The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-01-03
ATTEMPT TO ABOLISH
+. OLD TIME COURT DAY
RITTER BLoODLESS FEUD ON
IN KENTUCKY AT HISTORIC
OLD CHEAPSIDE.

LEXINGTON, Ky-Kentucky has
had its feuds in the mountains and ITS
duels in the Bluegrass, but not Tor
century has more bitter bloodless
lend been fought than that now being
staged in the courts here between the
farmers OF Fayette county and the city
dwellers of Lexington.
For the city jewellers have decreed
that Court Day" on Cheapside, a
block in the center of the city, an IN
stitution of a century's duration, must
90. And the farmers say that Court
Day" must stay.
The courts have decided III favor of
the city dwellers once, but a mistake
was made in not including the county
( in the suit to abolish the custom of
farmers bringing their horse and mules
and livestock of all kinds to Cheapside
for sale and of the people of the coun-
Itrvside gathering in the shadow of the
statue of John Cabell Breckenridge,
former vice president of the United
States, to discuss the political issues
.of the day. For, it develops, Cheapside
has for a hundred and sixteen years
been the property of the county.
Back in 1890 Cheapside was the CEN
ter 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
well and the court house (as at pres
.ent) stood on Cheapside There on
Wednesdays and Saturdays the coun-
try people brought in their produce
and the city dweller and the county
dweller met and traded and snapped
tales and talked politics. In later years
James Lane Allen, a Kentucky writ
err, made Cheapside famous with his
description of the monthly Court
Day." the last OF the ancient institu-
Itions of central Kentucky
In 1905, it develops the city OF Lex
ington decided Cheapside to the coun-
Ity of Fayette Since that time the
county has been responsible for it.
! In late years the brick pavement OF
Cheapside has become pitted and
rough. On court days it is crowded
with farmers and livestock and wag-
ons loaded with produce-this once a
month On other days automobiles
filled the places, parked at all angles.
For many months there have been
complaints OF the unsightliness Of
| Cheapside and the apparent lack o.
authority by the city police. So actor
was started in circuit court to force
THE city to "abate the nuisance" The
circuit court ordered the nuisance
abated." But the court did not coun
Ion the county. Now the action ha
been revived through filing OF peti
ton by the county declaring it alon'
has jurisdiction over this plot o
ground, containing perhaps a quartz
Iof an acre, in the heart of the city.
What the result will be cannot b.
told until the circuit court again act
and the court OF appeals has its tlna
say. But one thing is certain, tn
country folk are going to fight to TIL
last ditch to retain their plot OF groun'
and sell their stock and talk politics.
One custom of Cheapside that ha
long passed but of which James Ian
Allen tells in his story was the settling
!of physical encounters and drinking
lOf the latter, Mr. Allen says:
Another notable recreation OF tn
|day was the drinking. Indeed, the tw'
pleasures went marvelously well to
gether The merchants kept bar
rels OF whisky in their cellars for thei
customers. Bottles of it sat openly OF
, the counter"