South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-04-25
s z. 80
N RdaalHhHAaHOIkji7ae
ny OHhaHlUCkZlH0ne
HaS MZLLez

Il would rather have written My
Old Kentucy Home than the plays OF
Shak espeare." declared Jeffreys
Lewis the other day. THE works Of
both Stephen Collins Foster and the
great dramatist are immortal. but
Fosters song has become the lullaby
OF the world. and the majority of
English spea king persons - more
shame TO them,-have but a hay
knowledge Of the writings Of the
Bard o. Avon
Il was in Louisville some years ago
when a very famous editor who has
since abandoned the tripod for a
well-merited rest. invited me 10 visit
Bardstown and view the unusual Of
what was formerly a frontier town
which has been the home OF king
OF France. the place where the
steamboat was invented. the town
which contained the second cathed-
raj built in the United States, and the
first west OF the Alleghanies. in
which is housed some of the finest
paintings of the old masters. and
where My Old Kentucy Home was
written.
the adventure by telling me that
there had recently been dedicated
and unveiled at the capitol at Frank
fort a bronze life size statue OF Ste
phen Foster made from contribu-
tions OF the children Of the south TO
honor the memory Of the man who
had written both lyrics and score Of
it's cradle song.
NO contribution larger than one
bronze cent was accepted. and these
Game from all over the world. In
some instances IL cost the donors a
dollar TO get one Of our bronze pen
MES and send it 10 Kentucky. As it
is against the law 10 mutilate United
States money. an act was passed by
congress permitting the melting Of
the bronze coins TO be cast into
statue OF Stephen Collins Foster. I'll
certainly was a beautiful thought. |
the melting of the contributions.
wholly in keeping with the sentiment
which prompted the making Of the
statue.
NOtabIes Had Poker Sessions.
"On the south bank-which is
about 100 feet high-of Stewards
creek. stands Federal Hill manor.
where Collins wrote his immortal
song while on a visit 10 his uncle.
Judge John Rowan. who owned the
old manor house. which had been
built just after the revolution by
Gen. Rowan and his slaves. and
which stands today as sturdy as
when IL was first built in 1897.
The house has been in possession
OF the Rowan family ever since it
was built. The mansion has enter
tanned many famous personages
within it's hOspitable walls. Louis
Philippe. when ne was in exile. sat
AT its famous dining table. beneath
the mahogany leaves of which La
fayette was TO stretch his legs as
the guest Of Judge Rowan, who was
the chairman OF the committee 10
welcome the great Frenchman to
Kentucky.
tradition says" smiled Miss
Lewis. that Henry Clay and other
distinguished men Of the age. after
this beautiful colonial table had been
cleared OF the dinner things and the
port had given way 10 the justly
celebrated liquid product of Nelson
county. they would engage in long
drawn out sessions Of poker While
hack i'm the wood lot. about a quar-
ter Of a mile from the house. game
cocks were pitted against birds
brought from all over the south.
Historic association marked every
article OF furniture of it beauti-
ful and in the classic colonial style
rvhen stephen Collins Foster made
the visit that was 20 bring him
1rathicss fame. The house is built
NJ red brick. has a wonderful hall
vith n vide staircase on each side OF
Fl. leading TO the second story The
rooms are large and contain huge
-crcplaces. with andirons and screens
~ brass beautifully wrought. There
arc candIesticks and bronze whale oil
ffr.ps that are priceless. the plate and
uor+raits are wonderful To the
south 81 the manor house IS the fam
fl., burial place OF the Rowans from
the general OF revolutionary fame
down 10 the sole direct survivor OF
he race. Mrs Madge Rowan Foster.
,sho has lived alone in Federal Hill
,oanor for many years attended by
q fsv, old fsithfu! servants. some OF
...,, former slaves and all born on
tho place.
Views Scenes OF Inspiration.
"gucn Devotion" sighed Miss
LOWS Us n any wonder that amid
auch surroundings and memories
mat Foster wrote Ny Old Kentucky
Home a few rods from the house
81. the foot OF the hiIl, is an old d.
iapldated spring house. long since
fsitsn into a mass OF stone and rub
Dish. nothing remains but part Of
the stone walls From out Of the
hills Sill flows the cold, pure wa
fera which served as a cooler be
fore the days OF ice boxes.
Some Ten steps farther up the
bank is a big gum tree. and IL was at
ne root 81 this tree. his back against
(fs sturdy trunk. his eyes resting ON
the pool where John Fitch worked
aver his steamboat model. or look
Ing over the tree tops or the spire
~ 81 Joseph's cathedral, that that
immortal singer eat while writing his
rneszags 20 the whole world and fu-