randeur and
majestic beauty the famous palisades of the Hudson or the castellated
southern shore of the beautiful Columbia River.

Railroad construction was early commenced in Kentucky. While traveling
from Lexington to Frankfort today over the L. & N. railroad, one can see
from the car windows the old grade and the cuts indicating the line along
which ran the early cars on stones in which grooves were cut for the
guidance of the wheels instead of the steel rail and the flange wheel of
the present day. These early cars were drawn by mules, after they had been
pulled by a windlass up the cliff from the boat landing at Frankfort. The
mules and the rock rails were soon replaced by two locomotives and iron
rails. One engine brought the train from Frankfort to a point half way, by
noon, and after the passengers had eaten dinner at Midway, the other
engine took the train on to Lexington.

Kentucky and Slavery

The early settlers from Virginia brought their slaves with them, and when
the State was established, no one thought of abolishing the institution of
slavery. The melodious voices of the blacks could be heard in the clearing
grounds and the "black mammies" and the little pickaninnies were familiar
objects about every well-to-do home. For the most part, the Kentuckian was
considerate of the welfare of his slaves, and both master and slave were
happy in the olden day. Those who are old enough to remember, can tell
some stories of the loyalty of the slave to his master, and of the kindly
relationship that existed between the two races. About 1829 there began to
develop in the minds of many Kentuckians a sentiment which afterward grew
into strong opposition to the state of affairs which made it possible for
one man to own the body and control the actions of another. In 1831,
Cassius M. Clay, while attending Yale College, became thoroughly aroused
to the evils of slavery, and when he returned to Kentucky he began to
speak and to write in opposition to the institution. He established a
paper in Lexington by means of which he was able to arouse sentiment in
support of his contention against slavery. He was probably the first
pronounced and powerful abolitionist in the State, and became almost as
famous in the South as was William Lloyd Garrison in the North.

The question continued to be one of absorbing interest, and the
anti-slavery party gained in strength steadily. When Texas declared