Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-10-04
A LAND OF CONTRASTS
Touring the Bluegrass


| Lexington, KY. Oct. 4,--Interstate /
tourists who visit the Bluegrass Re
zion should avoid making the tour In
Inte summer or early autumn unless
there has been great abundance OF
rain. Bluegrass thrives on soil which
rests upon limestone. Tho effects Of
drought and summer heat are de-
yastating temporarily. An August
Landscape sere and yellow form high
temperatures and lack Of moisture Is
revived maglcally by the first heavy
rain. Tho tourist who chances to
drive through Kentucky during tho
drought Is likely 10 wonder why II
is far famed for It's grass.
/ 1t Is possible to see tho Bluegrass
Region In q day from an automobile,
or to spend week or two driving
through II upon n new road each day.
This small section Of the state has no
J definitely settled boundaries. and no
proud are central Kentuckians OF
residence there that 10 mention
boundaries in border county Is TO
injure someone's feelings. without
declaring that this county is, and that
|
It may be said that without violating
the speed limit an automobilist may
drive from Cincinnati southwark, or
from Louisville eastward, across the
Bluegrass Region and into tho blue
| foothills of the Cumberland Noun
tains without starting before the sun
rises in summer and without driving
till sunset. In no part OF America, or
England, are the aspects or rural life
more pleasing.
/ Tho group Of eight or ten counties
} of which Lexington. in Fayette county.
,, is the hub have had good roads for
, several generations. Their early use
Of limestone broken with hammers by
hand, gave them hard white roads
long ago--roads which contrasted
i, strikingly with the green turf along
, the right OF way, fed by the lime dust
!, made by wheeled traffic passing owe.
: the broken stone before scientii<
agriculture had introduced lining
, in farming operations. Each OF these
6 counties had 400 or 500 miles Of white
r turnpikes, main roads and minor ones
g Included. Along nearly all Of these
a often handsome manor houses with
# stately portioos resting upon Greei
n columns. reflected the fertility OF thu
d soil and tho welfare Of the land
d owners.
Nowadays the oiling OF the roads
!, and the use OF Kentucky rock asphalt
, as an improvement upon crushed
u stone for surfacing, has transformed
r. the main roads from white to black
Many OF the minor ones still are whit'
!, water bound macadam, running be
:, tween weathered stone fences and in
vlting the leisurely tourist 10 endless
rsnblings. About this section o
= Kentucky centers the romance tina
a has made Kcntucky's name known al
d. over the world. Here the limestone
grows the grass which provides tn
a best pasture for thoroughbred'h orse'
= and other livestock. Here are tn
n famous nurseries, OF thoroughbreds
70 Here are many landmarks In the his
"a tory of the Kentucky turf, inciudinl
A the massive monuments TO Ten Broecl
n and Longfellow at the once famou
q Nantura Stock Farm. AT Nantur
-
: two horses, lived for many years con
stantly armed, after the mysteriou
murder OF Adam and Betsy Harpe
:, an aged brother and sister who wer
= dubbed to death IN their quaint oil
farmhouse by someone whose identit
- never was learned.
Best Spot In the Garden.
-,ngr
ia the late Senator Joseph Clay Stil'
r. Blackburn dubbed the asparagus b'
"A OF the garden spot OF Gods countr
- is the handsme modern home ar
:, breeding plant Of former Senat
= Johnson N. Camden. a West vi
- gin.a coal mine owner who marie
=. Miss Susan Hart Of Spring Hill. a
- estate upon which the Hart fami
gu had lived since the Indians were dri'
en- from the soil by Colonel Nathani
70 Hart and other pioneers.
!! In this same neighborhood -
*, which the Harpers developed wor
Oh renowned horses while living in pia
old fashioned farmhouse - live q
en- Alexanders upon large estates inheri
tn ed FROM an Englishman of that nan
OF who forsook England 10 live in kel
c. lucky and abandoned a title TO becen
a Kentucky gentleman. retaining
ITS large income from English mines, al
N. adding TO his fortune by wise inves
of ments in Chicago real estate.
nv To mention Bluegrass. estates o
at and new, each OF which is worth day
lin visit, would be to write a guide boo
~ of this unique region. Among the ne
=, ones. by the way. is Xalpa, tho
- oughbred farm whose owner, a he.
~, tuckian. went forth TO seek his 70
A. tune and found it in oil in Mexico. T
:. imported small army OF Mexic.
laborers TO beautify his estate wi
20 roads and lakes and TO build aroul
M II a great stone wall such as feud
ne Iced OF England might have fanci
in the Middle Ages.
in Not all OF the handsome breedil
B. plants one sees in driving throu,
,n- the Bluegrass are nurseries OF tho
The oughbreed horses. For example, ne
he the Camden farm Is a breeding pla
at which Colonel E. Fl. Taylor, j
a veteran distiller, beginning nv
stock raising when he was eigh
years old assembled what Is declar
TO be the largest and most eele
| ~ 10