CLIPPINGS FROM THE HISTORIC BLUEGRASS CLIPPER

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July 30, 1903… 

The great Kentuckian, elected official, US Ambassador, newspaper publisher and, after hearing William Lloyd Garrison speak in 1832 while a student at Yale, became a leading Abolitionist (which cost him in his political endeavors), Gen. Cassius Marcellus Clay died at White Hall, Madison County, on Wednesday. He was a cousin of Henry Clay. The end came peacefully. He was in his 93rd year. His children by his first wife are left nothing except the estate lands of 2,022-¼ acres in Madison County, which was set aside for them in 1870 after the separation of Clay and his first wife.Among his other requests, he left $2,000 for the erection of a Methodist church near Pinckard, where his child bride, Dora Brock, lived while in Woodford.

During the storm last Tuesday night, the Henry Clay monument at Lexington was struck by lightning and the head of the statue was knocked off. 

The Red Men have just installed a new gas lighting machine in Collins’ Opera House.

July 31, 1924… 

The Clipper strongly supports Sen. Augustus Owsley Stanley for the U.S. Senate against John Junior Howe of Carrolton. Fred M. Sackett is favored to win the GOP nod on Aug. 2.

Henry L. Martin Sr. suffered a painful accident Friday when he was thrown from his buggy after his horse started rearing in the driveway of his son’s residence. Mr. Martin received head and shoulder lacerations and was treated by Dr. Risque.

Thomas Douthitt of Spring Station is a candidate for jailer. He is nearly six feet five inches tall, weighs about 240 pounds and which would make an ideal jailer.

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ockerman, who live on the Simms farm, welcome a son born on July 24. 

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Shryock welcome a son born on July 23.

Grant Jones is lying seriously ill at his home on Railroad Street.

Woodford Sun Column. White Lines by Scott White "Support Democracy"

SUPPORT DEMOCRACY

By Scott White

There is a new sign on The Woodford Sun’s front door, “Subscribe: Support Democracy.” We at the Sun are the successors to 154 years of journalism that reports, investigates, and tells the stories of Woodford County and its small towns and hamlets. It is a role that is expressly required by both the United States and Kentucky constitutions.
Adopted in 1791, the First Amendment of the federal constitution states that “Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press . . ..” Section 8 of Kentucky’s 1891 Constitution says that “every person may freely and fully speak, write and print on any subject, being responsible for the abuse of that liberty.” Though the responsibility of accountability is implicit in the First Amendment it is explicit in Section 8.
And this is something we take deadly serious at the Sun. Our reporters meet weekly to discuss possible stories, upcoming local government meetings and expected actions (or inactions), things the community is commemorating or worrying over, and holding each other accountable with respect to ethics, fairness, thoroughness and accuracy. We jealously guard against any attempt to intimidate, influence or give passes from potentially critical coverage. This ethos, drilled into us by our Hall of Fame editor and publisher Ben Chandler Jr. who shepherded the Sun for over 60 years, is our guiding principle.
At the risk of appearing self-congratulatory, the Sun does a pretty darn good job in fulfilling its constitutional duty to inform, challenge and celebrate Woodford Countians. 
Examples? Bob Vlach’s encyclopedic knowledge from the public library to the politics and policies of the public school system and land use planning. Bill Caine’s tireless coverage of every sport from elementary to high school whether girl’s golf or Dennis Johnson’s football teams. Melissa Patrick’s focused coverage of city hall and the fiscal court along with important pieces on current health care issues. Beyond this hard news, every week the Sun publishes features on interesting people, restaurants, local businesses, civic events, festivals and arts. Marla Carroll, our design editor, culls out news events published both in the Sun and its sister predecessor the Bluegrass Clipper between 10 and 125 years ago.
We do a lot.
Last week, I was fortunate to attend the third annual National Summit on Journalism in Rural America put on by the University of Kentucky’s Institute for Rural Journalism. Al Cross, the director of the Institute and highly respected former state government reporter and columnist at the Courier Journal and commentator on KET, gathered an incredible lineup of speakers from both academia and real world journalism. The topics did not focus on “how to do” journalism like some continuing education seminar. No, the focus was on how rural journalism can survive in an economy dominated by digital formats dolling out clickbait to lure advertisers and readers which, in large part, ignore the accountability required of a responsible free press.
Threats are not just digital outlets but corporations that purchase small newspapers who then centralize their functions to promote “efficiencies” to maximize profits which inevitably leads to a near absence of local reporting. Most of us already knew of the hundreds of papers that had closed due to bankruptcies or died from simply closing their doors (and presses) for lack of sufficient advertising revenues to support the business of putting out a paper. We already knew the reality that many local and reliable advertisers had been subsumed by national and regional chains that cut “local” papers from their operating budgets.
These are facts we deal with every day at the Sun. It is probably why our de facto leader Mimi Logsden spends so much time poring over accounts. Why Sherry Walsh, who runs advertising, worries when local businesses decline to advertise telling her, “We’ll think about it.”
It is why I went to the Rural Journalism Conference. And, what I learned filled me with real hope that the Sun will survive the new realities facing us.
Over the next few weeks, we are going to be exploring everything from enhancing digital advertising on our Facebook and websites, subscription rates, monetizing the relaunch of the Midway Messenger, leveraging our signature industries of bourbon and equine, partnering with other players in the community, and introducing an e-mail weekly newsletter. We are motivated to create healthy revenue sources not just for our business needs but to be able to fulfill our community obligation as the current stewards of the Sun.
The heartening thing about the Conference was hearing so many success stories and strategies that worked. David Woronoff, the publisher of The Pilot in Southern Pines, North Carolina, talked about how he used the truthful phrase that “advertising makes a free press possible” as the theme for building a consistent local advertiser base. Jack Rooney, the managing editor of the Keene Sentinel in New Hampshire, told of how they use the paper’s anniversary to host a community festival that has become a significant revenue source. Joey and Lindsey Young who publish three weeklies in different rural Kansas counties explained how running a transparent, in-depth front-page story titled “The Cost to Print” led them to roll the dice by doubling the subscription price but still saw subscriptions increase 40 percent in two years. And Zachary Mathews of the prestigious School of Journalism at Northwestern University discussed existing foundations, like Knight, which provide grants to local journalism as part of its free press project. There was lots more.
The Woodford Sun is an exciting and fulfilling place to work. We get into the weeds of our local government and schools. We have our fingers on the pulse of what is important whether it’s good news or a threat to our way of life. We get to celebrate with you. We get to tell your stories. More headier, we are active participants, every day, in our country’s democracy.
We only ask you help us, which helps you. Subscribe, buy an ad, submit a “letter to the editor,” send us a picture or tell us about an event we need to tell others about. 
Support democracy.

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FREEDMAN'S HARNESS & SADDLERY CO. GRAND OPENING

FREEDMAN’S HARNESS & Saddlery Co. hosted its grand opening in Midway on Sunday, July 16. (TOP PHOTO) Catering for the event was provided by the Brown Barrel in Midway, with cocktails from the Bardstown Bourbon Company. Over 200 attended. Entertainment was provided by musician Ben Jones. Sculptor Alexa King, (PICTURED IMMEDIATELY ABOVE), talked about one of her bronze equine pieces during the grand opening of Freedman’s Midway store. 

(Photos by Scott White)

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MAYOR STACY THURMAN GIVES FIRST "STATE OF THE CITY" ADDRESS AT COUNCIL MEETING

At this week’s Midway City Council meeting, which was strongly attended by the public with all members present, Mayor Stacy Thurman gave her inaugural “State of the City” address, an annual event usually given in January, but since she had just been sworn in, she chose to give it now. 

She began, “I needed time to settle into my position as Mayor and to figure out my new relationship with this city. To me, Midway has always been about the people who live here, the families who have cultivated and cared for it over the years, and new folks like me who just feel blessed to have made a home here. Over the last six months I have gotten to know Midway on a much deeper level: the infrastructure, every detail of the expenses and revenues, the constant maintenance, and the delicate relationships with community and industry partners. I have seen this city in a new light, and I believe now, more than ever, that the future is bright.”

Thurman went onto remind everyone that the key asset Midway enjoys is its people who serve as elected officials, give time and energy as volunteer board members or just help at festivals and the museum, pick up trash along sidewalks and mow vacationing neighbors’ yards. She also noted as a town reliant on tourism, that this welcoming spirit brings visitors back. 

She highlighted the strong financial position the town is in while enjoying strong partnerships with industries, restaurants and businesses are expanding the tax base so more services and resources can be added. Thurman ticked off solid new projects like the possible new water supply agreement with the Frankfort Plant Board, the letting of bids for the new 24/7/365 EMS-fire station, the reinvigorated code enforcement board, and work with the state Transportation Cabinet on making the roads and walkways in and around Midway safer.

Thurman stated that land use issues will likely be the biggest issue she and the council will face over the next few years, saying “We must decide as a city how to maximize what we have without abandoning the small-town charm we all love. There are opportunities... for development and growth. Some... may have potential to enhance (Midway), add to our character and improve the quality of life for residents. Other prospects threaten to change the characteristics we love about small-town living and to deplete precious agricultural land. It is crucial that now... we consider what ‘change’ means for Midway and the standards (to asses that) this change (is) responsible and productive.”

Thurman closed with a challenge. After invoking how Midway was shaped by its past but invigorated by its present, she asked people to continue to get involved and be civically minded, “I will continue to work toward meaningful investments that provide stability, continuity and equity for residents. There is much to be done in the year to come, but we can certainly take a moment to appreciate all that we have”.

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CLIPPINGS FROM THE HISTORIC BLUEGRASS CLIPPER

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July 23, 1903 … 

The per capita amount to be paid the schools this year from state funds will be raised to $2.60 from $2.32 last year. Each school district in Woodford will therefore receive $2.60 from the state for every pupil listed in this year’s school census. No district will receive less than $117, with 45 pupils being the minimum number of children allotted to a single district.

Miss Hattie Holand is now one of the “hello” girls with the East Tennessee Telephone Co.

Miss Emma Sleet, of Warsaw, has been elected music teacher at the Orphan School in place of Miss Boyle, deceased.
Mr. Smith of Lexington succeeds John C. Hay as manager of the East Tennessee Telephone Exchange here.

Misses Mattie and Bettie Hughes, Alice Baxter, Columbia Davis, May Allen and Sallie Pates attended the Teachers’ Institute at Versailles last week.

Mr. Wiggins and family of Frankfort have moved into the Wise property on Winter Street adjoining Dr. Sleet’s office. Mr. Wiggins is the Singer sewing machine representative.
Midway Lodge #220, I.O.O.F., has added a new gasoline light system, which makes its meeting room one of the most attractive anywhere. Nearly all the business houses of Midway are now equipped with gas light.

July 24, 1924… 

Mrs. Herman Williams has moved from the county to the Jones residence on Gratz Street.

A distillery owned by Thomas Hinds of Chicago and R.A. Baker of Woodford County, located at Forks of Elkhorn, was destroyed by fire on July 21. Two thousand two hundred cases and 1,500 barrels of whiskey stored in Warehouse B of the Hinds & Baker Distillery were lost. The loss amounts of about $1.1 million at prohibition prices and $178,000 at legitimate prices. The whiskey was worth $1 million, and the building was worth $100,000. In addition to Hinds & Baker, Mrs. W.E. Dowling of Lawrenceburg was a big loser.

R.W. Hicks is wearing a broad smile over the arrival of an 8 lb. boy at St. Joseph Hospital Tuesday night.

Mr. and Mrs. Henry L. Martin Jr. are receiving congratulations over the birth of a daughter born Monday, July 14, at St. Joseph Hospital. The babe has been named Kathryn Brooks Martin.

The Mortonsville area was heavily damaged by a cloudburst Thursday morning.

In Kelso, Washington, the tale of a “tall gorilla men” or as several called them, the “ape men,” who were credited with having attacked a party of trappers in the mountains there last week, is a myth, two forest rangers declared. Hmmmm.

MIDWAY'S NEW PLAYGROUND GRAND OPENING

MIDWAY CELEBRATED THE OPENING of its new playground for kids and families July 10. Pictured, from left, are Steve Morgan, Leah Rice, Midway University President John Marsden, Rachel Thomas, J.W. Brown, Midway City Council member Logan Nance, Steve Simon, Midway Mayor Stacy Thurman, Nelson Wright, Bob Rouse, Woodford County Economic Development Authority Board Chair Michael Michalisin, Julie Morgan, Sam and Becky Fisher, and Midway Councilmember Patrick Hall. Pictured on the playground equipment, from left, are Millie Downey, Rachel, Keaton and Quincy Couch. (Photo by Emily Downey)

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CLIPPINGS FROM THE HISTORIC BLUEGRASS CLIPPER

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By Woodford Sun Staff

July 9, 1903… 

GOP governor candidates so far announced are Morris B. Belknap of Louisville, Augustus E. Wilson of Louisville and Clifton J. Pratt of Louisville. 

Miss Marie Boyle died in Lexington last Thursday night. She was for several years the teacher of music at the Orphan School here.

George Brand died Saturday at the home of his daughter, Mrs. W. J. Montague. He was 58 and had suffered a stroke. He formerly conducted a shoemaking business in Midway.

Quarterly report of the Farmers Bank of Midway shows resources of $83,330.89 and deposits of $60,556.53. C.W. Parrish is cashier and directors include John Wise, Richard Godson and W.E. Sleet.

With last week’s issue, the Clipper entered upon its 28th years as a newspaper.

Midway has an industry which is much larger and far more important than one might suppose. Sarks & Co., manufacturing pharmacists, have put on the market a number of remedies that have proven their worth many times over. Chief among these is Starks Headache Powders, now know and used in every state in the Union. Recently, it was found that the quarters over the drug store were inadequate for the proper handling of a constantly increasing business, so the firm leased the large room in the Odd Fellows Building adjoining the Clipper office. Here, under the supervision of R.S. Starks, manager, the work of putting up the powders, packing and shipping, and distributing advertising matter, goes on from morning to night. Upstairs is the compounding room, where the powder is made in large quantities to be accurately measured and put up in separate papers by a large force of girls in the room below. Two typewriters are kept busy answering inquiries, addressing sample packages and attending general correspondence. An immense amount of advertising is done by the firm every year. Eight years ago (1895) the business was begun by Mr. Starks in a small way and the increase has been rapid from the start. Each year since has found the volume of business double that of the previous year.

July 10, 1924… 

the 1924 burley crop will hardly be 85 to 90 percent of the 1923 crop. The Burley tobacco Growers Cooperative Assoc. president and general manager James C. Stone made the announcement.

Versailles will have the Redpath Chautauqua again next year. A.B. Chandler has agreed to take the chairmanship of next year’s Chautauqua, which will again be held behind the grade school building.

An announcement was made Thursday that William C. Haydon jr. of Jetts Station and Miss Bess Shaw of Versailles were married Jan. 29. The young people had slipped quietly away to Jeffersonville, Indiana and were married. They have gone to housekeeping in the home of Mrs. Haydon on Lexington Street in Versailles. 

From the days of the Civil War until 1900 farmland values showed little change, according to the Sear-Roebuck Agriculture Foundation report. But by 1910, the acre price had doubled. With the demand for agricultural products around the time of the World War prices of land averaged as follows: 1912 $45, 1913 $48, 1914 $50, 1915 $55, 1916 $60, 1917 $65, 1918 $72, 1919 $82, 1920 $90, 1921 $80, 1922 $70, 1923 $60. After the war, the collapse in grains and livestock sent farm values the lowest in 25 years.

On Monday, a birthday dinner was given in honor of the 91st birthday of Mrs. Eugenia Williams.

According to records kept at Tuskegee Institute, there were five lynchings so far in 1924, 15 last year, 30 in 1922 and 36 in 1921.

REPORT ON MIDWY CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF JULY 3

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By Scott White 
Woodford Sun Staff

Midway City Council met Monday night and moved forward in getting the city’s code enforcement board up and running. Councilmember Sara Hicks was absent. The council unanimously approved the board appointments of Steele Rouse, Jim Starks, Chris Pratt, and Amber Rogers, who will be sworn in at the next meeting. Mayor Stacy Thurman noted this was an important step to be able to respond to the backlog of citizen complaints about a few buildings that have potential code violations. 
Thurman also noted that she had spoken with Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Planning Director Steve Hunter who confirmed that enforcement officers at the Planning Commission would be able to inspect and cite, if needed, buildings in Midway. Councilmember Logan Nance raised the question of designating a firefighter who could also work code enforcement. Councilmember Patrick Hall reported he had attended a code enforcement training in the last week put on by the Kentucky League of Cities. He learned that some smaller and mid-size communities use firefighters but was warned that it is too much work to ask of a volunteer firefighter. Midway has a volunteer fire and rescue department. Thurman indicated the council should continue to discuss whether there is a need to supplement the Planning Commission.
Thurman reported that the contract with the City of Versailles for police services had expired and she was in discussions with Versailles Mayor Brian Traugott on a new agreement. Traugott requested that Midway increase its annual payment from its 4.25 percent of the county population to 6.5 percent as reflected in the last census. This is an approximate increase of $50,000 a year over the 2023 budget payment of $248,859. Thurman expressed concern about a 2 percent-plus increase in year one which led to a tentative agreement with Traugott of keeping the rate at 4.25 percent for the first year of the new contract, increasing to 5.5 percent in year two, and then 6.5 percent for the remaining eight years of the proposed 10-year deal.
Given the increased share, Nance asked about amplifying Midway’s voice in certain police matters such as hiring. Deputy Police Chief Rob Young was asked about the hiring process at the department and how benefits were paid. Young noted that the chief of police handles recruitment and candidate vetting and then submits a preferred candidate to the Versailles mayor for hiring. He said that all officers are employees of Versailles which pays health insurance, holiday and vacation pay, and human resource services separately from the county and Midway.
Thurman indicated that Young and Chief Mike Murray always consulted with her on any issue impacting Midway. She said she would discuss with Traugott if Midway could be involved in the hiring process while guarding against converting police employees to Midway employees or co-employees which would potentially affect the budget. Thurman advised that the new agreement will be ready to be voted on at the next meeting.
Thurman reported that Sparks in the Park was a success with an estimated attendance of 150 folks. She also reminded everyone that the ribbon-cutting on the new playground at the Walter Bradley Park would be Friday, July 7 at 2 p.m.
Councilmember Mary Raglin invited the community to the next African American Heritage Council’s event series, a book launch with special guests, being held on Saturday, July 7, from 12 to 2 p.m. at the City Museum.

CLIPPINGS FROM THE HISTORICAL BLUEGRASS CLIPPER

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July 16, 1903…  

Mr. and Mrs. Clinton B. Hawkins gave a notable reception at their lovely country home last Thursday night. Nearly 300 invitations were sent and about 250 guests responded. In the receiving line, in addition to Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins, were Mrs. J.C.S. Blackburn, Miss Ethel Witherspoon, Ms. Lister Witherspoon and Miss Joe Carter. Refreshing penorah was served from Harper’s famous Ten Broeck Cup by Mrs. F.E. Jouett and Miss Lida McConnell. Guests included the most prominent people in Midway, Versailles and Woodford society.

The city council has elected Prof. J.W. Eubank as principal of the public school for the ensuing year.

The draught which has prevailed in this section for many weeks was ended Saturday by copious rain, which will mean thousands of dollars to the farmers. The relief brought by the showers was most acceptable as the heat had become unbearable, and the suffering caused by it was increasing every day. The rain was accompanied by an electrical storm in which the lightening was vivid and almost incessant. Much damage was done to the telephone service of the town. 

July 17, 1924… 

Clarence S. Darrow and Benjamin Bachrach have been retained to defend the two boy killers, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb in the murder trial of young Bobby Franks, which will open on Aug. 4. The plea is expected to be insanity.

Barbara Jane Lacefield, infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lister Lacefield, died Tuesday of meningitis after an illness of four days.

Thursday night at Mr. Edwin Methodist Church between 35 and 40 members of the Ku Klux Klan assembled in full regalia and while the congregation was singing the opening hymn, they marched down one aisle and deposited a dollar on the table and marched quietly out again. Also, the Fiscal Court voted to allow the Ku Klux Klan to use the courthouse for public speaking so long as no disorder is allowed.ED. NOTE: The Sun re-publishes these difficult, unjust stories from our past to accurately portray our Counties history.

Mr. and Mrs. Joe Sellers welcomed a son on Thursday and Joe Sellers also was the lucky ticket holder in the drawing for a Ford machine, which the Versailles merchants gave away.

Robert Curry, an employee of Farmers Union Mill, was cranking a Ford machine Thursday night when it backfired and broke the second finger of his right hand.

Wilmore Wright and Paris Rossie have gone on their vacation, which they will spend at Niagara Falls, Philadelphia, Washington City, Baltimore and New York City.

Misses Lilly Parrish, Jeanette Lehman and Ida Kenny Risque attended the dance at Bide-A-Wee camp Saturday night given by Chi Omega.