Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1847-06-17

tnougn not 10 De aumIIeu, yet IL gave
pquancy aud individuality 10 his charac
ter.
If further particulars are reqnred,l car
only state that the colonel boarded at the
Eag gle hotel-his office in the square front.
ed the court house-he was manager of
all the balIs-he was Vice-President o(the
Summer,ille Jocky CIub-he was trustee
of the Female Academy-he gallanted the
old ladies to church, holding his umbrella
over them in the sun-escorted the young
ladies, at night, to the dances or parties,
always bringing out the smallest ones
He rode u high headed, proud-looklng,
sorrel horse, with a streak down his face ;
and he was 4 general referee and umpire,
whether it was horse swap, horse race
or riAe-ma,ch, or a cock fight, or dog
fight.
1t so CHANGED, on time, though Col
Jones was one of the best natured kind OF
men, that he took umbrage at some re-
port circulated about him in an adjoining
county and one of his districts, TO the eff
feet that he had been federaist during
the last war, and, instead of relying on
the fact that he was a school-boy on Mill
Creek at that time, he proclaimed, at the
tavern table, that the next time that he
went over the mountain to court, Bill Pat
terson, the reputed author of the vile slam
der, should either sign liebill, fight, or
run.
This became narrated through the town,
the case and argument of the difference
was discussed among the patriarchs of
the village, who generally came to the
conclusion that the colonel had good cause
for quarrel, as more had been said of him
than an honorable man could stand. The
young store boys ofthe village became
greatly interested, conjeclured how the
fight would 60, and gave their opinions
what they would do under similar circum-
stances. The young lawyers, and young
M. DIS, as often as they were in the col
onel's company, introduced the subject OF
the expected fight. On such occasions
the colonel spoke careless and banlernly.
Some good old ladies' spoke deprecating-
ly, in the general and in the particular,
that so good and clever young man as
Colonel Dick should set so bad an exam
APPLE; and the young ladies', and little mis-
SEES, bless their dear little innocent souls,
they only consulted their own kind hearts,
and were satisfied that he must Dc n wick.
ed and bad man that Colonel Jones would
fight.
Spring Term of the courts came on, and
the lawyers all started on their circuit and
with them Col, Jones went over the noun
tam. The whole town was alive as to the
consequences Of this trip, and without
much communion or understanding on the
subject, most Of the population either
gathered a, the tavern a, his departure, OF
noticed it from distance, and he rode Off
gaily saluling his acquaintance, and rails
ing hat to the ladies, on both sides OF the
street, as he passed out of town.
From that time, only one subject en-
gagged the thoughts of the good people O
Summervll ;and on the third day the com
mon SALVATION was, "Any news from over
the mountain" elias any one come down
the roadl" The fourth, fifth and sixth
came, and still the public anxiety was un'
appeased; it had with the delay, become
insufferable, quite agonizing business and
occupation were at stand still; doctor
or constable would not ride to the coun
try lest news of the fight might arrive in
their absence. People in crossing the
square, or entering or coming out of lhell
houses. all had their heads turned dowr
that road. And many, though ashamed tc
confess t,sa, up an hour or two past ,heil
usual bed time, hoping some ole wout
return from court. Still all was doub
and uncertainty. There Is an unaccount.
able perversily in these things that both
ers conjecture. l watched the road from
: Louisville two days, 20 hear of Grey Ea
gle beating Wagner, on which | had one
hundred dollars slaked, of borrowed mon
ey, and no one cane; though before thai
, day, some person passed almost every
hour.
On the seventh morning, the uneasy
public were consoled bv the certainty tha
the lawyers must be home that day a:
court seldom held a week, aud the univer
sal resolve seemed to be that nothing was
to be attended to until they were satisfied
! about the fight. Storekeeps and theil
, clerks, saddlers, halters, cabinet makers
and their apprentices, all stood on, at the
doors. The hammer ceased TO ring OF
j, the anvil and the har-keeper would scarce
: ly walk in to put away the strangers sad
! dle-bags, who had called for breakfast
9 when suddenly young man, that ha,
. been walking from one side of The stree
to the other, in state of Cevcrsh anxiety
a.. thought he saw dust up the road, ant
. stopped. have heen told man won
wager in Philadelphia, on his collecting
crowd by staring, withou; speaking, at al
. oppste chimney. So no sooner was tins
. young mans point noticed, than there
=. was general reconnaissance of the roat
> made, and before long, doub, became Ger
tainly, when one Of the company de
cared he knew the colonels old sorrel ri
= ding horse, General Jackson" by thu
blaze on his face.
a, In the excited state of the public min,
!, it required no ringing of the court.hous,
y bell to convene the people; those dow
{ street walked up, and those across TN
J square came over, and all gathered gradu
ally at the Eagle hotel, and nearly all wer