The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1916-04-21
KENTUCKY DESCRIBED
BY irwin COBB
A FAMOUS KENTUCKY AuMoR.
IsT, NOW OF NEW YORK,
WRITES OF HIS STATE.

The American Magazine is running
a series OF articles on The Glory OF
the States" each article written by a
prominent resident or nonresident ma
tive OF the State. In the current issue
OF the magazine Kentucky is handled in
distinctively Cobbesque style by the ine
tmitable Irwin $. Cobb, erstwhile of
Paducah and Louisville, but now thriv-
ing amazingly under the bright lights
OF New York. Mr.. Cobb says in part:
The State of Kentucky Is shaped like
a camel lying down The straw that
broke the camel's back was the first
time the state went Republican. That
was in the nineues, and to the COM
munity al large the shock was SO pro-
found that several gentlemen Of the old
school for time thought seriously OF
taking their letters out OF the church.
Since then the same thing has happen
ed so frequently that the sight OF a
Kentucky Republican holding a state
ofiice no longer shakes a conservatives
belief in the existence OF an All-Wise
Power: and the camels back is getting
used to the sensation Of being broken
II underwent severe strain no longer
ago than last November.
The eastern end Of the state is the
mountainous or perpendicular end
Here, from the beginning OF things, un-
Ill comparatively recently, resided the
congenital feudist and the incurable
moonshinist The latter still exercises
his hereditary calling in n cave on a
creek up cove with "A measure ot
corn To feed his still and messy place
under a tree FOR the customer TO lie
down on afterward but the gentle
bushwhacker has almost vanished,
Either he is taking post graduate
course in chair bottoms at the Frank
fort penttentiary, or he has been fatally
forty Toured and now sleeps in the fam
ily burying ground on the slant Of the
Cumberland hills, with his still-booted
toes sticking up at the lower end OF the
mound to save cost Of foot stones. IN
his place, that happy child OF opum-
ism, the Eastern capitalist, is boring
for oil and delving for coal and hack
ing for hard wood, and meanwhile
dreams sweet dreams OF eighty per cent
dividends.
Somewhat nor by nor least Of the
geographical center OF the common
wealth. about where the camel would
wear his fourth stomach, is the Blue
grass country While in the company
OF Kentuckians you may have heard
the Bluegrass country mentioned. The
native son has little way OF speaking
OF 1t casually in conversation. You
gather that he is not exactly ashamed
OF having hailed from that particular
=, 60 a. Gods
country. Undeniably, IL is. Its con-
formation is heaven-sent: its politics
come from the Other Place. From time
to time this district produces man
who would rather be right than Pres
ident. See published lives OF Henry
Clay and John c. Breckenridge.
In the western portion OF the state
is to be found Mammoth Cave. the larg-
est natural orifice on the continent,with
one exception. However, the one out
at Lincoln moves about considerably,
filling Chautauqua dates, whereas Ken
tuckys cavern is practically station
airy, and has been doing business at
the same stand ever since the original
cave-in occurred Every year thousands
OF Fasteners who have never found
time 10 lOOh At ANAhNthA " H''tl
Kentucky to see the Mammoth Cave,
passing on their way many Kentuck-
ians who haven't inspected the cave
vet, but feel their education can never
be complete until they have gazed up
on the beauties of Niagara. This is a
double tribute to the compelling elo-.
quence OF railroad passenger agents.
Politically Kentucky OF recent years
has Gained down somewhat although
our campaigns are yet very far from
being the milk and watery affairs OBJ
served elsewhere in the Union. To the
true Kentuckian, politics is not a rec
reation merely. With him II is calling
a profession, and a lifetime avocaton.
Hospitality is his religion, but politics
is his habit. At this time OF writing,
the issues Of prohibition and woman
suffrage engage the voters mind, Suf-
frage gains ground steadily, but 1t has
not vet enlisted so strong a following
as in certain nearby states Having for
so long regarded woman as his super
for, the Kentuckian is reluctant to make
her his equal.
And at all times. he swears by the
state that gave him birth After Ken
lucky, heaven Is going to seem a mighty
ordinary place TO him. Maybe he has
strayed afar and Is now running for
office In some other commonwealth.
Maybe he win never go back home
again on anything short Of requistion
but still his heart is where his state is.
Maybe-mind you, ! am not quite GER
tain Of this point but maybe he VIII
admit, II you pun the census figures on
him, that Kentucky Of late years has
not increased in population so rapidly
as some Of her fellow states. Bot In
answer he would bid you consider how
much finer thing it is To be born sing
~ in Kentucky than to be born triplets
anywhere else on earth.
Down our way we can never forgive
Mrs. Harriet Beechcr stowe FOR writ
ing "Uncle Toms Cabin not becnuse
she painted Southern slavery in such
black colors but because she has Eliza
crossing the Ohio River to get out OF
Kentucky. To this day, we hold that
Eliza made the mistake Of her life,
.,aT nnthNC