Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-07-15
PUMPKIN CENTER AT LAST.
By ]. .. Knott.

uaA'S' put WHAT In name, when the
characteristics are here?
inns morning the Pumpkin Center
fraternity met on the porch of our
netel and went into session. having
our Shautauqua for the subject. They
aio not know that VAS IN my room.
Just on the porch, and could hear al.
that was SAID. Here are some of thu
uuerances taken as accurately as | can
transcribe them:
What do y think of the Chas-
tauqua?"
Purity good, Like that gal with the
bass fiddle" (She plays our cello.)
mat fellow who plays the fiddle
told me that he gifts 10 new town
every day"
like that story teller, as they call
her"
She Is a smiling sort O. gal, but
couldn't git all she said"
mat man that lectured had a big
Voice-ne is a good talker." Ut was
my fate TO be the lecturer they had
under discussionl.
We'll, we'll, there's no music like the
old music"
No. no, all this high-auten' stuff,
can't git it,"
THAT fellow that acted the old man
Yesterday was mighty good. liked
| him"
81 liked the yellow-haired gal that
sung them niger songs"
You bet, that was music"
linen the discussion went of 10 the
Democratic nominations; and the
youth and religious denomination of
the prospective Vice-PreSident took I'D
attention.
Western Kentucky's small towns,
some OF them two or three miles from
the railroad, represent the most rural
ana unprogreSSive section of the
South that we have entered so far.
let we are now but one hundred and
nifty miles from Louisville.
Tobacco is the great commodity
raised by the farmers here. We see
little OF cotton and very few colored
people. The trees are no longer the
sort found in the Mississippi Delta.
out are much like those of the Valley of
| virginia. Strange. to say, we saw the
first rock of any description we had
seen for three months as we entered
middle Tennessee a few weeks ago.
And as for hills. it was a relief TO the
eye and to the lungs to get upon a
gentle slope and see the horizon for
some miles.
The deep artesian wells of the
! Delta, with their soft, wholesome
water, has now given place to shallow
wells, endangered by open sewage, and
with hard water that draws the mouth
like a green persimmon. But there
is great relief from the oppressive
heat of the Delta.
The people of this section of Ken
lucky are almost evenly divided in
their political affiliations. | may say
that hear more pleasure expressed
over the nomination of Cox and Roose-
Welt than over Harding and Coolidge
So far as ! recall, not a person, not
even Republican, has expressed any
enthusiasm over Harding, and we
Chautauqua folks get in touch with all
kinds of people in hotels and on trains.
1t is amazing how much like all
other country towns is this one we are
now playing. All over the country the
farmers are retiring to the small
towns, either renting or selling their
farms, or farming them by living in the
town and going out to their "places of
business" for the day. regret to say
that this cirizenry of the small town
does not represent very progressive
element. Our Chautauqua would 90
to the bow-wows if we had to depend
on the rich, retired farmer to sustain
1t. AS all of my people have been
farmers and many are still farmers.
may be permitted to express surprise
that the numerically strongest con-
stituency in our land, forming the
groundwork Of our church life and
controlling so largely our elections,
so often is found arrayed against civic
| ord ntth1iN Trto
town we lately visited the farmers
had moved in such numbers and we're
so persistent in making pigpens and
barn-yards out of their premises that
there was little Joy left to those whose
olfactories resented the perfumes of
the pig-sty and the cow-pen. And
yet there is always a feeling that the
town church gains much when the
farmers Of the surrounding regions
move to town. II would seem not an
impossible move to get our farmers to
join the more progressive Welfare
workers OF any community in behalf Of
beautifying town, making it sanitary,
and providing the best educational ia
cilities that can be had.
The Chautauqua is now exemplify-
ing u. S. Army training of native il
literates and Notwithstanding
foreign-born young citizens. Secre-
tary of War Baker has committed to
the Radcliffe Chautauqua this novel
and popular demonstration. On the
third day Of our assembly eight boys
Of the Army, five foreign-born, and
three native-born, appear on our ros-
trum and 60 through their manoevers
and then tell, separately, their story Of
who they came, in six months. to be
able to speak and write English. II is
a pathetic sight, and has its amusing
features. The squad never fails to
create wild enthusiasm in the audi
ence.
I O. KNOTT.