The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1898-01-04
4 (OMROSITION
Read by Miss Mary Rogers Chiles
at School at Frankfort O.,
Dec. s4th, 1897.
subject, KENTUCKY"


and as il was long before my day
will not vouch for IL besides. / have |
good reason to think it a mistake, as
it has never been settled since knew
it, for row of some kind has always |
been on hand. / once asked my
father (who is a merchant) about Thu,
and he said the average Kentuckian
was constitutionallv opposed TO set
Ting; that he once told customer
that his account had been standil g
till he was tired of it, and the man
coolly replied that he guessed the ac-
count waa also tired, and suggested as
it had been standing so long that he
give ii rest. My father says the old
settlers are the fellows who have not
paid for fifteen or twenty wears. The
name Kentucky is reported to have
been given to the country by the ln-
dians, and means the Ozark and
Bloody Ground" AS / have no faith
in en- "Indian Giver;" take no stock
in this tradition, but think the other
explanation is the proper one, Cane
Turkey, so called from the immense
droves of wild turkeys that were
found here in the cane-brakes that ex-
tended oVerGa greater portion of the
State, The turkey has long since be-
come very tame but, at times, quite
an entertaining member of society,
and is especially prominent about
Thanksgiving and Christmas, and on
those occasions is usually given the
most prominent place at the table.
AS these feast days roll around the
turkeys become so excited that
great many of them lose their heads
entirely. Patches of cane arc still
found, after all these years, scattered
about the State where the land is not
very closely cultivated or grazed, and
even in my own part of Kentucky,
which is called Goods country" 1
have seen the cane growing in places
where the cattle could not get at it,
No trouble to raise cain in Kentucky
at any time.
Kentucky has more distinguished
people in it than any other State in
the Union, regardless of its popula-
ton. Every other man you meet is a
colonel or judge, and most of the
negroes are addressed as major. Ken
tuckians took a very prominent part
in the war of 1872, and suffered Sc
verely. The cannon balls and chain
shot that Gen. Jackson used in de-
feating the British at New Orleans
were made at the old Slate furnace,
about 15 miles from where / live.
This was said to be the first furnace
built outside of the original thirteen
States. Kentucky also furnished
more than her quota of troops in the
war with Mexico. Many Kentuckians
lost their lives in unsuccessful expedi-
tions to Cuba during their ten years
war. Kentucky furnished thousands
of soldiers to the Confederate and
Union armies. Our people come of
fighting stock, and when there is no
foreign foe to fight they just light in
on each other in order to keep their
hand in. They really do not mean
any harm by it; it is just way they
have. The newspapers exaggerate
the little difficulties that OCCUR in my
State to such an extent that people
who have never been In Kentucky
imagine 1t dreadful place; but I
have heard our people say it is the
least dangerous place in the country
for strangers, as they only had to be
particular not to appear to be reach
ing for their hip pocket. 1t seems
that Kentuckians regard that act as an
open declaration of war, and try to
anticipate that gesture by getting the
drop on you.
Our State has worldwide reputa-
ton for beautiful women, fast horses
and fine whisky. You have ample
evidence before you of the correctness
of the first proposition, the records of
the sporting papers will substantiate
the second, and the police records the
third. You rarely pick up news
paper without reading some joke
about q Kentuckian and whisky |;
though it is my opinion that less
whiskey per head is consumed in
Kentucky than anywhere else, or the
Kentuckians have batter head for
whiskey, as you will not see as many
drunken men on the streets Of our
towns in given time as you will in
towns of the same size in moral Ohio.