Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-10-07
IN OLD KENTUCKY
New Mezioan's Special Correspond
ent Tells Of People in the Blue
Grass Region.
GIVEN CORDIAL RECEPTION
Keutuokians Do Not Have An Exaggerated
Idea Of Western Folks-The Ladies
Are All That Poets Have
Sung.

Camp Hamilton, Oct. KENTUCKY
people are all hat admiring enthusiasts
have claimed for them. The custorls of
K~entuckians are especially attractive.
l had the pleasure of afiliatins with nu-
merous Kentucky judges, colonies, la
dies, newspaper men and thoroughbred
horses yesterday, and my observations
We're most favorable.
Kentucky people seem to possess a
distinct individuality, and their customs
are as unique as they are attractive.
In the matter of salutation, the Ken
tuckian grasps you firmly by the hand
and gazes you directly in the eye. This
popularity is somewhat embarrassing
to the average westerner, II the Ken
tuckian is quite likely to get credit for
being a mesmerist, bunco steerer or fol-
lower of some other branch Of science.
But he Is neither of the above. He IS
simply a frank, open, whole-souled fell
low. He ~endeavors to see if a sheepish
or criminal look fingers in the counte
nance of a chance acquaintance, and
means no harm by it. In fact. his salu-
tation is a simple conventional custom,
and a good one. The inhabitants of the
South Sea islands rub noses when they
meet, the denizens of Trinidad shake
| you by one hand and shake the dice for
| the drinks with the other. Thus the GUS
| toms of various regions differ. The
| Kentuckian is entitled to his distinctive
| greeting as any one else. And I believe
he has several shades the best of it. The
| warm and vigorous hand clasp sends an
ELUSIVE tingle of cordially through
your veins and gives you the rare feel
ing that the presence of an honest man
has been invaded.
After greeting you, the K~entuckian
calls in all the colonies and judges with
in ear shot, and introductions follow. In
| this manner you are made to feel that
| you are a very important parsonage, i'll
| fact, of nearly as much consequence as
a New Mexico justice of the peace.
Then follows a nice social chat, and
your lineage, the pedigree Of Kentucky
horses and some features Of Ken
lucky politics are discussed. The guest
is supposed to maintain an eloquent ST.
lence on all matters except lineage.
In regard to lineage, the average Ken
tuckian thinks that any blood except
southern blood is not worth running
| anywhere but down hill. If you desire
to make a hit" with a Kentucky au-
| dience, do not whittle a family tree from
a nutmeg. Yankees cannot expect to
trot a fast heat in the southern race for
some years to come.
Imet Charles " Townsend last week.
! aTr. Townsend is editor Of the Lexington
! Gazette, a nice a man, and cousin to
our Postal telegraph Townsend in San
ia Fee. He has imbibed Kentucky GUS
toms and is a genial, kindly fellow, and
! very popular in Lexington. Some one
had previously sent him a letter Of in
| about a shining literary mark" ETC.,
! and he was very glad to see me. He did
| not seem the least particle abashed In
my presence. In his boyhood he had as
ISOLATED some with d. L. Moody, T. De
Witt Talmage and other men Of my cal
ibre, and he knew perfectly we'll how to
conduct himself. He invited me down
to the house to dinner. The more / see
Of K~entuckians the more I become in
fatuated with the Kentucky customs.
One nice thing about the K~entuckians
is that they do not have exaggerated
| ideas about westerners. Unlike many
eastern people, they do not expect to see
in every western mar a savage with
spurs on his ears and hair on his teeth.
Kentuckians do not gaze or you with
awe and ask how Black Jack Is getting
along, nor do they seem disappointed IL
you remark that you did not belong to
the Jesse James gang and have never
scalped anybody.
The ladies, too, are considerate. They
do not act as though they expected to
see you tilt back a chair and punch a
hole in the forty dollar lace curtain, spit
tobacco juice in an ornamental majolica
vase or use the piano for a foot rest and
scrape the varnish off with your hob
nailed shoes.
Kentucky women Of the upper crust
are exactly what the poets have repre-
scented them to be. They seem to pos
sess a distinctive style Of beauty, found
nowhere else in America. Every Inca
ment Of a thoroughbred Kentucky wom-
ans countenance betokens refinement.
she is a frail, spirituelle and an elegant
being. Delicate, 1.-THE of limb and neat,
she is something to worship at a dis
lance and looks as though association
with common folks would soil and con-
taminate her.
Regardless of how much I respect
Kentucky girls, I am glad that 1 do not
claim proprietorship to any. 1 would
be afraid TO admire one, because she
might fall from my lap and break a five
dollar bill or one Of her fragile limbs.
TRUTHFUL JAMES.
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