock of
nope In a muddy sea. But the one
name that conjured up horrors for
them was Wall street 1t was the
abode Of burnt-in sin, a kind of witchs
plot in which were brewed all the evil
plans against the peace and welfare
of the honest rural population. They
were convinced that New York was
rich and magnificent at their expense
and the subject was often discussed
though not in a very bitter way, but
as thing that it seemed must be- at
the regular Saturday afternoon half
holiday when the men gathered around
the stove in the general store.
But their indefinable feeling of hos
tility towards New York did not blunt
their appreciation of Jim Pearson. Jim
was one of themselves, a venturous
kentuckian, who had gone to New
York twenty years before and had
shown that he was as good and as
smart as the best of the Yankees them
selves. AT intervals in those lonr
twenty wears reports of Jim's success
would come back. No one else in
Wilkesburg or the surrounding country
had ever gone as far as New York,
and at the caucuses around the stove
expressions of admiration of Jim's dar-
ing We're given with warmth and with
out reserve. 1t was q matter of per-
sonal pride to everyone that a Ken
! tuckian and native of their own
Wilkesburg should invade New York
and do so well. They heard that Jim
had married in New York a few years
after his arrival there. and they won-
dered how many children he had and
what he intended to make of them.
They did not suppose he would ever
condescend to visit Kentucky again.
But when Tom Crockett, who was
Jims first cousin on his mothers side,
received a letter from Jim saying that
he and his wife We're coming to pay
him visit. the news was known all
over Wilkesburg in less than three
hours. Mr.. Crockett was a bachelor.
but he kept house, or rather, an able
colored woman kept it for him, in a
low but roomy old place that his grand
father, who was one of the first settlers,
had built. Mr.. Crockett was somewhat
Illustrated" as he described it, at the
unexpected honor, but the ties of kim
ship and hospitality are very strong in
Kentucky. The Kentuckian of the true
a
guest, in order that he may do for the
others, and Mr.. Crockett was delight
ed. There was a mighty hustle in his
house, and it was soon in fit condition
to receive kinsman who, victor in
distant cline. was returning after
many years to visit his birthplace and
the friends of his youth. At least that
was the way 1t was put by jeremiah
Brooks, who taught the public school
and had poetical ideas.
The circle around the stove had a
new topic. The silver question, the
chances of the next presidency, and
the relative bravery of the northern
and southern troops in the civil war
were retired temporarily in the pres
ence of Jim Pearson. There were
many opinions as to the effect of New
York upon Jim. Young Sol Haselrigg,
who was clerk in the store and had as
pirations of his own, "reckoned that
Mr.. Pearson would be stuck up" and
would think himself too good for the
Wilkesburg people. AS for himself
young Mr.. Haselrigg declared he would
not take airs from any man, even if he
did live in New York But Mr.. Crockett
who was a chivalric man, stood III
stoutly for Cousin Jim. He remem-
bered him well. He was a right peart'
boy, but he was genuine Kentucky
stock and he didn't think New York
would corrupt him.
Mr.. Pearson and his wife arrived one
sunshiny Saturday morning and Mr.
Crockett was at the train to meet them
He recognized Cousin Jim at once, de.
spite his New York clothes and tht
twenty years that had passed. Mr.. anC
Mrs. Pearson were in travelling garb
and Wilkesburg did not have much
chance to pass judgment on them JUS
then, for Mr.. Crockett bore them OF
hastily to his house. He "reckoneC
they might be right smart tired hav,