A Stroll Through Owen County

Ye editor broke away from the “Sanctum Sanctorum” last Friday and hied himself away to the good little towns of New Liberty and Wheatley.  On every hand, moving fields of corn and green acres of tobacco greeted him, and the odor of new mown hay and busy harvest scenes made him wish for the olden days when he drove a yoke of oxen and worshipped at the shrine of the goddess Ceres.

 New Liberty is fast recovering from the effects of the disastrous fire.  Two handsome buildings are in process of erection.  B. E. Garvey is putting up a handsome brick residence, which will, so it is said, be the home of the Baptist minister at that place, the popular and much beloved E. F. Wright.  The Odd Fellows are erecting a splendid building consisting of a large store room and hall.  The front is of white pressed brick and will be one of the best buildings in the county.  He had the pleasure of shaking hands with many of his old friends, who always greet the newspaper man with an open hand and a smiling face.  H. d. Barker, one of the young spirits of the town, says he has recovered from all his injuries occasioned by the pigeon shoot, and is ready for another.  Cashier W. S. Ball, and his assistant, G. B. Gibson, were holding down the lid on the funds of the Citizens Bank.  They are awfully clever fellows, but the editor didn’t try to relieve them of any of their cash.  Uncle John Curtis and Lou Sullivan were holding a quiet caucus, presumably on “weather conditions,” and Dr. Tom Connell was dispensing pills at the old stand.  John Poteet was “layin’ brick and preachin’ the Gospel all at the same time,” and they said he is doing a good job on both.  W. B. and Charlie Bond were found to be the same smiling and obliging merchants that has always distinguished them, but Will says that “Uncle Charlie” getting old and childish and he is thinking of getting another clerk.

 Our itinerary then led us to the “garden spot” of the county to the thriving little city of Wheatley.  Talk about patriotism, why, every man in the place greets you with the announcement that they have the best town in the county, and the first thing that you know you are led to believe it yourself. Uncle Tom Reed had “strayed away from home,” and was holding up the front end of a store room while the tall forms of J. K. Davis and Joe Thompson were supporting the rafters above.  “Coop” Gentry and “Uncle” Charlie Perkins welcomed us into the “best banking institution in the state.”  We got behind the railing, but the vault was closed before we could peep inside.  That, however, was no fault of ours.

 We were ushered into the office of Dr. D. P. Curry and found him enjoying life with a brand new cob pipe.  The Doctor is fast gaining favor in his new home and we wish for him an unbounded success.

 Our old friend, W. H. Pulliam, emerged from a pile of calicos, egg cases and salt barrels, with a bewitching smile, showed a roll of sixty “plunks,” the results of a half day’s sale.  We invited him to come home with us, but he preferred to wait till the electric line was built.  After a pleasant sojourn, we returned to our native heath and tried to figure out how big Owenton would be if all the towns in the county should be annexed.

From the News-Herald, July 20, 1905.