Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-06-17

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The first of these lectures was on
temperance, a practical subject, and
suited to the locality, for although
liquor is made and too much is con-
,umed in the mountains of Kentucky,
there is no place of which l know
where there is more strenuous and
wholesome temperance sentiment. So
my lecture was we'll received in the
schoolhouse on Richland Creek, and
[ was invited to deliver it again on
Horse Lick.
Horse Lick was eighteen miles dis
tant, and the road was rough and
steep, but l took it on Friday after
noon, having dismissed school early
for the purpose. A mountain preacher
met me by appointment on the way,
and rode the remainder of the dis
lance with me. We were well mount
ed ON good, sturdy horses, and the
ride was pleasant, save as it brought
n carer the strange audience which l
had rashly promised to address with
all too meagre preparation. 1t began
to grow upon me that although l
might without presumption give in
formal talks to the people about my
own schoolhouse, talks hastily pre-
pared and necessarily superficial, but
not wholly without value for their or
iginal purpose, it was quite another
thing to go to a strange locality and
attempt formal lecture with the same
material.
However, on one point I felt toler-
ably strong-the part of my lecture
that dealt with intemperance and
crime. In my own schoolhouse 1 had
used as the lawful example" the
well-known case of the then regnant
desperate of the adjacent county, Pal
Seagraves. Every one in our county
knew who Pal Seagraves was, although
he preferred to do the most of his
mischief in the nearest blue-gra
county, Madison, and when pursued,
to take refuge in the mountains Of
Jackson.
Jackson itself knew all too much of
what he could do, but much as he was
hated there, he was feared more, and
few ventured to turn him from their
door when he came up and asked a
nights lodging, and perhaps place
in which to hide. So with the whole
county of Jackson for q hiding place,
and more than half its homes open to
him. he rode in and out at will.
Pal Seagraves consumed more I'M
coored corn whisky and killed more
men than any other man in that part
of Kentucky. l never knew just how
many men he had killed, but the total
was not small Murder was matter
Of freak with him; sometimes he had
killed man for no other apparent
purpose than to terrify neighbor-
hood and make his name more potent.
Sometimes, so ran the explanation,
she was jes' drunk and didn't keer"
He was an excellent warning for use
in a temperance lecture in the county
where he was known by reputation
only. He might not serve SO we'll in
the county where he made his head
quarters. But that county was Jack
son, and Horse Lick, to which was
going, was there, in "the free State of
Jackson" as it is called.
eagerly asked my companion about
Pal Seagraves, for his possible pres
ence at my lecture would necessitate
radical changes in it, and 1 had no
time to make them. Much to my re-
lief, l was informed that he was gone
gone, they hoped, for good. Being
holly pursued by the sheriff for
crime in Madison County, he was said
to have ridden away into distant part
of the State.
Immensely relieved, gave myself
anew to thought upon that part of my
lecture, and material for it accumu-
lated, as the road was eloquent with
tales of Seagraves.
Fright here" said my companion,
opal Seagraves killed man." We
were watering our horses in ford.
Right whereof" I asked.
Fright here. They were watering
their horses together. They had had
fuss, and expected to shoot at sight.
and they met on yon hill, and the
other fellow got the drop on Pal. But
Pal begged him not to shoot. He told
him they were good friends. He
swore that he would stand by the
other fellow if the other fellow
wouldn't kill him, and he, feeling
good to have humbled Pal and to have
made him his defender, shook hands
with him. They rode down here and
watered their horses together, and
while the other fellow was looking
down at his horse, drinking. Pal shot
him."
Later my friend pointed out double
log house, with barn across the mar
row road.
''In that house and barn six men
concealed themselves and waylaid Sea-
graves. They filled him so full of
lead he hasn't dared to 60 in swim
ming since, folks say. They thought
he would die, sure, but lead can't kill
him."
1 remembered the incident, for I
had Glanced to ride in the stage with
his mother on her way to see her son,
whom she believed to be dying my
Pally," she called him, and told me
that she herself had named him Pales-
tine, "bekase hits good Scriptur'
name" She was curiously proud of
her boy, although disappearing his
crimes; sorry that he did as he did,
but admiring his hardihood and power.
I'had seen Seagraves himself once.
He had galloped by me, frightening
my horse with his reckless speed aud
yell, and turning toward me rs he
passed pair offearful eyes. Whether
he was light or dark. wore beard or
not, 1 could not recall, but could not