The Estill County Tribune, December 24, 2014, Page 13 Wanderings Bob Watkins’ Sports In from the In The Nations, countdown to 2 o’clock (2 days post-Christmas), is under way Woods First, the electronic de- Kentucky’s rotation, won’t ejected. vices. This ain’t church ser- work. √ Pitino appeared bored & Water vice on Sunday, but ... √ The Wildcats dozen 3- then cranky from the outset. • Text and tweets ... pointers against UCLA At :34 before halftime he suspended. was impressive, but the de- lost his poise too, earning by Jay • Telephones and cell fense stopped UCLA at 25 a technical foul for barking phones ... off. per cent is more so. UK’s at WKU’s Ray Harper who Bicknell • E-mail ... nada. storming transition offense, barked back and earned a [email protected] Tune the teevee to coupled with bang-it-inside ‘T’ also. ESPN2 and, hey! “Find option against Louisville’s √ Terry Rozier was you a seat, gran’ma, mine’s bigs, will be the deciders. brilliant, Anas Mahmoud Silent Night down in the front row!” So, open your presents was clutch and the Cards Next, the Deuce will Thursday, Gran’ma, but be handled their first frenzied As of lately, I have not got- came to be. Don’t forget Jesus channel us to Yum Cen- sure to reserve a seat in the crowd and fired up Hilltop- ten to go hunting very much. had to be born to be sacrificed ter where lights will be teevee room on Saturday. pers well enough. My new career has been tak- on a cross at Calvary for the Bob Watkins dimmed and player intro- Here in The Nations, it’s Flip side: Western played ing up a lot of the hunting sins of man. The only way to ductions roll out from the Planet weekend the nation’s No. 4 team vir- time. I might not get to go the Father in through the Son. Joy to the world. And most obnoxious P.A. voice in the Bluegrass. tually even for 35 minutes, hunting as much, but my new This Christmas, take some Planet Basketball too. this side of Michael ‘Get before bumbling down the office is awesome. I spend time out from the chaos and In the Bluegrass State, Ready to Rumble!’ Buffer. KENTUCKY- stretch. Curtains. more time out in God’s cre- find a silent place and Thank this Christmas is more than Then, Kentucky and LOUISVILLE What did Western get ation than ever before. God for his only begotten Jingle Bells, Here Comes Louisville will get it on LOUISVILLE. His- from the game? Since becoming self-em- son. Santa Claus and goin’ to again. This time the Wild- tory shows that √ An endorsement from ployed I have spent just If you don’t know Jesus, Gran’ma’s house. cats are No. 1, the Cardinals thrives on lime-light games 7,598 fans. More than a full about every day working in now is a great time to get to Family revelry is okay. No. 4. like one coming Saturday. house. the woods. My office is the know him. I have found life Mother’s chocolate cov- According to one teevee His teams don’t always √ Coach Ray Harper outdoors. No more cubicles is tough but I can do all things ered peanut butter balls and expert already last week: win, but his players bring kept his emotions in check or sitting for hours behind a through Christ who strength- candlelight service on tele- “Nobody’s going to beat it. Emotion-fueled by big when those around him computer. ens me. vision is appropriate. But, Kentucky. Nobody.” Dan stage, they perform at a lost theirs, including a Hall One of the jobs we have I want to wish all my read- this Christmas Week drama Dakich, ESPN. level beyond themselves. of Fame opposing coach. going in Casey County, there ers a spirit filled Christmas. will carry on well past time Cardinal fans would Question to be an- Classy. is zero cell service. Have It’s not about buying the per- the fat guy in a red suit is rather ignore the Wildcats’ swered: Can the Cardinals √ Hilltoppers made 10 3- you ever went 8 to 10 hours fect gift. The perfect gift was here then gone home again talent, size, depth, defense, make it work for 40 minutes pointers for second game in without cell service? Some of born over 2000 years ago and to sit in front of his fire. unselfishness and growing against an all-star team? I a row. the places we are working, if died on a cross so we could And yes, Planet Earth swagger that produced a don’t think so. √ Left 10-plus points at you sit still, all you can hear have everlasting life. May will continue with its usual 41-7 halftime last Saturday. KENTUCKY. Wildcats the free throw line. Lesson? is silence. The past couple of God Bless You and your fam- suspects – Bill O’Reilly Realities that have catapult- are superior at every posi- Shooting a gazillion foul weeks I have got to watch the ily this Christmas. Know Him bleating that the sky is fall- ed Kentucky into college tion, either platoon. Big- shots at practice, matters on sunrise from some remote lo- Know Peace! No Him No ing ... North Korea will still hoops’ stratosphere, alone. ger, stronger, better and game nights. cations. Peace! bluster and maybe threaten A zone where, despite John for more minutes. Even on √ Fans, a Christmas gift. Spending all this time out- Until next week, get out Walt Disney Studios next. Calipari’s whiny “shhhh,” enemy’s cout, they should They paid to see a legiti- doors has given me a new ap- and enjoy God’s creation. ... Johnny Manziel will con- the words unbeaten sea- prevail. mate C-USA title contender preciation of God’s beautiful tinue doing selfies ... and son have found a way into Disadvantage? One. Lou- play December basketball. creation. It’s pretty cool to Scarlett Johansson will still mainstream conversation, isville is better coached. Pi- By February these Hilltop- see how his creation works in try to get naked in public. ESPN to CBS and beyond. tino is a 700-plus-wins Hall pers could be Big Dance harmony. I am so blessed to But here in The Nations, Louisville? Rick Pitino of Famer for reasons that worthy. get to work in the great out- (Big Blue and Cardinal), teams are known for tough- transcend recruiting and doors. Kentuckians will open ness. Is intriguing then, the talent. This time it won’t be AND SO, CHRISTMAS Working in God’s creation Christmas gifts with an ex- Dakich key to Kentucky enough. If I had a gift (message) the past few weeks has got pected “ahhh, thank you,” running the table, “is their to give you, it might be this me to thinking about Christ- but minds will already be in toughness.” WKU, UofL from Lao Tzu: mas; a time we celebrate the count-down mode toward And so, with all the bone ‘REWARDS’? “I have three precious birth of Jesus. God created Saturday afternoon. crunch, bruises and tumbles Rick Pitino’s (reluctant?) things which I hold fast and the awesome world we live in Clocks will tick toward in the movie Lone Survivor, trip to Bowling Green be- prize. The first is gentle- and then gave us His only be- two, Eastern time while Saturday’s UK-UofL could came more Christmas gift ness; the second is frugal- gotten son; A child born in a Moms, dads and the kids be a sequel. than expected. His fourth ity; the third is humility, manger on a Holy Night that – Fulton to Catlettsburg Louisville is a good team. ranked Cardinals were which keeps me from put- would one day pay a price He and Covington to Guthrie, Kentucky is a remarkable stretched out, had to play ting myself before others. did not owe. get dressed out in blue or one. blue collar tough for longer “Be gentle and you can My favorite Christmas red and promise to keep it Strategies? to win a road game. be bold; be frugal and you song is Silent Night. When I sane, knowing they will do √ Pitino’s familiar “press, √ Bode well for ACC can be liberal; avoid putting hear that song, I have a feel- no such thing. press and befuddle an op- road games, the Cardinals yourself before others and ing of Peace. Celebrating the Kentucky 12-0, Louis- ponent into playing faster had to win without Montre- you can become a leader birth of Jesus is important be- ville 11-0. that he wants,” against zl Harrell who got himself among men.” cause the Light of the World ------The Kentucky Northern -- Estill County’s “Other” Railroad By Jerry G. Rose County not a part of the Riney-B, L&A and L&N Rail- Estill County’s railroad heritage is primarily associ- roads. It was constructed in 1902, which coincided with ated with the Louisville & Nashville (L&N) Railroad the L&A’s extension to Beattyville, by Detroit capital- which was a fixture in the county for about 70 years. ists who owned 4,000 acres of excellent timber around The L&N’s association with Estill County began in Simcoe in Lee County and desired a means of transport- 1909 with the purchase of the Louisville and Atlantic ing their logs to mills. (L&N) Railroad. In 1899 the L&A had purchased the The line trended in a northeast direction on the south- Richmond, Irvine, Nicholasville and Beattyville (Riney- east side of Miller’s Creek. The present day KY 1398 B) Railroad, which was Estill County’s first railroad, ar- highway follows the KN line from its junction with the riving in Irvine in 1892. then L&A at Pryse (near the former location of Tucker Taylor’s store) to the Junction with KY 1571 where it turned east along present day KY 1571 to the Junction with the John Campbell Road. It followed this present gravel road for a few miles on the south side of Miller’s Creek and Big Sinking Creek. Remnants of a stone masonry bridge abutment on the former KN’s line across Big Sinking Creek near Simcoe in Lee County. Note the old crude oil pipeline in lower left of the picture. The KN provided the L&A RR with traffic for the seven years it operated. However, by 1908 the timber business had decline substantially. The line was aban- The Kentucky Northern Railroad line along Miller’s and doned later in 1909, after seven years of service. The Big Sinking Creeks from the junction with the L&A rail line at KN Junction (near the mouth of Miller’s Creek) to Sim- rail was removed during World War I. coe. The dotted lines beyond Simcoe are narrow gauge Had the Kentucky Northern remained in existence rail lines. The dates of operation of the KN Railroad were until the late 19 teens, when the Big Sinking Oil Field from 1902 to 1909. Its lines were in both Estill and Lee of Lee County started its rise to its ultimate position as Counties. Old KN grade just east of Pryse in Estill County, known Kentucky’s largest producing area at the time, the little So for over 70 years, from 1909 until the L&N was as the John Campbell Road, at the junction with highway railroad might have enjoyed many years of prosperity. absorbed by the Seaboard System Railroad in the ear- KY 1571. Its terminus was near the heart of this field and it con- ly 1980s, and soon thereafter by the present-day CSX Numerous remnants of the old roadbed are still vis- nected with the L&N RR’s major Eastern Kentucky line. Transportation, the L&N was the railroad company in ible and easily viewed across the creek from KY 52 in This could have been used for transporting the crude oil Estill County and particularly in Ravenna, the town the Crystal area. The old embankment crossed Sinking as the L&A RR had previously transported timber and that the L&N established. And as Ravenna’s popula- Creek, about two miles into Lee County. There it joined lumber throughout the country. tion grew during the late 19 teens and 1920s, so did the the present KY 52. From this point present-day KY The KN RR was but one of several standard and nar- town of Irvine and the county. The development of the 52 highway follows the old roadbed to the base of the row gauge rail lines that existed for a few brief years railroad’s facilities and the concurrent oil boom brought mountain at Hatton Hollow. Here the rail line turned during this period in mainly in Powell, Lee, Wolfe and early prosperity to Estill County. north following Sinking Creek to Simcoe. In addition other nearby counties. They also primarily transported However, a small logging/timber railroad operated to the roadbed, several stone masonry pillars used for logs and lumber from the area. Many of these connect- for a few years in Estill and Lee Counties during the bridges along the line are still visible. ed with the Kentucky Union and Lexington & Eastern very early 1900s, prior to the L&N’s purchase of the At Simcoe several miles of narrow-gage tracks were Railroads primarily along the Red River and tributaries. L&A. This was the Kentucky Northern (KN) Railroad, built in the directions of Bald Rock and Greely. At Sim- The author is a native of Estill County and resides in an 8-mile long standard gauge line, running from KN coe the logs were loaded on the KN for delivery to the Lexington (Fayette County). His father was employed Junction, about 6 miles south of Ravenna at Pryse, on L&A at Pryse. Later a lumber mill was erected at Simco by the L&N Railroad at Ravenna (Estill County) Ter- the L&A in Estill County, northeast to Simcoe in Lee to process the cut logs into cross ties, barrel staves and minal for 42 years, retiring in 1965. His e-mail is jp- County. It represented the only other railroad in Estill lumber. [email protected].