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The author’s name 47 John James Audubon John James Audubon, the most famous bird painter in history, moved to Louisville in 1808 and lived off and on in Louisville and Henderson for more than a quarter of a century. He spent his Kentucky years trying to be a good merchant and sawmill operator and roaming the woods in pursuit of birds he could shoot and stuff and paint. He was more successful with the birds, his bird prints, and his autobiographical books than with his business enterprise. He had mixed feelings about his Kentucky sojourn, but the selections below show him in a more positive mood—first his tribute to Louisville and its people, followed by an amusing account of a friend’s affair with a pole cat, a visit to a corn shucking, and a Fourth of July barbecue. h from “Louisville in Kentucky” Louisville in Kentucky has always been a favourite place of mine. The beauty of its situation, on the banks of La Belle Rivière, just at the commencement of the famed rapids, commonly called the Falls of the Ohio, had attracted my notice, and when I removed to it, immediately after my marriage, I found it more agreeable than ever. The prospect from the town is such that it would please even the eye of a Swiss. It extends along the river for seven or eight miles, and is bounded on the opposite side by a fine range of low mountains, known by the name of the Silver Hills. The rumbling sound of the waters, as they tumble over the rock-paved bed of the rapids, is at all times soothing to the ear. Fish and game are abundant. But, above all, the generous hospitality of the inhabitants, and the urbanity of their manners, had induced me to fix upon it as a place of residence; and I did so with the more pleasure when I found that my wife was as much gratified as myself, by the kind attentions which were shewn to us, utter strangers as we were, on our arrival. No sooner had we landed, and made known our intention of remaining, than we were introduced to the principal inhabitants of the place and its vicinity, although we had not brought a single letter of introduction, and could not but see, from their unremitting kindness, that the Virginian spirit of hospitality displayed itself in all the words and actions of our newly-formed friends. I wish here to name those persons who so unexpectedly came forward to render our stay among them agreeable, but feel at a loss with whom to begin, so equally deserving are they of our gratitude. The CROGHANS, the CLARKS (our great traveller included), the BERTHOUDS, the GALTS, the MAUPINS, 47 48 The Kentucky Anthology the TARASCONS, the BEALS, and the BOOTHS, form but a small portion of the long list which I could give. The matrons acted like mothers towards my wife, the daughters proved agreeable associates, and the husbands and sons were friends and companions to me. If I absented myself on business or otherwise , for any length of time, my wife was removed to the hospitable abode of some friend in the neighbourhood until my return, and then, kind reader, I was several times obliged to spend a week or more with these good people, before they could be prevailed upon to let us return to our own residence. We lived for two years at Louisville, where we enjoyed many of the best pleasures which this life can afford; and whenever we have since chanced to pass that way, we have found the kindness of our former friends unimpaired. During my residence at Louisville, much of my time was employed in my ever favourite pursuits. I drew and noted the habits of every thing which I procured, and my collection was daily augmenting, as every individual who carried a gun, always sent me such birds or quadrupeds as he thought might prove useful to me. “The Traveler and the Pole-Cat” On a journey from Louisville to Henderson in Kentucky, performed during very severe winter weather, in company with a foreigner, the initials of whose name are D. T., my companion spying a beautiful animal, marked with black and a pale yellow, and having a long and bushy tail, exclaimed, “Mr. Audubon, is not that a beautiful squirrel?” “Yes,” I answered, “and of a kind that will suffer you to approach, and lay hold...

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