The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-03-03
HIGH links IN KENTUCKY.
Church Affair Began With Shooting
and Ended With a Dance.

The best shots I'm the world are the
Kentucky mountaineers. The west has
nothing TO compare with them. When
IL comes TO pulling a gun" quickly and
snootlng accurately the most expert of
| Ifontler bad men would appear slow
and clumsy by the side of many of
these mountain outlaws.
Ihey learn to shoot almost as soon as
they graduate from the cradle. Many
OIL their sports relate 10 shooting. The
proprietor of the crossroads store has a
shooting gallery in his establishment
wh9re In other localities you might ind
a slot machine. In one store, says a
writer in Outing. 1 saw a wheel about
haif the size Of spinning wheel with
numbered pieces OF cardboard on the
different spokes.
The charge was 'fnipense"s 90 cents) A
shot, and the participant picked his
number The prizes ranged all the-way
from box of cartridges to a bag of
corn meal or a side of Cow bosom"
according TO the size of the piece of
cardboard selected. The wheel was
given swift whirl by the storekeeper
out Judging from the shooting saw I
could not find out wherein he derived
any profit from the contrivance.
PROBABLY the most respected citizen
IN eastern Kentucky mountain districts
is OLD Shackleford. who lives at the
head of Poor Fork creek, in Perry
county. Shackleford is getting old now
he must be about 10-but there is no
adventurous. fire-eating youth who
cares to try conclusions with him. Too
many have attempted that and died.
He has record of thirty-eight kill
ings to his credit. a record that no
western desperate from Las Vegas to
the Canadian line has ever equalled. He
mas been shot from ambush, but he has
survived his wounds, although this
much cannot be said of the man that
shot first
His neighbors stand in awe of him
ana ne is said to bear a charmed life
His cabin is decorated with coon skins
and over the front door is nailed the
SKIN OF the biggest rattlesnake ever
Killed in the Kentucky mountains.
Shackleford's most dreaded antagOn-
list in fight was his wife and he killed
her several years ago in a domestic
orawL The militant old lady was given
an imposing resting place. She was
buried on the top of Harlan peak, and
her grave was dug eight feet deep.
ShacklefOrd has directed that he be bu-
ried just above her when he dies.
want the folks to know that 1
come out on top" he said in giving his
instructions.
We had a good chance to see how
Kentucky religious controversies are
steeled when we moved up into Perry
county. The Feet Washers and Muddy
Heads Cboth being varieties of Baptists)
had Joined forces and built church on
the crest of a ridge, the usual site for
public edifices. Everything went well
until 1t came to the question of dedi-
eating the place of worship. and on this
point the Earring sects could not agree.
Word of impending trouble had
reached our camp. which was about
half mile away from the new church.
and we were on the lookout for devel-
opments. The people began streaming
by our tents by daybreak, although the
hour set,for the services was 10 O'clock.
II was beautiful Easter morning. and
there was no lack of color i'm the print
frocks of the women, while the men
were loaded down with enough hard
ware to have awed a regiment of milf
tia
What amazed us was the utter lack
of timidity shown by the women. They
knew there was likely to be a clash. but
the possibility of wholesale shooting did
not prevent their going or check their
gayety.
And there was plenty of trouble. The
Feet Washers captured the church at
the start and began services. Then the
Muddy Heads registered protest.
The shooting kept up for thirty min
utes by the watch. but the execution
was not as great as might have been
expected. Three Feet Washers and two
Muddy Heads were killed and about
dozen wounded altogether. The Muddy
Heads came out victorious, but they
were magnanimous
They postponed the dedication and
posed dance instead. to which their
opponents were invited. The dance
lasted until early Monday morning