Editor’s Note: We are republishing excerpts from the 1917 Woodford Sun. The United States entered the First World War by declaring war on the German Empire on April 6, 1917. The Clippings will tell how Woodford County responded and was impacted by “The Great War.” We will return to 1891, where we have been since November, for a few weeks in July and August for the ratification debate and vote on the 1891 Kentucky Constitution. For historical purposes, we reprint the Clippings “warts and all,” and so the presence of derogatory and racist stereotypical words are reprinted.
The Woodford Sun
July 12, 1917
[STOCK & FARM NEWS] Both the United States and England are buying army mules in the Bluegrass. The U.S. has contracted for 1,960 mules from this zone, and the firm of Gentry & Thompson have one of the subcontracts.
[DOES EVERYTHING BUT TALK] The three banks in Versailles, the Harris-Seller Bank & Trust Co., the Woodford Bank & Trust Co., and J. Amsden & Co., have all put in an improved system of keeping books and rendering statements by machinery which is a wonder. The machine is an improvement on the adding machine and adds, subtracts, and does all of the recording and figuring for customers’ accounts. As the machine cannot make a mistake, its use is a tremendous safeguard against errors.
[TRAIN WRECKS AUTO] Five people narrowly escaped death by jumping when their automobile was struck by a train at Ducker’s Crossing on Saturday morning. In the machine were Mr. & Mrs. McLean and daughter of Lewisburg, Tenn., and and Mrs. Cecil Farmer of Frankfort. While Mrs. Elliott was driving and, avoiding a mud hole, stalled on the track. People living nearby screamed at them that the train was approaching and all jumped to safety a moment before the collision. The automobile machine was demolished.
[A COUNTRY EDITOR’S THOUGHTS: WAR, A NATIONAL REFINERY] Already I can see indications that this terrible war will do great things for the spirituality of America, In the very short space of time since we became involved, spiritual changes have taken place. People are kinder, more serious. More thoughtful, and more unselfish. And so, though we are to spill our most priceless treasure, the blood of our sons, in this terrible war, not only is the cause a noble one, but through the blood and tears our selfish, pleaure-loving hearts shall be softened and consecrated to higher aims. Thus, in a double sense those of our boys who die, will die for the nation. For if this war had not come, I think we might have gone headlong into the abyss piled with the bones of the nations of old, which forgetting God, were by Him forgotten until they rotted away.
[THE KENTUCKY FUTURITY] With one exception, every two-year old that trotted in 2:12 or better in 1916 is named for the three-year old Kentucky Futurity to be trotted in Lexington Oct. 1. This insures the greatest three-year old race ever trotted in the world.
[CLEAN CEMETERY] A box to hold trash has been placed in the cemetery. It is earnestly requested that all who visit the place will take the trouble to place trash of any kind, such as wrappers, in the box. Do your part to keep our city of the dead clean and beautiful.
[FILING DEADLINE FOR CANDIDATES PASSES] Last Tuesday was the last day on which candidates for county office could file petitions to get on the ballots in the August primary. It was strictly a Democratic affair in Woodford, there being no Republican opposition for any county office.