Bluegrass Country, part 2

[00:07 - 00:12]
One of the tragic thing I have been in the spirit of Kentucky was this isolation I
[00:12 - 00:17]
wouldn't go do it. The only governor in a state that had been assassinated Oh
[00:17 - 00:22]
I guess maybe in a state. With him go was an
[00:22 - 00:27]
office approximately one day. People you know running
[00:27 - 00:32]
through the streets screaming yelling are going to assassinate him.
[00:32 - 00:39]
There's a song called assassination with him go.
[00:39 - 00:44]
Go.
[00:44 - 00:45]
Very sharp.
[00:45 - 01:15]
William go they sure are.
[01:15 - 01:20]
I remember that very well. Race for the.
[01:20 - 01:22]
Election was in. November
[01:22 - 01:27]
1999 that my second
[01:27 - 01:36]
side had their buttons out as the two candidates.
[01:36 - 01:41]
And there was much excitement here
[01:41 - 01:43]
with election.
[01:43 - 01:48]
On the first count but I have had. My few go and
[01:48 - 01:53]
Democrat contest elections. And on the
[01:53 - 01:58]
recount but they gave him a large. You are.
[01:58 - 02:04]
The mountain man and in my Couldn't they came to Franklin on horseback.
[02:04 - 02:08]
With I don't know I didn't see that but from their older man dome about
[02:08 - 02:14]
had two guns but I thought of God the.
[02:14 - 02:19]
First time the cult. Was like the government. First time I
[02:19 - 02:24]
called out he was shot on St. outbuilding sharp mind.
[02:24 - 02:29]
Did nobody see it. One man in Britain never heard anything much
[02:29 - 02:32]
about my first experiences.
[02:32 - 02:37]
China I believe there are standards here that trial by the court house
[02:37 - 02:43]
which was never trying to
[02:43 - 02:47]
foul up it was instrumental in the killing our government.
[02:47 - 02:53]
We're supposed to go back. And it was trying this
[02:53 - 02:58]
fella and oh so very much
[02:58 - 03:03]
from a body man and he was such a nice fellow and so pale and all my
[03:03 - 03:09]
sympathy all went to him and I turned over and it just broke
[03:09 - 03:13]
my heart to see him like that was my first trial of course. I
[03:13 - 03:18]
was a little girl about 10 years old and that he
[03:18 - 03:24]
remembers of anything that happened in doors down I had been here
[03:24 - 03:29]
before and we were down there for it on the lower end of the county and of course people
[03:29 - 03:34]
don't. Back then they didn't go to town to rebuild. Their
[03:34 - 03:40]
children didn't and they didn't get to go. But that stands out in my memory.
[03:40 - 04:10]
When I came here of course the dominant industry of the community was
[04:10 - 04:15]
University of Kentucky. We had no we had no factories are endless trees as
[04:15 - 04:19]
you think of them today and
[04:19 - 04:25]
even at that time from a better standpoint was the largest loose leaf
[04:25 - 04:27]
tobacco market in the world.
[04:27 - 04:32]
And this continued debate over the years and University of
[04:32 - 04:34]
Kentucky and the tobacco.
[04:34 - 04:42]
And Lexington's trade territory reaching 100 miles into the
[04:42 - 04:46]
southeastern mountains 100 miles south
[04:46 - 04:52]
and spreading our trade territory at Frankfort
[04:52 - 04:58]
twenty seven miles west of here and at Carrollton up on the Ohio
[04:58 - 05:03]
River about 65 miles from here was our trade
[05:03 - 05:08]
territory. And of course it was the largest city of that area and even is
[05:08 - 05:13]
today much larger of course in comparative towns at that time.
[05:13 - 05:18]
And Lexington originally a tobacco retail
[05:18 - 05:23]
Saturnus two tional and educational center. And it
[05:23 - 05:28]
wasn't until about 15 years ago that we got any other type
[05:28 - 05:33]
of industry manufacturing concern. We've never had anything here that
[05:33 - 05:37]
employed over possibly 100 persons.
[05:37 - 05:37]
And.
[05:37 - 05:45]
Need was felt here the town was growing and people were moving in here from the mountain sections and the
[05:45 - 05:49]
outlying rural areas. And if
[05:49 - 05:54]
employment wasn't provided for them then a lot of them were own charity as was the case during the
[05:54 - 05:59]
Depression although during the Depression we only had 600 families in Lexington on relief
[05:59 - 06:04]
which shows it's a good sound town. But anyway the need of
[06:04 - 06:08]
industry was felt and we establish what we call the Lexington industrial Foundation
[06:08 - 06:13]
which purchased originally 150 acres of land
[06:13 - 06:19]
and then later I think 65 or 85 additional acres
[06:19 - 06:24]
and that was the beginning. Well actually that was not the
[06:24 - 06:28]
beginning. Right after the war in
[06:28 - 06:32]
1946 and 47 We got
[06:32 - 06:38]
the General Electric Company plant here and then later
[06:38 - 06:44]
our During the war one of two small industries that were in here Evans products
[06:44 - 06:48]
coming out of Detroit. Harvey Hubble I think was the name of the electrical
[06:48 - 06:53]
CERN had a war plan here but anyway industrial
[06:53 - 06:58]
development started right after the Second World War. We think of the big new
[06:58 - 07:03]
industries of course IBM been the largest Square D Company train company
[07:03 - 07:08]
Westinghouse ABB right that with the collet it West
[07:08 - 07:12]
is not Westinghouse Electric Westinghouse air brake.
[07:12 - 07:17]
And I came here the papers two papers actually had about 11 that in circulation.
[07:17 - 07:22]
Now the two papers I have about. Were crowded 90000 which will
[07:22 - 07:26]
give you some idea of the growth of universities
[07:26 - 07:31]
in the neighborhood of 15 hundred students. Now they see that I think
[07:31 - 07:35]
11000 in Bergen County have backed out.
[07:35 - 07:39]
NIGHT THE NIGHT OF there were three distilleries sat and played this
[07:39 - 07:45]
desperate Peacock distiller and George Weiss distillery.
[07:45 - 07:50]
Bob and I did it in nineteen hundred and twenty of the
[07:50 - 07:53]
SAVAK latest Arizona wanted an operation at that time and
[07:53 - 07:59]
and Christmas Eve. Christmas
[07:59 - 08:04]
Eve I'd say. Sam played Astaire was destroyed before and I
[08:04 - 08:09]
lived about a mile from it. Have a good eye. And
[08:09 - 08:13]
see it. Bird was
[08:13 - 08:17]
alleged to still regarded cat it
[08:17 - 08:23]
as they had to make a whiskey before probation.
[08:23 - 08:27]
Yeah I remember that very well Darren Stokowski was at least I thin he was a
[08:27 - 08:32]
newspaper commentator and able fellow and I shall never forget a statement he made that never fear for the
[08:32 - 08:35]
republic because it would make a bad law.
[08:35 - 08:40]
We don't enforce it. And certainly that applied to.
[08:40 - 08:44]
Prohibition. There there well. It was a critical
[08:44 - 08:49]
situation you're going to discipline in force that's. First Kentucky has always been opposed
[08:49 - 08:51]
to.
[08:51 - 08:55]
Moonshine. It was greatly misunderstood because the Hill don't
[08:55 - 09:00]
produce good corn. And the man had nothing. Else to do with these
[09:00 - 09:05]
corn so he made. A beverage out of it and he disconcerted or duties
[09:05 - 09:10]
right then won it. During Prohibition days if not a very profitable market for it.
[09:10 - 09:18]
Actually I have seen with my own eyes when I faced a mountain where you could put 50 cents on the log.
[09:18 - 09:23]
And then disappear for a while then they came back it be a vital moonshining.
[09:23 - 09:27]
The Mint Julep is traditional. First the Mint Julep is a
[09:27 - 09:34]
is a drink that's been some question of how to make it but it's simple you just take it.
[09:34 - 09:38]
Usually with frosted glass but now the modern way has put it in a deep freeze and
[09:38 - 09:43]
take it out until the a license and that and a little
[09:43 - 09:46]
sugar and pour whiskey over the ice.
[09:46 - 09:51]
Usually use with a straw with this very good meat in it. Now the old idea question
[09:51 - 09:56]
I'm in the bottom of the glass has been exploded I mean it's the aroma from the mint that you really
[09:56 - 10:01]
makes it palatable and that's a very fine drink under a tree in the shade in the hot summer weather.
[10:01 - 10:05]
We can cook it Colonel Lewis today as I'm. Done
[10:05 - 10:10]
along the same order as the original of the back in the old days one of the
[10:10 - 10:15]
most important people that could be appointed only govern the staff. Were his
[10:15 - 10:20]
aides. And they aided him in more ways than one. He was a
[10:20 - 10:25]
bodyguard which was a pretty important person. And
[10:25 - 10:30]
he was had a voice in the military which was very important. The
[10:30 - 10:35]
military was the most important age in the government that time.
[10:35 - 10:40]
And. Consequently had to be appointed on the governor's
[10:40 - 10:45]
staff as his aide was considered the highest honor that could be paid an individual
[10:45 - 10:50]
and is still considered that way. And that's that's the argument that
[10:50 - 10:55]
the original Kentucky Colonels had to buy their own
[10:55 - 10:59]
uniform and if it cost a man quite a bit to be a Kentucky colonel in the
[10:59 - 11:04]
1830s and 1840s and on down because he was.
[11:04 - 11:06]
He could design his own uniform and.
[11:06 - 11:13]
Some of them now are more or less comical by modern standards but
[11:13 - 11:18]
they took the verse seriously and centrist and the difference in the
[11:18 - 11:23]
governor's time governors have only given out a few of them. Very few kernel
[11:23 - 11:28]
ships and then it's an honor to get one on the other hand. Other governors are giving them
[11:28 - 11:32]
that wholesale and they are appreciated. Never
[11:32 - 11:34]
Europeans have asked if it.
[11:34 - 11:39]
Is possible to get a Kentucky Colonel ship far when I have
[11:39 - 11:44]
and it's been amazing to me just the importance they attach to it they'll have a dinner party to
[11:44 - 11:48]
present to Colonel shipments is essentially not a rape.
[11:48 - 11:53]
Private Club the name they take up donations once a year and have one party on
[11:53 - 11:57]
derby day and they give the the money goes to charity I mean whatever they raise goes to
[11:57 - 11:59]
charity.
[11:59 - 12:04]
The next gentleman over when I think about it was true. They can do is
[12:04 - 12:09]
to convert. King Solomon Solomon
[12:09 - 12:15]
took care of all the sick people during the epidemic of cholera here in the state of Kentucky.
[12:15 - 12:22]
King Solomon was only a white man and it was bought by a negro slave.
[12:22 - 12:26]
King Solomon became one of Kentucky
[12:26 - 12:32]
favorite sons. After being so public auction.
[12:32 - 14:01]
He was a he was a white man. Ford Lexington Kentucky. Here's a story
[14:01 - 14:04]
about King Solomon that you probably haven't heard.
[14:04 - 14:09]
He was bought by coming. He
[14:09 - 14:13]
had had smallpox and recovered
[14:13 - 14:19]
and. They had the great epidemics
[14:19 - 14:25]
and King Solomon good to end all beggars he was a
[14:25 - 14:28]
big strong man but he just wouldn't work.
[14:28 - 14:32]
He stayed every community had one but he was a superduper
[14:32 - 14:37]
although he would not work and he was before the judge
[14:37 - 14:43]
every every every Monday morning practice. We can't.
[14:43 - 14:48]
Result where we put in you're famous for his professional legacy.
[14:48 - 14:52]
And then came the great epidemic.
[14:52 - 14:57]
And king Solomon was a new. Two small pox and
[14:57 - 15:00]
he buried the single handed all of the day at
[15:00 - 15:07]
around Lexington and with the result of when the epidemic was over
[15:07 - 15:13]
they erected the money which was a usual thing
[15:13 - 15:17]
but he was actually bald in those days you could sell a vagrant
[15:17 - 15:24]
if he had been before the court a certain number of times he was considered.
[15:24 - 15:29]
Incurable or. Professional beggar and he was
[15:29 - 15:33]
he was purchased by a colored woman. White man part is my color.
[15:33 - 16:02]
And.
[16:02 - 16:04]
They have no in.
[16:04 - 16:31]
Their heart to do.
[16:31 - 16:31]
This.
[16:31 - 17:03]
My grandfather had a very large farm and
[17:03 - 17:09]
what we call two arches and two houses. And we always
[17:09 - 17:12]
gathered the particular fruit far the siding
[17:12 - 17:19]
and in the fall of the year when the dampers begun to get rain the kind with the juice
[17:19 - 17:23]
that made the cider and the old me all set out under a tree I can see it
[17:23 - 17:28]
now. And we gathered those nice apples they didn't just peachy in anything they
[17:28 - 17:32]
had to be perfect good and right.
[17:32 - 17:36]
And then putting in large part in the apples and ground that fresh
[17:36 - 17:41]
shatter and we drank it right there after that meal. Oh my.
[17:41 - 17:45]
Just for a moment was so good. Then we put it in barrels and put it in the
[17:45 - 17:48]
old cellars we call the cellars back then.
[17:48 - 17:53]
And that kept for vinegar you see for the homemade dinner.
[17:53 - 17:58]
But that Sally was good just as long as it's staged.
[17:58 - 18:02]
Really it really began to firmly and by you better not drink some of the main
[18:02 - 18:07]
things that Kentucky's noted father beaten biscuits which are
[18:07 - 18:12]
made on a machine that they roll it looks like the rollers on a
[18:12 - 18:17]
washing machine except it's a model slab Anyway the beaten biscuits and our High am
[18:17 - 18:22]
and we consider all I am I am that's been cured and hung for two
[18:22 - 18:27]
years or more and then you you bake it very slowly and if it
[18:27 - 18:32]
has white spots through it that sand that it's an excellent Ohio
[18:32 - 18:36]
am people of an hour. We have sent them to New England and different