The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-10-28
The DEVILS ;
Lane ~ * ~ !
BY Col. VIM. Liahtfoot Vissches
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Copyrighted by Daily Story Pub. Coz

|0NE afternoon, some 20 years ago,
~ I was the companion of DR..
Burdck while he was making some
family calls. 1t was in central Ken
lucky and an exquisitely lovely day
in the early autumn season. AS we
drove over one of the smooth
and white turnpikes, l observed
narrow and curious lane which inter-
sected the turnpike at right angles.
1t wasn't wide enough to admit male
peacock when it wanted to strut.
The lane was crooked and almost hid
den from view by tangled masses Of
elderberry bushes. Two farmhouses
stood in the distance and they were
of the better class for that region.
Apple, peach and pear trees were
loaded down with fruit, and great
shocks of wheat and corn were
standing in the sunlight as emblems
Of peace and prosperity These with
The clean woodland pasture and 1.-the
Iimbed horses readily indicated that
we were in the far-famed blue grass
region.
A boy and a girl, the boy eight or
nine years Of age, the girl year
younger. came out of the mouth of
The zigzag lane where they had been
chasing ground-squirrels, and the
doctor spoke to them in jolly way
and familiarly:
Hello! Sammy" and "Howdy Su-
lie?"
"Howly, doc.," the girl responded.
"You going up to we-alrs houseT'
81 am going by there, sudie, and
you may ride with us If you wish"
The girl looked towards her play
mate, and, instructed by some ma
sonic sign known to childhood, she
replied: mo, thankee, sir. Sammy
is going to see me home"
"Well bye-bye."
"Goo'by."
As we drove the doctor remarked:
"'Those youngsters will probably get
padded"
"For what?" / asked.
"You observe that lane they came
from. didn't you?"
"Yes, and l intended to ask what it
meant
ut means that these two farmers
are bitter enemies. The boy, Sam, is
the son of Tom higgins, whose house
we passed just yonder, and the girl Is
the daughter of Dick Rutherford. this
is his place just ahead of us. The di-
viding line between their farms lies
inside of those two zig-zag fences,
and the men hate each other so that
they'd rather die than join in part
nership line, hence each has built on
his own and thus we have such an
eyesore as that. Country people,
knowing the cause of such a double
fence, call it The DEVILS lane
"Of course when such enmities ex-
ist between the heads Of the fami-
lies il estranges the entire connection
on both sides, and from these often
spring the terrible and widespread
Kentucky feuds that you hear and
read so much about.
"Ip this case Tom Riggan and Dick
had been the best OF
friends until two years ago, at hog
killing time, when they fell out over
guessing at the weight of fat pork
err Their guesses were about 50
apart, and as the hog was
found to weigh just halfway between,
out of that sprang misunderstand-
np, harsh words followed and the
breach has grown wider with years.
Between the two houses there is an
as strong as that between
he Capulets and Montagues, in Shake
,peare's Romeo and Juliet The
women folks on the opposite sides
,oss their heads and don't speak to
zach other. The servants frequently
light and the two heads avoid each
,ther lest they do something rash"
A few days ago l rode with the
loctor along the turnpike, where the
conversation had occurred
;wo decades ago. The Devils Lane
vas gone. Where it had been was the
,enter of long avenue of stately
4ombardy poplars with alternating
apple trees, and at the head of the
.lameda stood great, hospitable-
ooking mansion having a wide por-
leo in front, whose roof was sup
ported by huge and white Cornthian
columns. ] could see no sign, In
'ither direction, of the former homes
# the higgins and Rutherfords.
fNh, Hnpfpr n0W m elderly man