Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-12-10
Fierce Legal Fight
Over "Court Day" In
: Section OF Lexington

Lexington. KY, Dec. 10.-Kentucky
has had its feuds in the, mountains
and its duels in the Bluegrass and the
purchase but not for a century has
a more bitter bloodless feud been
fought than that now being staged in
the courts here between the farmers
OF. Fayette county n the city dwell
slers; Of Lexington.
For the city jewellers have dacreed
that Court day" On CheapAde, q
block in the center Of the city, an IN
sstitution:o f q century's duration, must
60. And, the, farmers; say that Court
day" must stay: III. -. III
Favors City DweIlers. ,
The courts have decided In favor Of
the city jewellers once, but a. mistake
was made In not including the county
in, the suit to abolish the custom Of
farmers bringing their horses and
mules and live stock Of all kinds to
.Cheapsidc tor sale and of the people
Of the countryside gathering in the
shadow of the statue OF John Cabell
,Rreckinridge. former vice preside t Of
the United States. to discuss the DO
littcal Issues Of the day. For, It de-
velops. Cheapside has for a hundred,
n sixteen a been the property
Of the county.
Back in 1890 Cheapside was the
center Of the city OF, Lexington. then
the metropolis Of the west. At that
time the city trustees ordered the first
market house erected on the square,
The pillory and the stocks, the public
we'll and the court house Gas at prese
Wednesdays and Saturdays the coun-
try people brought In their produce
and the city dweller. and the country
dwcller met and traded and swapped
tales and talked politics. In, later
YES James Lane Allen. a Kentucky
writer made Cheapside famous with
his description Of the monthly Court
day" the last Of the ancient institu-
tons OF central Kentucky.
Lexington decided Cheapside to the
county Of Fayette. Since hat time
the county has been responsible for It.
,a'ESR.r' Pavement Rough.
Initiate years the brick pa venlent Of
Cheapside has become pitted and
rough On court days 1t Is crowded
with farmers n live stock and
wagons loaded with produce-this
once a month. On other days auto
mobiles filled the places, parked at
all angles.
For many months there have been
complaints OF the unsightliness of
Cheapside and the apparent lack of
authority by the city police. 30 action
was started in circuit court to force
the city to 'abate the nuisance" The
circuit court ordered the nuisance
abatcd. But the court did not count
on the county. Now the action has
been<reyivcd through fling OF. a PEE
tition by the county declaring 1t alone
has Jurisdiction yer this plot Of
ground, containing perhaps a quarter
ST an acre, in the heart Of the city.
What the result will be cannot be
told until the circuit court again acts
and the court of appeals has its Anal
, say. But one thing is certain, the
country folk are going to fight to the
last ditch to retain their plot of
ground in the city where they. can
gather and sell their stock n talk
politics.
one custom OF Cheapside that has
long passed but Of which James Lane
Allen tells In his. story was the
settling Of physical encounters and
drinking. OF the letter, Mr.. Allen
says:
day Vas the drinking. Indeed the two
pleasures went 9maryelously well to-
rether. : The merchants kept
barrels OF whiskey in their cellars for
!, theirf customers. Bottles Of It sat
openly on the counter