The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-08-08

and to the Mississippi. An interest
ing chapter in the history of New
Orleans describes the "Kaintucks, y
who brought what they had to sell
there. While these "Kaintucks" were
uncouth, they picked up and brought
home bits of colonial French and
Spanish culture each time-perhaps
an aggregate that was very small
yet it went into the making of the
real Colonel of the Blue Grass.
What Kentucky needed most it got
two sets of leaders. One set fought
Indians, and the other took care Of
the statesman's job. Neither set
sighted the things it did, and they
finally solved all the bad situations.
After while, "an ideal principallty
of limited extent, meaning score or
more Of counties reaching into the
heart of Kentucky, laving its feet in
the Ohio river, sharply parting com
panv with the mountains on the east.
and refusing in it's western margin
to go beyond the line uplifted lime
stone" took title as the BLUEGRASS
country-a place where "brother-
hood of pride and prosperity; an an
cestral look of estate; an arlstocratlc
democracy" soon settled like ro-
mantle blanket.
When. the men who had straighten-
ed Kentucky's tangle gained leisure,
they got together and followed the
Blue-Grass philosophy of life. Here
is how life worked out: The old
families lived in simple grandeur,
made up mainly of gentility, and
plenty to eat. There was an uncom-
mon amount Of brains in the coun-
try. Villages were important, and
the ruling element was distributed
over the land. Power was rural. The
city was an appendage-a convent
ent place to make purchases. In
short. it was a life of thrift, plenty
gentility, freedom, enjoyment, INTEL
| Ilect." There was plenty of time fol
all-day visiting, driving parties,
house parties, and big dinners. In
this setting the characteristics of
both sets of pioneers ran together.
The performance howered men and
women of an unduplicated stripe.
This is the reason upstairs never can
gracefully pose as colonels of the
Blue Grass, unless they pick another
pair of parents, and literally again
are born of them. The title was a
romance-mark of distinction for un-
common men, and when they passed
| it on it went to progeny Of the same
feather-progeny not so picturesque,
it is true, because there is less op-
portunity to be picturesque.
| In his boyhcod, Colonel Taylor was
the close friend of the men whose eX,
periences not only reached far back
of his day, but whose experiences
then were being used as the founda,
ton for the Blue-Grass philosophy
What he was born too late to gain
by experience the Colonel gained by
direct contact. For instance, Henry
| Clay taught him thrift in practica:
manner When the verbal lessons
were out of the way, he autographed
and gave to the Colonel one of tbs
first books published containing in.
terest tables for the use of bankers
Colonel Taylor as a boy went tc
school in New Orleans. Later, he
spent a great deal of his time with
the Zachary Taylor branch of the
family in Lower Louisiana. His
companion was General Richard
Taylor, in his day famous and typ,
ical gentleman of the old and the
far South. New Orleans romance of
the good OF days." as it still is spok-
en- of there, was in full blast, and
Colonel Taylor was in the thick of
F.! it. Virginia chivalry was absorbed
when he lived with the family of his
uncle, Edmund H. Taylor. That is
where he took on the Or" behind
his n&me-it was placed there to dis
tinguish him from his uncle, and the
Colonel never dropped it. Blue
Grass philosophy of life afterward
expanded marvelously and Colonel
Taylor helped spread it. He keeps
old-fashioned romance as sprightly
as q cricket, because he never has
lived any other sort of life. And that
explains what otherwise might &c
taken as q somewhat pompous boast.
The Colonel never argues. He states
facts, and backs them up, as an ex-
ample, by saying: Il am, without ar
rcg2ncc, deeply informed on this