The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1916-03-03
FIRE BURNS FOR
79 long YEARS
LIGHTED IN KENTUCKY, MOVED
TO MISSOURI GLOW FINALLY
DIES OUT.
MOVED IT IN KETTLE
Mountaineer Could Not Migrate
without Embers From Par
ent Hearth.

A fire has Just gone out in a Mis-
souri, cabin for the first time In the
better part of century, 70 years to
be exact, says the Harrodsburg Her
aid. The fire came originally from
Kentucky and the history of how the
embers were kept glowing during the
long journey from the blue grass re-
gion to the then unsettled country
beyond the Mississippi forms most
interesting tale.
Eighty years ago, in a Kentucky
valley, II. d. Duckworth, then a
strapping and ambitious young man,
decided to migrate. II hate to leave
old Kentucky" he said, "but must
go. There is one thing, however,
that will take with me-" he remark
ed to group of neighbors who had
gathered about the warm hearth in
his fathers home to bid him good-by
whats that?" some one asked curl
ously. And that's this fire." he re-
piled. Next morning Duckworth and
his wife, taking wagons, guns, ket-
ties and axes, and children, started
for the lands beyond the great river.
Swinging under the bed of the wagon
was an iron kettle, carrying the coal
from the parent hearth. This fire
Duckworth fed at intervals with
great care. Aside from sentiment it
was great convenience, ready at
noon or night, or at any stop, to
break the gloom and cook the food.
The fire was carefully watched and
never allowed to 60 out.
The family was often followed by
Indians. but never molested. Hav-
ing arrived at Missouri, after long
weary march behind the slow-plod-
ding oxteam, they settled in Spring
Hill township, Livingston county.
There they tied the oxen. unloaded
the children, and leaving the house
hold goods in the wagon, for that
would be their only home for some
time to come, Duckworth took his
ak and began to clear place in the
wilderness. But before the family
did so they did something else. They
took down the old kettle from the
back of the wagon, put 1t away
against the time when they should
want to swing 1t from the crane on
the hearth, and lit from it the big
fire that was to be kept until they
were under roof and in front of a
real fireplace. Months later rude
cabin was hewed out of the timber
of the farm. They plastered the
cracks with mortar and built rude
stone fireplace. The few homely
household articles were placed inside
And then they took the fire which
had come all the way from Kentucky
in the old keetle and had since burn
ed in logheaps, to the new-laid wood
on the hearth.
Time went on. The wilderness
was cleared the roads improved and
the modern invention, stoves, intro
duced into the neighborhood. But
Duckworth fire never failed. 1t was
never allowed. to go out. The family
grew up and scattered. The father
passed to his reward. Recently the
aged mother, whose years had num-
bered SO, went to join him. None
remained but a son, Nett Duckworth.
One thing lived on with him. 1t was
the fire. And as the old man prepar-
ed his simple meals, the corn bread
he had made and eaten from boy,
the salt meat followed by a pipe. the
fire seemed SO human that 1t kept
him company. There was no danger
of its going out. He saw to that.
But at last the cabin grew too old,
too uncomfortable, and Nett built
new pine house without a fireplace
only a stove. The other day he
moved in. And for the first time in
nearly 80 years the fire on the cabin
hearth turned to gray. dead ashes.
Nett said he preferred to let the old
fire die with the old home. Kinder
sacrilegious to move 1t into a stove."
he remarked.