Hazard's Glory Years

I never heard of a swimming pool until I was past forty years old. We always took our bath and swimming in stride at the same time. Of course that was in the good ole summer time. In the wintertime we got into a number three wash tub by a big-bellied stove then had to turn around to keep warm, plus, your mother pouring hot water out of a tea kettle. Gosh, we have come a long way in many things. But in many ways we are still just about where we started. We got a few things such as running water, flip on lights, television, radio, automatic washing machines, and automobiles with automatic gears.

Swapping and trading has become a trademark in a lot of towns and county seats throughout Kentucky. I see no reason why we can’t set aside an old fashioned trade and barter day right here in Hazard where you trade and swap everything from a pocket knife, coon hound, and on down the line maybe your wife. A few days ago I stopped in Stanton. There were several people sitting around Dalton’s bus stop, an eating-place where most of you that travel that way stop. It wasn’t long before I got in the middle of a bunch of their citizens wanting to swap pocket knifes. I didn’t have anything worthwhile to trade. Before I left they extended an invitation for me to get a group of our best knife swappers and come down.