The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-16
A QUEEN.
Maple Trees Form n Living Monu-
ment to DIR. Kate Perry Cain.

Lexington Ry) Letter.
Kentucky has a turnpike queen in the
person of the handsome Doctor Kate Perry
Cain, of Covington. who owns and oper-
ates the Covington and independence turn
pike, one of the busiest highways in Ken
| lucky. Mrs. Cain was the only laughter of
the late Houston Perry, one of the pioneers
of COvington. and he humored her every
whim. After her graduating from Nazareth
she wanted to study medicine, and although
her father was opposed to her becoming
a doctor. he yielded to her wishes in this
respect, as he had in all others, and she
went to the Cincinnati College of Medi-
cine, from which institution she graduated
with high honors. She was an enthusiastic
practitioner until she met and fell in love
ried he persuaded her to abandon the prac-
tice of medicine. and she did so. Her hus-
band is rich and she has no need for the
money earned in practice.
Her father was the principal owner of the
Covington and Independence turnpike. and
at his death several years ago he left the
she thought IL worth, and she decided to
assume the management of the road herself.
So we'll has she conducted its affairs that
it is now one Of the best paying turnpikes
i'm the State. and 1t is in the best con-
dition. She began the study of road making
as soon as she took charge of the prop
erty, and she read all the works she could
find on the subject. She experimental with
the best and latest road machines, until
she at last found the kind she wanted, and
she has worked to such advantage in keep
ing her road in repair that she has actually
reduced the cost of the improvements. and
at the same time rendered the road 80 per
cent. better than it was under its former
manager.
Being an ardent advocate Of cremation
of building a peculiar and at the same time
valuable monument for herself, which would
grow more beautiful as the years rolled by.
and which would make people who see 1t
happier and healthier. Her monument is
composed of trees-kentucky naples. They
are regarded as the best and easiest kept
shade rFaoC in fnn uVnrlH and Mrs. Gain has
planted them at equal distances along either
side of her turnpike for its entire distance,
the rows OF trees being twenty-five miles
long. They are already beginning to attract
the attention OF the traveller along the high
way, and within five years more they will
be large enough to cast a good shade.
Mrs. Cain is full of other enterprises. She
established the first mushroom cellar in
C~ovington, and was usually successful until
flowed her beds and thus destroyed her work.
She belongs to all the women's clubs of
Covington, and no public gathering OF ad-
vanced women is considered complete unless
| Mrs. Cain is present. She Is a fluent speak
er. an excellent debater and is considered
one of the brainiest women in Kentucky.
When asked what she would do IL the
turnpike raiders should attempt to regulate
the business Of her turnpike. as they have
done with the roads belonging to Col w.
w. Baldwin, the turnpike king. she drew her
self up 10 full height and with eyes afiame
she exclaimed: II will allow no set Of men
to interfere with my rights. If 1 could not
find men with enough courage to guard my
tollgates / would take my rifle and guard
them myself. You know I am a good shot
with a rifle. and as L have studied surgery
and have operated on many cases, l would
be as steady of nerve when firing on a raider
as i would when tying an artery or reducing
a fracture. But / anticipate no trouble with
raiders. 1 have tried TO keep my pike In the
very best condition. and the contrast be-
tween it and the free pixies is 80 marked
that those who travel over my road say they
would rather pay and continue to have a
good road than to have the gates removed
and then TO see the road go down until IL
would become dangerous TO travel on. as is
the case with many of the free pixies OF the
! State"