The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1916-02-04
Interesting Letter
FROM noted HUN0RIST
COL. W. }. HAMPTON, WHO PUT
TWO SHEETS ON BIG
SANDY BEDS.

Among the number OF American |
writer's who have a place in Journal |
ism as humorists, w. J. hampton, a |
native Kentuckian, but now and for |
several years resident OF New York |
City, is in the front rank. Mr.. Lamp |
toms first venture in the newspaper
field was made in the city Of Ashland, |
the place of his birth. He soon out
grew that small town and ventured fur |
ther away. Going to New York he |
made an instant success in his profess |
sion, winning fame and. we believe. |
fortune. His contributions
to newspapers and magazines are pop
ular with the reading public and are
welcomed by publishers. 1t is said
that he is very highly paid contribu-
tor. Mr.. Lampton's humor is clean and
original. 1t seems to be part Of the
man borrowed from nobody. He is not
only humorous, but witty. He has ven
tured into the field of poetry. some of
his productions being almost perfect in
diction, beautiful in rhyme and rhythm.
In some of his shorter poems the un-
expected climax is somewhat startling.
The NEWS presents to its readers in
this issue a letter from Mr.. hampton,
which we commend to our readers. 1t
is reminiscent, many of the persons
spoken OF are living and well known
in this community. The letter is high
ly characteristic of the man.
Mr.. Editor:
A Catlettsburg friend sent a copy OF
the Big Sandy News to me the other
day and when read the date lines
Louisa, Lawrence County, Kentucky"
and caught that top line, Holds First
Prize OF Kentucky Press Association as
Best Eight Page Weekly in Kentucky"
was vividly reminded of the time
when there was not one newspaper on
Big Sandy from the Mouth to the
Breaks and the nearest thing to II was
my paper The Ashland Weekly Review
at Ashland. Brother Meek had The
Central Methodist at Catlettsburg. but
| IL was religious, not secular, and there
fore not a newspaper in the general ac-
ceptation of the term. Under the cir
cumstances 1t is hardly necessary for
me to say how much better the NEWS
Is than the newspapers on Sandy In
my time. Nor is 1t necessary for me to
say what a prize beauty has grown
from nothing, and that ! quite agree
with the K. p. A. In its decision. OF
course, you never would have got the
prize II had kept The Review going
in Ashland, but how the dickens could
/ when / had to live with my parents
to keep 1t going long enough for me to
get from under before IL dropped on
me? However, that is all past now and
| rejoice to know that newspapers
flourish all over Eastern Kentucky and
their editors have so much money they
haul il around in motor cars when the
roads will permit. They do permit
some times. don't they? They didn't in
my day. The best piece Of road in East
ern Kentucky was between Catletts-
burg and Ashland and recall that Gus
Baurnann and 1 walked it one rainy
jwinter night rather than go home by
the usual conveyance, and on another
occasion horsebacked it from Ashland
one way only and ate my meals off the
Imantelpiece for ten days afterwards.
Such was life in N. E. X. in the early
days.
Now here's where begin to reminisce
and every time / start doing it l can
feel the crows feet clawing at my
eyes. Otherwise / am about as young
and frisky as ever. so don't reminisce
except under great temptation. Your
newspaper is the temptation. i started
mine at Ashland in February. 1871
seems like 1777-absolutely without
experience and not much more OF a
bank account My chief asset was
Frank French and the two Davenport
boys who had been conducting its pred
ecessor until the sheriff heartlesly stop
ped the Archinedean lever that moves
the world. should have known better,
but / had the bug and l would have
started paper at the head-waters OF
Sandy II anybody had asked me to. As
nobody did. started 1t at Ashland and
went up Sandy for additional assis-
tance, Ashland and Catlettsburg not
being able at that time to carry the en-
tire burden. Two pretty good towns.
two, aggregating about 5000 people.
not counting the people in the county.
But nobody had been educated up to
local newspaper standards and 1t was
hard shedding. First Off, l was told that
when Louisa came in with A. and C.
there wouldn't be any trouble about
making things hum. and l looked to
Louisa much as l fancy Moses looked
Int l<tilu VI NTAhdthii. ~ Woo hNN
Egypt down in the other towns. But
/, 1 could not tackle Louisa until Circuit
Court and that would come later. just
when don't recall now. but in April.
1 think At last the happy day OF de-
parture came and on bright Sunday
morning with Judge W. C. ireland and
John f. Hager started on the memoir
able journey. my first journalistic
jaunt 1 remember 1 rode a trotting
horse and had my fears. but they were
lgroundless for we rode slowly and when
we reached Louisa that evening. was
feeling like gathering In any number
OF eager subscribers for The Review
when Monday should arrive. The ride
after leaving Catlettsburg was very In
teresting to me because I had always
heard OF up Sandy and was anxious
TO see It. regardless OF what II might
be TO me as financial support to my
great moral engine at Ashland. terms
81 per year. invariably In advance. We
stopped at Mr. VIII Moore's about half
way for dinner. and while the dinner