The first elections in Harlan county were big events. The women capitalized on the occasion by making cookies and carrying them to the polls in baskets to sell to the canidates. Naturally, the candidates was very popular when he passed cookies around to voters.
"They scattered apples around on the ground sometimes," an old timer remembered.
He told how any one could pick them up who cared to. This was the candidates "treat" to the voters.
Elections were serious affairs years ago. The voter sometimes rode horse back for miles to vote. He considered it an honor and privlege to cast his ballot. The election officers wee invested with the right to tabulate the votes in the precinet after the polls closed.
It took some of the officers a full day too bring in the boxes on horse back. Usually the"voting houses" were moved away from the homes and situated in a field all by itself like the one shown in the picture.
An estimated half a dozen families lived across the river. Among them were Nath Couch and George Sergent, two of the first settlers in Evarts.
Campaigned On Foot
When cadidates started out on their campaigning journey over the country, most of it was done on foot. They crossed mountains, climbed fences until they were "fagged out."
Before dark they always spotted a friends house to "put up for the night." Only the fortunate ones had cards with their picture on them to pass out among the voters. They had to send to Cincinnati to have them printed.
After a candidate rode and walked over the county and talked to the voters, he could tell within a few votes how many he would receive. He placed his faith in the voters and it usually tallied out right.
The only two places to vote in Harlan for years was the "Shop" (blacksmith shop in the field on Mound Street) and the courthouse. Voting places were roped off for 300 or 400 feet.
Men came from Catrons Creek, Martins Fork up to Brittain's hill to the courthouse to vote and almost as far as Evarts on Clover Fork.
"Master Politician"
"Uncle" Jim Smith, known as "Old Ring" owned the blacksmith shop on Mound Street. The precinct never changed.
For many years Ewell Howard was the "sheel horse" or "master politician" in the country. T. S. "Grandaddy" Ward and his sons, John and Tom, were great politicians as were Wilse Hensley, Pete French, and Grant Forester, who was heavily counted on for one-half a century.
Grant's brpther, Jim Forester, took a big lead in politics along with Hamp Howard and "Uncle" Mose was said to be an extremely popular man.
If he met a person 20 times a day he never failed to shake his hand. He was always ready to help a person in need and his contribution headed almost every list for a needy person.
Even tho hardships were many and travel was slow, every legal voter exercised his right and took part in electing officers for Harlan county at his own time and expense.
Sunday July 19, 1953
Volume 52 Number 166
Pages 1 & 8
