Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-08-20
8EHy4 J0WRNANa
From the Georgia Scenes.
THE FIGHT,

In the younger days of the Republic there
lived in the county of - two men, who
were admitted on all hands to be the very best
mefl ia the county which, in the Georgia vo-
cabulary, means they could fogl&ny othertw
men in the county. Each, through many a
hard fought battle, had acquired the mastery
of his own battalion; but they lived on oppo-
site sides of the Court house, and in different
battalions: consequently, they were but sell
dom thrown together. When they met, how
ever, they were always very friendly; indeed,
at their first interview, they seemed to conceive
a wonderful attachment TO each other, which
rather increased than diminished as they be-
came better acquainted; so that, but for the
circumstance which am about to mention,
the question, which had been a thousand times
asked, (Which is the best man, Billy Stations
(Stalings) or Bob Durham ," would probably
never have been answered.
Billy ruled the upper battalion, and Bob the
lower. The former measured six feet and an
inch in his stockings, and, without a single
pound of cUmbrous flesh about him, weighed
hundred and eighty The latter was an inch
shorter than his rival, and ten pounds lighter
but he was much the most active of the two.
la running and jumping he had but few equals
in the county and in wrestling, not one. In
other respects they were nearly equal. Both
were admirable specimens of human nature in
It's finest form Billy's victories had general
ly been achieved by the tremendous power of
his blows, one OF which had often proved de-
csive of his battles; Bob's, by his adroitness
in bringing his adversary TO the ground. This
advantage he had never failed to gain at the
onset, and, when gained, he never failed to
improve it to the defeat of his adversary
These points of difference have involved the
reader IN doubt as to the probable issue of a
contest between them. 1t was not so, how
ever, with the two battalions. Neither had
the least difficulty In determining the point by
the most natural and irresistible deductions q
prtorI; and though, by the same course ofrea-
soning, they arrived at directly opposite con-
illusions, neither felt its confidence in the least
shaken by this circumstance. The upper bat
TALON swore that Billy only waited one lick
at hlm to knock his heart, liver, and lights out
OF hlm and II he got two at him, he'd knock
him INTO a cooked hat The lower battalion
Tet0rted, that he wouldn't have time to doub-
lie his fist before Bob would put his head
where has feet ought to be; and that, by the
time he hit the ground, the meat would fiy off
his face so quick, that people would think il
was shook off by the fall" These disputes
S'tNH lCu " llIC VI u"tWuW uu HOHttHGW. Dul
with such equality of success on both sides as
TO leave the main question just where they
found it. They usually ended, however, in
the common way, with bet; and many a
quart OF old Jamaica (whiskey had not then
SSuPPanted rum) were staked upon the issue.
StI, greatly to the annoyance of the curious,
DIIIy ana Bob continued to he good friends.
Now there happened to reside in the coun-
ty Just alluded to little fellow by the name
OF RanSy Snitfle: sprout of Richmond. who.
IN his earlier days, had fed copiousy upon
red clay and blackberries This diet had Civ
en- to Ransy complexion that corpse would
nave dlsdalned to own, and an abdominal ro-
tundity that was quite unprepossessing, LONG
spells of the fever and ague, too, in Ransys
youth, had conspired with clay and blackber-
tles TO throw him quite out of the order of ma
t lure His shoulders were feshless and eleva.
ts ms head large and fiat his neck slim and
""'i'lucent; and his arms, hands, fingers, and