The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1909-09-29
[ OF LOCAL INTEREST.
MT. J. 0. Cooper, Editor Of the
Blue-Grass Clipper Visits Co.
Iumbia and Writes
AN INTERESTING LETTER TO HIS PAPER
Columbia, KY, Sept. 18, 1909

When we left the office last week to
go on the first vaca ton in five years it
was not our purpose to spend any part
of that time in writing, but as we have
received such warm cordial reception
here, and the town has impressed us In
so many ways that we have not been
= able to resist the temptation TO send
back home few random notes. Co.
lumbia is one of the Oldest towns In the
AState, having passed beyond the centu-
ry mark several years. 1t was laid out
Just few years before the good year
1909, that year which gave birth to so
many of our greatest men and events.
But the town has lost nothing by being
born ahead of that notable year. Its
1,200 people live high and dry upon
many hills, down which run broad
streets into the square. of which the
Court House is in the center. Despite
its age, you do not see dilapidated, torn
down buildings on the public squares.
Instead there are handsome two-story
with first-class merchandise. One mer-
chant is putting up new store room
which will cost in the neighborhood of
$40 600. On the residence streets are
many signs CT Improvement, and the
number of houses that have been built
within the last two or three years is re-
markable. The sidewalks are being
concerted rapidly, work of that kind
being done in many different parts of
the town at once.
To the stranger the chief drawback
to Columbia seems to be it's distance
from the railroad, but the people here
do not seem to mind the twenty mile
drive from Campbellsville, the nearest
railroad point. The stage line makes
two trips each way day, having re-
lay station on the way where horses
are changed. One need not feel that
he IS cut off from the world by any
means. This apparent drawback does
not interfere with business at all; in
fact business here appears in a flourish
ing condition, and the sound of the
hapmer, saw and trowel is proof posi-
tive that the Columbia people have
faith in the future of their town. And
that's what it takes to make town.
The drive from Campbellsville amply
repays one for whatever inconvenience
may be occasioned by it. The scenery
along Green river is as romantic and
beautiful as one can find anywhere. An
interesting feature of the trip is the
caravan of freight wagons one passes
carrying merchandise to Columbia ira
ders. They are covered and resemble
the prairie schooners. Unlike the prai-
RE schooners they are not bearing hui
man freight to some unknown country
but are bringing the luxuries and ne
cesities of life to people who enjoy and
appreciate them On the trip it is not
unusual to pass DO or so of these wag-
Ons some coming and some going. CO.
lumbia furnishes abundadt proof that a
town can live and prosper without sa-
looms. Its citizens tell you with pride
that it was the pioneer in this respect.
Since 1864 it has enjoyed dry times, I"
and the people tell us they would not
have saloons under any consideration.
No vote was ever taken here on the
question, but a special act was gotten
through the legislature by Judge Gar
nett giving the trustees of the town
the right to grant, or refuse to grant
liquor license. The fight was then
made to put in the right sort of men
for trustees. The whiskey people made
two or three fights, but always lost out.
In time they quit entirely. The result
is that a whiskey man now could not
get enough signers to his petition to
get his name on the ballot. 1t is the
same way in the county. Men who
know tell us that out of 8, 300 voters in
Adair county proposition as to wet or
dry would carry ''dry" by over 2,50O
majority. That shows the people know
good thing when they see it. We
were told that there had not been q
case in the police court for two years.
The town marshal does not have enough
g to do to make life interesting to him.
One gentleman remarked to us "A
striking virtue about Columbia is the
fact that we have no criminals, no bad
Z characters whose very presence in the
community is menace to law and or.
der and public safety Would that
could be said'of all towns in Kentucky!
Columbia supports three banks and
to-day their deposits amount to consid.
erably over 100000. The wealth ID
distributed. Nearly every farmer owns
his land free of mortgage, while in Co.
umbia over SO per cent of the people
own their homes. This is an ideal con-
dition for any community. 6
Politics in Adair county is all one way