Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-10-03
TOURING THE BLUE GRASS,
A LAND OF CONTRASTS
Daily Letter by Frederic J.. Baskin

LEXINGTON, Ky, Oct. Inter
state tourists who visit the Bluegrass
Region should avoid making the tour
in late summer or early autumn I'M
less there has been great abundance
of rain. Bluegrass thrives on soil
which rests upon limestone. The eff
fects of drought and summer heat
are devastating temporarily. An Au-
gust landscape sere and yellow from
high temperatures and lack of mois-
ture is revided magically by the first
heavy rain. The tourist who chances
to drive through Kentucky during
the drought is likely to wonder why
it is far famed for it's grass.
1t is possible to see the Bluegrass
Region in a day from an automobile,
or to spend a week or two driving
through it upon a new road each
day. This small section of the state
has no definitely settled boundaries,
and so proud are central Kentuck-
ians of residence there that to men
ton boundaries in a border county
is to injure someone's feelings. With
out declaring that this county is.
and that county is not, within the
charmed circle, it may be said that
without violating the speed limit an
automobilist may drive from Cincin-
natl southwark, or from Louisville
eastward, across the Bluegrass Re
gion and into the blue foothills of
the Cumberland mountains without
starting before the sun rises in sum-
mer and without driving till sunset.
In no part of America, or England,
are the aspects of rural life more
pleasing.
The group of eight or ten counties
of which Lexington, in Fayette coun-
ty, is the hub, had had good roads
for several generations. Their early
use of limestone broken with ham
mers by hand, gave them hard white
roads long ago-roads which con-
trasted strikingly with the green
turf along the right of way, fed by
the lime dust made by wheeled
traffic passing over the broken stone
before scientific agriculture had in
troduced Timing in farming opera
lions. Each of these counties had
| 400 or 500 miles of white turnpikes,
main roads and minor ones included;
Along nearly all of these roads sub
stantial brick residences, often hand
some manor houses with stately por-
| ticos resting upon Greek columns,
reflected the fertility of the soil ard
| the welfare of the landowners.
Nowadays the oiling of the roads,
and the use of Kentucky rock as
| phalt as an improvement upon
crushed stone for s~urfacing, has
transformed the main roads from
white to black. Many of the minor
| ones still are white water-bouno
macadam, running between weather.
ed stone fences and inviting he lei
surely tourist to endless rambiings
About this section of Kentucky cen
ters the romance that has made
Kentucky's name known all over the
world. Here the limestone grows
the grass which provides the best
pasture for thoroughbred horses ano
| other livestock. Here r h IA
nous nurseries of thoroughbreds
Here are many landmarks in the
history of the Kentucky turf, 1nclud'
ing the massive monuments to Ter
| Brock and Longfellow at the once
famous Nantura Stock Farm. Al
Nantura the late Frank Harper
| owner of the two horses, we'd FOL
many a constantly armed, after
the mysterious murder of Adam anc
Betsy Harper, an aged brother ant
sister who were dubbed to death II
their quaint old farmhouse by some
one whose identity never was learn
ed.
Best Spot in the Garden
Nearby, in Woodford county
which the late Senator Joseph Ola.
Stiles Blackburn dubbed the aspara
gus bed Of the garden spot of COD
country, is the handsome hom'
and breeding plant of former sena
tor John N. Camden, a West irginis
coal mine owner who married Mis-
Susan Hart of Spring Hill. an estate
tupon which the Hart family had v
since the Indians were driven from
the soil by Colonel Nathaniel Har
and other pioneers
In this same neighborhood-ii
which the Harpers developed tn
world renowned horses while hvinl
in a plain old fashioned farmhous'
live the Alexanders upon large es
tates inherited from a n Englishmai
of that name who forsook Englan'
to live in Kentucky and abandone'
a title to become a Kentucky gen
tieman, retaining a large incom
from English mines. and adding t
his fortune by wise investments II
Chicago real estate.
To mention Bluegrass estates oil
and new, each of which is worth
days visit would be to write a guild
book of this unique region. Amoni
the new ones, by the way. is Xlapa
IL @hnro.t~hhrpd farm whose oNvnnr