Auburn, Kentucky
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Auburn, Kentucky
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Dr. McDavitt and Dr. Holcomb - - Auburn’s Two Doctors. Auburn In The Long Ago. Auburn Times – 1938 One thing I remember, Dr. Holcomb gave big doses of bad medicine. Dr. McDavitt was just as successful and more considerate. Dr. Holcomb had two sons, Alfred, who never married, and was the butt of good-natured fun by the boys, and John, who joined the Army, deserted and left for parts unknown. He changed his name, but last I heard of him he was in Texas, but I am not sure that he is now living. “Cousin Sallie,” the mother, the doctor and Alfred have been dead many years. One night during a meeting at the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Alfred was present and sat on the back seat where there were some mischievous boys. Alfred had eaten green persimmons and his mouth was all puckered up. One of the boys whistled and Br. McCormick reprimanded Alfred as he saw his lips in whistling shape. This happened two or three times, when finally replied, “Whistle, hell, I speck I’se pizened,” and it came near breaking up the meeting. Dr. and Mrs. McDavitt, with their attractive and considerable-sized family, even for Auburn, lived about a mile from town on the Bowling Green pike, this place was afterwards owned by Whitsett Hall. I recall, Will, Jim, Carl, Edgar and Lattie, and I feel sure I have left out one or more. Jim was about my age and we were often together. Their home was an attractive place with a big woodland in front of the residence. The place contained a good-sized farm and Dr. McDavitt with the boys doing a good part of the work rated as a farmer as well as a doctor. Auburn was indeed fortunate to have these fine men and good doctors to visit their homes and care for their sick. Yours sincerely, J. HENRY BURNETT
Auburn Long Ago. Auburn Times, November 18, 1938
J. Henry Burnett,
Mr. Lucius A. Freeman, Agriculturist. Auburn In The Long Ago Auburn Times – February 3 1939 One of my delights as a boy was to get out to Freeman’s farm and home and spend the night. He had a large family and the boys my age and I were fine friends. Mr. Freeman was a staunch Republican and in those days in and around Auburn that was not a very popular political party, but everyone highly respected Mr. Freeman. Mrs. Freeman was a wonderful mother and she too, was an untiring worker. They had 6 sons and 4 daughters. Arthur, now a retired L&N engineer living in Louisville, was oldest; John , Irvin, Rowland, Percy, Hurston (killed by a horse when he was young), Ella, Ida, Daisy and Julia. When my father opened his school, Auburn College, Mr. Freeman brought 6 children and put them in school and said, “If I like your school, I will bring the rest,” and he did. He and father were great friends and father often said Mr. Freeman was his best and most loyal patron. John Freeman and I were converted in the same meeting and we two and Wheeler Jamison were baptized at the same time in Black Lick Creek down near the pumping station of the L&N Railroad Co. Mr. Freeman finally moved to town so the transportation of his children to and from school would not be such a task and so expensive. They lived just across the street from our home and were wonderfully fine neighbors and the children dandy playmates. The Freeman boys were great baseball players. For years John was an L&N engineer, and he now lives (and has for years) in Montgomery, Alabama. This was one of the largest and finest families in Auburn in my boyhood days. Several are dead (the parents have been dead for years) and I am not familiar with the present homes of those now living, except Arthur and John, as stated above. Yours truly,
J. HENRY BURNETT
Mr. Alex J. Gooch, Traveling Man. Mr. Gooch was not one of the old residents, but moved to Auburn to make his home and give his three children school advantages. His family consisted of Mrs. Gooch, two sons, Owen and Norman, one daughter, Mattie. Owen was very energetic and had considerable ingenuity. I recall one occasion when his mother and father left him and Norman at our home to board, while they took a trip. Guess Mattie must have gone with his parents. School was in session, so the Gooch boys and the Burnett boys were kept pretty busy. Anyway, Owen conceived the idea of organizing a band of several pieces, so when his parents returned, he and his band could meet them at the train. How he bought the instruments and how the band was taught, are hazy memories, but the band and the meeting of his parents is vivid. It was a real event in the boy life of Auburn and I am sure there are some who will recall Owen Gooch and his brass band. I was correspondent for the country paper at Russellville and gathered the local news. I put this one in the paper about Owen. Someone came into the dry goods store where he was clerking, maybe during vacation, and asked for a spool of thread and in his pompous way, Owen said, “When calling for thread, always give color and number, it facilitates matters so.” He wanted to whip me for it, too. I don’t know where any of the children are living now. I saw Norman in Atlanta several years ago. He was living there at that time. There was plenty of action when the Gooch children were around - - especially Owen. Mr. Gooch came to an untimely death, the details of which I will not relate. The old-timers will recall it. Yours truly,
J. HENRY BURNETT
Auburn In The Long Ago Auburn Times - October 28, 1938 The Auburn Flour Mill has been quite a factor in Auburn and the surrounding country. The farmers found a ready market for wheat and the housewives found mighty good flour for their biscuits. My mother made many thousands of biscuits from the flour milled in Auburn, to-say nothing of the million or more tea-cakes or cookies, as we called them, also cakes and pies, and they were A No. 1. I remember Mr. Jack Gordon, tall and strong, as the miller. He and his wife, who was a Miss Darby, (sister of Miss Mary Darby, the milliner), had three children, Charlie, Jessie and Flora. Charlie and I were classmates and desk-mates at Auburn College and I recall that we were great rivals in algebra. As soon as the bell rang for “books,” the boys would see which could reach Prof. Burnett first and ask to go and bring water from the well or spring, not far away. I can see Jessie now rushing up to Prof. Burnett and saying, “Can I and Charlie go after water?” So, they took the two buckets, one for water for the boys and the other for water for the girls and in a few minutes would return with two bucks of water. Then there was another rush for the privilege of passing the water to the students, one going to the boys and another to the girls. Every boy drank from the same bucket and same dipper and every girl drank from the same bucket and same dipper. WE had never heard of germs or microbes and some of us are still living in spite of such unsanitary proceedings in the long ago. Jessie never married. Flora married and lived in Denver until a few years ago, when her husband, a doctor died. Charlie has married twice, has two daughters by his first wife, both of whom are married. He has no children by his second wife. They all four live in Columbia, S.C., where until recently Charlie had charge of the Imperial Hotel there and Jessie was and still is an engineer. Flora makes her home there. When the children were in their teens, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon moved to Bowling Green. This family was not as large as some, but as fine as any – being one of the most substantial in Auburn. Mr. Griffith afterwards became the miller.
Auburn In the Long Ago Auburn Times – 1938 One of the most picturesque and unusual personalities in or around Auburn in my boyhood was Uncle Winkfield Hall. He was a farmer and a good one. He had two fine outstanding, upright sons, Monroe and Scott. “Uncle Wink,” could not read or write, but was a good businessman and very prosperous. He grew up under the old dispensation and was always too busy to be bothered. He was a Christian man, but formed a habit of using cuss words in boyhood and they could just slip out. He never in his heart or mind was profane. He was a golden-hearted man. I worked on his farm (his and son Scott’s) for three summers and learned to know, appreciate and love him. He rode “Dan,” his horse everywhere he went. One day I was hoeing weeds in the garden, he spied me and came out. We had a heart-to-heart talk. He was a man of sterling character, and his word was his bond. During that talk he said, “Henry, folks say I cuss. Anyone who says that tells a damn lie,” and he went on telling about something else, never for an instance realizing what he had said. “Miss Nan,” his second wife, I knew well and she was a fine woman. I never knew his first wife, who was the mother of three sons. They tell this story on “Uncle Wink”: When he was courting Miss Nam, she remarked to him, “Mr. Hall, you are no spring chicken.” To which he replied as only he could or would, “I God, madam, you ain’t no filly.” Anyway, he won her, and they were congenial and happy. Monroe Hall married a sister of Col. Church Blakey, and they had three sons, Whitsett, Scott and Church. Whitsett and Scott are now living near Auburn and are prosperous farmers and own some of the finest land in Logan County. Church has been dead many years. Their home was on the Bowling Green pike, about one-half mile from town. Scott, Sr., the youngest of “Uncle Wink’s” sons, lived with his father, about three or four miles out. He had a fine wife and his children were daughters. He and his wife were mighty nice to me. I worked on the farm during three summers and look back on it as one of the outstanding experiences of my boyhood. Mr. Scott Hall was musical and so was his wife. She played the organ at the Baptist Sunday School and Church and he led the singing and played the cornet. He also conducted the Auburn Band, which was a real band and Auburn was proud of her band. Mr. Scott was a philosopher as well as a farmer. I said one day to him, “Mr. Hall, it is a shame for these Negro men (he employed several) to work so hard all week and then spend their money riding the train on Sunday excursions.” He said “Henry, it is a real blessing, for if they did not spend it, they would not hit a lick of work the next week.” Mr. Scott Hall worked right along with his hired men and took the lead. He could get more work done in a day than anyone I have ever seen on a farm. I gave him the best I had and learned much from him. This farmer and two sons were prosperous farmers and splendid Christian men.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. C. L. Huckelberry, L&N Agent Auburn In The Long Ago Auburn Times – October 21, 1938 With the tan-yard and tobacco barns, which prized tobacco (that is, put it in hogsheads) for shipment by rail to market in Louisville and other industries and farm and farm produce raised around Auburn, the L&N Railroad Company did a thriving business with outgoing as well as incoming freight. Mr. Huckelberry was freight and passenger agent, also agent for the Express Company. His work was very important and he was a busy man. He lived near the depot across the track from the station and only two doors from us. He and Mrs. Huckelberry had two children, Minnie, who married Mr. Haynes, and Ed. Who is still living, being a train dispatcher (and a good one) at Paris, Tennessee. He has been with the L&N Railroad practically all his life. I recall when Ed. And I would load the hogsheads of tobacco in the freight cars and his father would pay us so much a hogshead. They were heavy, but rolled easily. Mr. Huckelberry only had one arm, but he did more work than most men who had two. Living so near to the depot, we had many visitors who would catch the trains from our home, and after father began preaching he used the trains quite a bit. I was the ticket buyer, they would give me the money and I would go over and buy from Mr. Huckelberry. So I suspect back in those days I bought more tickets from him than anyone. Just think of a restless boy buying so many tickets and not getting to use a one of them! Well, I am making up for it now, for I travel practically all the time. I know how to buy tickets, when someone furnishes the money. I remember very well the day when the rails were changed on the Memphis branch, so as to make the roadbed standard gauge (as it is today) instead of narrow gauge. The day was set and the whole thing was done in a day from Memphis Junction to Memphis – which was a some big day’s work. Much wheat was loaded at Auburn and the tan-yards shipped quite a bit of leather, too. I also recall when a fruit-peddling car was run through Auburn. It was hooked on the local freight and did a good business in bananas and other fruits. If I am not mistaken, they had an ice-peddling car, too. The news-butch on the train was an important boy in those days, for people got their daily papers from him and he handled oranges, which were not sold in stores except at Christmas time or some outstanding occasion. Hollie Johnson, an Auburn boy was a news-butch and all the boys were envious of him because he wore a uniform and go to ride on the train all the time. The railroad station was an important place for freight, passengers, express and mail came and went from it. Mr. Huckelberry was agent at Auburn for many years and stood well with the L&N. He also represented Western Union. J.
HENRY BURNETT,
Mr. Ab Key, Pumper Auburn In The Long Ago Auburn Times – January 27, 1937 For many years Mr. Ab Key lived in Auburn just across from the depot, with Mr. Huckelberry, the railroad agent on his right and the Burnett family on his left. So he and his family, which consisted of his wife and two sons, Fred and Malvern, were good neighbors and Mrs. Key and mother were good friends. Mr. Key was physically a large powerful man. He had charge of the railroad pumping station in Auburn. It was down on Black Lick Creek about 200 or 300 yards from the depot, and he also had charge of the pumping station at Ferguson, 18 miles south of Auburn. He was a faithful, efficient employee of the L&N. Father was born and reared near Ferguson and had many relatives in that section. Mr. Key kept him in touch with them and their doings for many years. One of the interesting sights at train time was to see the children in our home and the other homes nearby lined up on the front fence to see the train. That was an old Burnett custom, I know. I do not know where Malvern is now. Fred is living in St. Louis. I saw him when I was there 3 or 4 years ago and he drove me out to his wonderful plant in East St. Louis. We went all through it and how proud I was of Fred. The Lord has endowed him with wonderful mechanical skill and inventive genius. This plant, which covers about 12 acres, is simply wonderful and runs night and day. He had a great many inventions, which are patented, and the products produced in his factory are shipped all over the world. They have to do mostly with engines and oil refineries. He has a large office building and 30 or more men are employed in it. Notwithstanding his unusual success, I found Fred the same gracious, thoughtful boy of our boyhood days together. He spoke very tenderly of his father and of my father. He got his education, as did all boys and girls in Auburn back in those early days, at Auburn College and Prof. Burnett. I dare say, that Auburn has not turned out a son who ranks higher in the mechanical and financial affairs than Fred, but it has simply made him a bigger man, and not a man with a “bigger head.” His father knew something of Fred’s success before he died. I wish his devoted mother could have known, too. Fred is still working on inventions and showed me his private office, where he had 8 or 10 in process then. That was a most gratifying experience for me and Fred and I got in some good talk about boyhood days in Auburn.
Mr. Aaron McCarley, Dry Goods Merchant.
One of the most important persons in any community is the dry goods merchant. Back in my boyhood Mr. Aaron McCarley was not only the dry goods, but; the clothing merchant as well, with a large and growing family such as ours. He was intimately known to all of us. I guess father was one of his best customers. I can recall what an event it was when I was taken to McCarley's Store to buy my first red-top boots, then my first suit with long pants, and so on. He was a very pleasant man and I was always made, even as a small boy, to feel at home in, his store and in his presence. Being the oldest child, I was the logical errand boy for the family and was sent to his store on errands to get a spool of thread and various articles for mother and the home folks. He married the daughter of Dr. Holland, a handsome woman and I think she still lives in Auburn. I never knew Dr. Holland so well, for he had about retired from practice before my day, but he was a splendid doctor, as many testified. Mr. and Mrs. McCarley had several children whose names I do not recall. In late years, he sold out his business and went in the bank with Mr. G. W. Davidson. He was a fine Christian. and had a host of friends. Auburn had no more highly respected citizen than Aaron McCarley. He and his family lived across from the Methodist Church.
Yours sincerely,
Rev. J. I. McCormick, Preacher Auburn In The Long Ago Auburn Times - 1939 For many years, Bro. McCormick was the beloved pastor of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Auburn. There were four churches. Baptist, Cumberland Presbyterian, Christian and Methodist. Each had preaching once a month, but each had Sunday School every Sunday. Bro. McCormick was very popular and usually had his church full on his day to preach. He had one son, Hershel, who after finishing Auburn College, worked in the bank. He married Mary Sloss. I recall an interesting incident, which took place. It was Bro. McCormick’s preaching day and after the sermon he announced baptizing. Upon reaching home, George Blakey excitedly to his father (a Baptist) that Bro. McCormick (and they lived across the street from the McCormick’s) “After announcing he would baptize some folks, did not baptize them at all but just sprinkled some water on their heads.” His father said, “Son, that is what Bro. McCormick calls baptizing.” George replied, “Well, somebody ought to tell him better.” The preacher greatly enjoyed the story when he heard it. Bro. McCormick built up a large and loyal church in Auburn. Although he only had one child to send to college, he was a loyal supporter of the college.
Yours sincerely,
Auburn In The Long Ago Auburn Times – July 14,1939 Back in my boyhood days, traveling men sustained the reputation of being good fellows, great jokesters and “tall-story” tellers. The State, and perhaps the world champion, was Joe Mulhatton, called the “biggest liar” by all who knew him, and they were legion. On one occasion, Joe advertised that on a certain date he would be at a certain town in Southern Kentucky, and buy a carload of cats – imagine A CARLOAD OF CATS. Of course, on the day set, he was far away, but the cats came from all directions, or rather were brought. Some were brought in bags over the shoulders of children, who walked, some were brought on horse or mule-back, others in buggies and wagons, but there never was such an array of cats of all sorts, sexes, sizes, colors, etc. The poor owners were doomed to disappointment and the freight agent had to return an empty car, instead of one loaded with cats. Years afterward, I was telling of this unusual happening to a bunch of college boys in the college where I was business manager. After a few weeks, there appeared in the Sunday paper an advertisement, “Wanted – Cats -- Apply to Prof. -------- Science Hall, ------ College Campus.” You never saw the like of cats that were brought on Monday. The boys had pulled this one on a very much-disliked professor, and it went over big. They never learned who did it. I learned a year or two later that innocently I had furnished the idea by telling the boys the Joe Mulhatton cat story. Two bright students had put the whole thing over. J. HENRY BURNETT
Mr. J. A. Peak - J.A.P. – The One and Only. Auburn In the Long Ago Auburn Times - - Jan 6, 1939 Everyone who lived in or near Auburn in my boyhood days knew J.A.P. He was unique and peculiar. His name was J. A. Peak and in his writings, whether for the county paper or articles for other papers, he always signed himself “J.A.P.” He was the town printer and the world’s champion red cedar breaker.” He was a bachelor and lived with his mother on the bank of Black Lick Creek across the railroad track from the pumping station. He made the round trip from his home to his office twice a day, each time he would pass the depot. He carried a basket, which would hold about half a bushel, and going to his office each trip he would stop by where coal was being unloaded from the freight cars and pick off the group a basket of coal, which he emptied in the box in his office, and as he went home each trip he would carry a basketful home. Quite shifty – and thus his coal bill was no problem financially. I recall asking my father if every town had a “J.A.P.” I thought he was such an institution that every town should have one – and no more. His printing (job work) did not take much time, his writing only a bit more, so he busied himself breaking red cedar sticks. You could trace him around town by the cedar chips he broke, as he looked at various points in the stores in bad weather, and in front of them in good weather. He would spend some spare time gathering and preparing these cedar sticks. He cut them about six inches long and half an inch wide and very thin so they would break easily. He tied them in round bundles of 200 or more sticks and stacked them on shelves in his office to season and dry out. He was an interesting writer and the money he got for his weekly “gossip” to the county paper at Russellville and for his job printing, furnished the means upon which he and his mother lived frugally. His office was on Pearl Street and I was in it many times. He had a sort of sniffle, which was his very own. We lived neighbors to he and his mother for many years, so knew them better than “common” as folks sometimes say. He was a kindly spirit, quiet and interesting and everyone liked him. He had a very good education and was above the average in intelligence. He was not a great man, but a most unique and interesting one and a good citizen.
Mr. Alex C. Ritchey, Premier Traveling Salesman One of the finest men, best men, and outstanding citizens of Auburn in my boyhood days was Mr. Alex C. Ritchey, a native of Allen County, Ky., and awfully proud of his native county. He lived in Auburn but traveled in Texas for a St., Louis Hat Company, and was tremendously successful. He was one of the best mixers I have ever seen. Everyone who knew him loved him and his trade thought there was no one like Alex Ritchey. His sideline and great joy was securing positions for worthy young men and there was almost a steady stream of Auburn boys, Logan County and Allen County boys who went to St. Louis and upon the word of Mr. Ritchey were given positions. He and my father were very close personal friends and I have often wondered why father did not ask him to place me in St. Louis, but I went to Louisville instead. Mr. Ritchey had a lovely and lovable wife and she carried on and reared the children in their splendid home while he was on the road. His home coming two of three times a year was an event in the town as well as in his home. They had a large and attractive home and a very large, shady yard. Every summer they would have visitors who came to visit them. The ones I recall mostly were girls and among those there are a few that stand out in my memory. Delia Ritter and Pulliam girls, Annie and Mary, were great favorites with us boys. Mr. Ritchey had considerable farmland and I remember very well working in the tobacco patch on his place. Then, too, my brother George and I gathered blackberries and Mrs. Ritchey and Mrs. Ritchey was our best customer. Mr. and Mrs. Ritchey had five children who lived to be grown and three or four who died in infancy. John was the only son who lived to be grown and he is now (and has been for years) living in St. Louis. He is in the insurance business. The four girls were: May, who married Mr. Payne of St. Louis, who died a few years ago and left her a widow with one child, a grown son; then Blanche, who lived in Auburn, then in St. Louis and went home to Heaven from St. Louis. She was very popular, but never married. The youngest daughter Lena died before the family moved to St. Louis years ago. No, Katie or Katherine was the youngest and she is living in St. Louis with her sister, May (Mrs. Payne). Catherine has never married. John has no children. I was in St. Louis two years ago and saw John, May and Catherine. It was a great joy to see them again. The Ritchey home in Auburn was an ideal place for parties and we had many there and in the summer with Japanese lantern strung in the yard, the place looked like a veritable fairyland. Then Mrs. Ritchey, John and the girls were such gracious host and hostesses. The three Burnett boys would be looked for at the Ritchey home when they were missed at home, so they tell me, and I confess it. I think we showed fine taste for three attractive girls about our ages all in one home, was most unusual. The entire family of children got their education at the Auburn College and my father counted the Mr. Ritchey as one of his very best patrons. Mr. Ritchey was one of the most consecrated Christian men of Auburn and then of the Third Baptist Church of St. Louis after the family moved there. John is a deacon in that church now and the Ritcheys stand high in that wonderful church. No finer family ever lived in Auburn than the Ritchey family and that goes for father, mother and all five children.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Jim Smith (Honest Jim) The Auburn twins were daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Smith. They were lovely girls and very few could tell Annie from Carrie. They were in the same teen-age group that I grew up with. Mr. Smith was a very unusual man and highly deserved the name “Honest Jim.” Notwithstanding he was a good businessman, he made the fourth venture before he fit perfectly – a square man in a square position. In turn, he invested in the grocery, dry goods and farming business and finally when past middle age, he secured a position to travel for a wholesale dry goods company in St. Louis, in Western territory and he made a wonderful success from the very first. Honest man that he was, he brought all his savings above personal and family expenses back to Auburn and paid 100 cents on the dollar to every one with whom he had made legal settlement for less. There was a real man. He was my Sunday school teacher and I only recall one thing he taught me in the class: “Repentance is Godly sorrow for sin and a determination to turn away from it.” That is the best definition for repentance I have ever heard. But the lesson in sterling integrity he taught me by paying 100 cents on the dollar after legal settlement had been made has had a lasting influence on my life. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Smith were: George, Will Carson, Annie, Carrie (the twins) Maggie and Bessie. Sorry I do not know how many of them are living and where. Mr. Smith and father were warm friends and he was a fine patron of Auburn College. How I rejoice to recall to my own mind these outstanding men of my boyhood and pay tribute to them. “No man liveth to himself,” and we all have influence. May we ever exert it for good as these men did in the long ago. Sincerely yours,
J. Henry Burnett
Mr.
Harry Woodward, Postmaster Yours sincerely,
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