The blue-grass region of Kentucky : and other Kentucky articles . came,and the justices came, and the bullies came, whatwas the county to do but come also ? The crowdrepaired to the common, a ring was formed, the littlemen on the outside who couldnt see, Zaccheus-like,took to the convenient trees, and there was to beseen a fair and square set-to, in which the fist wasthe battering-ram and the biceps a catapult. Whatbetter, more time-honored, proof could those back-woods Kentuckians have furnished of the humors intheir English blood and of their English pugnacity?But, after all, this was only p
The blue-grass region of Kentucky : and other Kentucky articles . came,and the justices came, and the bullies came, whatwas the county to do but come also ? The crowdrepaired to the common, a ring was formed, the littlemen on the outside who couldnt see, Zaccheus-like,took to the convenient trees, and there was to beseen a fair and square set-to, in which the fist wasthe battering-ram and the biceps a catapult. Whatbetter, more time-honored, proof could those back-woods Kentuckians have furnished of the humors intheir English blood and of their English pugnacity?But, after all, this was only play, and play never isperfectly satisfying to a man who would ratherfight; so from playing they fell to harder work, andthroughout this period county court day was themonthly Monday on which the Kentuckian regular-ly did his fighting. He availed himself liberally ofelection day, it is true, and of regimental muster inthe spring and battalion muster in the fall—greatgala occasions; but county court day was by allodds the preferred and highly prized season. It. COUNTY COURT DAY IN KENTUCKY 99 was periodical, and could be relied upon, being writ-ten in the law, noted in the almanac, and registeredin the heavens. A capital day, a most admirable and serene dayfor fighting. Fights grew like a fresh-water polype—by being broken in two: each part produced aprogeny. So conventional did the recreation be-come that difficulties occurring out in the countrybetween times regularly had their settlements post-poned until the belligerents could convene with thejustices. The men met and fought openly in thestreets, the friends of each standing by to see fairplay and whet their appetites. Thus the justices sat quietly on the bench inside,and the people fought quietly in the streets outside,and the day of the month set apart for the conserva-tion of the peace became the approved clay for indi-vidual war. There is no evidence to be had thateither the justices or the constables ever interfered.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1892
