Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-07-29
IN OLD KENTUCKY.
BY ]. O. Knott.

OF the Register, but they serve to keep
my friends in touch with this itinerary
Of the Radcliffe people, and may serve
to give some trst-hand information on
current subjects.
In the FIRST place, there is little talk
about politics in this section of the
country. We touch towns of from one
thousand to three thousand population
and often find ourselves centering
about larger places. For example.
I two days ago | spent day in Padukah.
KY, and was in Cairo, H., Yesterday,
and write this from Dysrsburg, Tenn.
on my way to Jackson, Tenn. OF all
these places, Cairo is the most in
tereSting for situation. Ii is located
upon a mere tongue of land running
out TO where the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers join. 1t is walled in by cement
walls of massive make, so as to keep
the treacherous floods from sweeping
away the place. At times the city is
considerably under the water level of
the rivers and the cement walls alone
stand between the inhabitants and a
perfect inundation Even the walls, at
times, are not sufficiently high, in
which cause sand bags must be used to
build a higher rampant against the
raging and muddy waters of these two
for more of water-carrier, hence
provisions and commodities are plenti-
full and reasonable When you cross
the Ohio river you recognize at once
that you are beyond the influence of
that imaginary" Mason and Dixon's
line, for IN Cairo there is no distinct
waiting room for colored people at
the railway stations-a thing invari-
able in all distinctively Southern
States.
Yet, as stated, in all these cities,
there was no disposition in any hotels,
on the part of travellers, to talk poll
tics. ! take from this that there is
what the stump speaker so often de-
/ plores, great apathy" throughout this
section on the coming November presi-
Dental election.
The price of tobacco is much more
interesting a question with Kentucky
farmers. The old cry and complaint
is heard, namely, some time ago the
tobacco buyers offered the planters a
very fine price for their tobacco. but
the farmers held for higher prices"
and the buyers combined, and now
offer much lower figure than they
did while back, with the conse-
quence that howl has gone up which
the inhabitants Of the planet Mars
might hear. | do not make this state
ment to pass judgment. but there is a
lesson in it for those who are wise.
Our Chatuauqua people are having
some rough shedding in Kentucky and
Tennessee just now, due to the gen
eral "protracted meeting season" com
ing in conflict with Chautauoua dates.
My last two towns have had this un-
fortunate experience, and have 81
Illustrated two distinct ways of doing
things One of the pastors preached
against the Chautauqua, refused to
speak to the director and held us all
over the pit The other-a Presby-
terrain, let me say-gave way to the
Chautauqua, and even got behind us in
every effort to make our assembly a
success. AS a consequence, we ad-
luSted our program to his meeting,
gave him certain numbers on our pro-
gram for "preaching dates" and he, !
In turn, permitted us to use his beau
tiful tent with its appointments. 1t is
needless to say which community will
get the most good out Sof both the
protracted meeting and the Chau- !
tauqua. Furthermore, the people con-
cerned in both movements are bound |
TO nave their impressions as to the .
spirit of the ministers.
HIIsit duu tllat IN TINS ChautauQua
work the narrowneSS of MANY minis
tiers OF the Gospel comes to the surface
IN singular contrast with the breadth
and fine spirit of others. A certain
denomination in this southern country
can always be depended upon to fight
me Chauauqua and to look with sus-
picion upon all its promoters. Oc-
casionally a Catholic priest shames
the Protestant pastors by his spirit and
initiation. | could wish Protestant
pastors might all be so fine in spirit as
the presbyterian pastor at Trimble,
Tenn, where our Chautauoua is now
IN session. 1t is both a relief and an
inspiration to meet such a man. Hap
py the people, under such a ministry,
We are finding that nothing IN our
program is quite so interesting 10 the
people as the detachment CT soldier
BOYS that appears on the last dav of
our Chautauqua as illustrating the
making of American citizens" These
BOYS, SIX months ago. were either
ioreign-born, and unable to talk or read
English; or were native-born litter.
ates, not able to recognize their own
names had they seen them in print.
These boys now make short speeches
on our rostrum, in many cases in
side-splitting style, either as foreign
born boys, trying to manage our
language after six months schooling,
or as native born boys breaking away
from the uncouth utteranceS of noun
tain illiteracy. Women in the audi
ences laugh and cry at the same time.
and mother the poor boys, until they
will be spoiled beyond recognition.
My train is about to pull out and |
must Just as suddenly break off in this
communication. One of the direcors
OF our Chautau1ua. whose name is not
a strange one in Kentucky (for Proctor