Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1910-12-23
PAT. KENNY, A WEST
VIRGINIA TRAMP POET

About sixty years ago there came
to Virginia a young Irishman of the
name of Patrick Kenny. He had
been educated for the priesthood,
but broke with Catholicism and at
length became a Protestant.
On the voyage to America the
young lady of his choice died, and
the bereavement so wrought upon
his sensitive temperament that dur
the remainder of a long career he
never had a home of his own and
never would remain long in place.
He gravitated to the valley OF
the Guyandotte and seems to have
had a positive affection for it. As
a printer and newspaper writer "Pat
Kenny" became known oyer the
greater part of West Virginia, and,
though he met with some good Of
fers, he could never be induced to
give up his propensity to wander.
Very often he would come back to
the Guyandotte, where he was
known to many people, and did
not lack for a friendly shelter.
When the war came on he enlist
ed as a Confederate soldier, but in
what regiment do not know.
Kenny's worst enemy, and per-
haps his only real one, was himself.
He would fall into an occasional de-
bauch, and this weakness for liquor
interfered with his holding the po-
sitions which opened to him. To
this failing he, in fact, owed his
death. He was found one chilly
winter day, some eight years ago,
near the new numbering town of
Redwood. He was in dying con-
dition and near him lay a tell-tale
whiskey bottle nearly empty. He
was then seventy-four years of age.
His extensive reading, his wide
observation, aphilisophic mind, and
a gift for conversation, made him
an instructive and welcome guest in
many a home. He was urged to
write a book, but for a long time
refused. He said his life had been
a failure and it was better for his
name to die with him. Yet final
ly he consented. While writing il
he was the guest of a man in Web
ster county, and granted him the
copyright in consideration of his
board, some clothing, and other
perquisites. He wrote the manu-
script sitting in the shade of tree.
He did not live to see the published
book, which came off the press al
most at the very time he was found
unconscious by the roadside.
The volume contains about 25O
pages, and consists of series of es-
says embodying his opinions on
quite a number of topics. A few
lines in verse are appended, but in
this line he generally appeared to
less advantage than when writing
prose. Better than those publish
ed ones is another which he wrote
at the request of an acquaintance.
The manuscript belongs to a lady
at Franklin. Two verses are quot
ed below, and in them he appears
to speak from his heart. The po-
EN- was written at Flatwoods, Nov.
81, 1896:
"Jesus, let me fly to thee
And take refuge on thy breast;
Homeless, weary, here | sigh,
Near thy sacred heart to rest.
Long I've wanderedfrom the light
In the way of death and sin,
Now l knock at mercy's door,
Jesus, Father, let me in.
Evening shadows fall around;
Earth is hushed in soft repose:
In the stiffness comes thy voice,
Sweetly soothing all my woes.
Come, poor wand'rer, come to me,
Lay this load of sorrow down:
Thou hast borne long thy Cross,
Come, and now receive thy
Crown. -" Nj.