Elijah Jones

FROM BARBER FAMILY MEMORIES "One morning when Jim Anderson and Etna lived down here about where Milt Carter lives Ambrose Ulery went in while they were all down in the kitchen eating breakfast, Charlie their little son was still asleep in a bed in the room Annie sat down by the heater for it was a cold morning. A man came in from the kitchen he did not know walking over to the bed he gave Charlie a little shake and said "Elijah Elijah" what is the matter with you don't you feel like getting up this morning? Then Annie knew it must be some of the Barber kin or he would not be talking like that for Elijah was quoted by kinfolk near and far. This man was Clay Barber, son of Uncle Jess Barber of West Liberty. He and Annie were own cousins but they but they had never met before but reference to Elijah Jones introduced them of course Clay was a relative of Etna Anderson too and on his way home from Mt. Sterling stopped off for the night. I would not know where to begin to tell of all those stories of Elijah and his worthless life spoiled by his doting mother unlit he was not fit for anything. He married a nice girl Lida Nixon of Owingsville but I could never see how he managed to do it. She came down there to Aunt Eliza's old big home on the bank of licking river. It stood on this side in Bath Co. while the home of Capt. George Barber was opposite over on the Fleming Co. side. I think Jack Rice in later years bought the old home and that is where he and Venia reared their family. I spent the night once there when Aunt Eliza was a widow and lived there with Lija as she always called him and Lide. Grandma Ulery, Mama, Sam and I had spent the day over at Capt. Barbers to see Hayes who was then about 5 years old. we came back across the river and spent the night crossed in a boat. Sam a little chap insisting we crossed in a horse trough I.ide then had one baby Arthur I think his name was. She had about four boys in a row they then after the death of Aunt Eliza went out to Illinois. Lide and children, she had some girls then. All worked hard and soon were getting along well so Mrs. Sutton said, but I Lija finally left the family and came back to Ky. but not here., down near Carlisle with some people he knew or who were his relatives and died there but he had left them when Viola visited Archie years ago at Hoopston if he ever made any money at all it was by gambling. I think he could do that. But for all his short comings Aunt Eliza would if she could blame it on his wife."