Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-06-25
A COON HUNT IN A FENCY COUNTRY.

IT'S really astonishin what a monstrous
sight of mischief ther is in Pint of rum. If
one of 'em was to be substituted to analiza-
ton, as the doctors call it, it would be found
TO contain all manner of devilment that ever
entered the he'd of man, from cussin and steal
in up to murder and whippin his own mother,
and nonsense enuff to turn all the men in the
world out of their senses. Ifa mans got any
badness in him it'll bring it out jest as sassa-
fras tea does the measles, and if he's a good
for nothin sort of a Teller, without no bad traits
in particular it'll bring out all his greenness.
1t affects different people In different ways-it
makes some men monstrous brave and full of
fight, and some it makes cowards-some it
makes rich and happy, and some poor
effect on different peoples eyes-some it
makes see double, and some it makes so blind
that they can't tell themselves from side of
bacon. One of the worst cases CT rum foolery
that I've heard of for long time, tuck place
in Pineville last fall =
Bill Sweeny and Tom CuIpepper is the two
greatest old coveys in our settlement for coon
huntin. The fact is, they don't do much of
any thing else, and when they can't ketch moth
in, you may depend coons is scace. Well, one
night they had every thing reddy for reglar
hunt, but owing to some extra good forth, Tom
had got pocket.pisto, as he called it, of reg
lar old Jimmaky, to keep off the rumatics-
After taking a good startin horn, they went
out on their hunt with their lite-wood torch a
blazin, and the dogs barkin and yelpin like
forty thousand. Every now and then stoppin
to wait for the dogs, they would drink one
anothers health, till they begun to feel very
r. to hIe pha
ard another, thout mindin much Which way
they was gwine. Bmeby they cum to fence
Well over they got, thout much difficulty.
"Who's fence is this 20 seq Bill
"'Taint no Natter SEE Tim; lets take
suthin to drink
After takin drink they went on, wonderin
what on yearth had come of the dogs. Next
thing they cum to was terrible muddy branch
After pullin through briers and getting on 10th
er side, they tuck another drink, and after
gwine little ways they cumto another branch,
and little further they cum to another fence
a monstrous high one this time.
"Whar upon yearth is we got to, Culpep-
per % seq Bill 81 never seed SIGH heap
of branches and fenches in these parts.'
"Why," seq Tom, &C it's all old Sturlin's
doins-you know he's always bildn fences
and maxim internal Improvement, as he calls
'em. Butnever mind-we's through 'em now"
The devil we is" SEE Bill; ''heres the al
fredest tai! fence YETI
Shore enough, thar they was, right again
another fence. By this time. they begun to
be considerable tired and timber in the jints,
and it was SIGH a terrible high fence-Tom
drapped the last piece OF the torch, and thar
they was in the dark.
Now YOU is done If - seq Bill
Tom know'd he had, but he thought twas
no use to grieve over split milk, so sez he,
"Never mind, old hoss--cum head, and I'll
take you out" and the next mint kerSlGsh he
went into the water.
Bill hung on to the fence with both hands
like he thought it was slewin round TO throw
him off
'Helow, Tom,' sez he, where in the world
is you got to?'
Here is seq Tom, spoutin the water out
of his mouth, and coffin like he'd swallowed
something. Look out thar's another branch
here
Name O. sense, vhar is we? seq Bill. II
this isn't fency country, dad fetch my bot
tons
yes, and branchy one too! seq Tom
'and the highest and deepest and thickest that
[ ever seed in my born days
(which way is you? SEE Bill.
Here, rite over the branch
The next mint in Bill went, up to his mid
die in the branch
Cum ahead seq Tom, and lets 60 hone'
Cum thunder In SIGH place as this, war
a man haint more'n got his cote tail unhitched
from fence fore he's over head and ears in
! the water
After getting out and feelin about in the
dark a little they got together again After
taking another drink, they sot out for home
cussin the fences and the branches, and help-
in one another up now and then; but they
hadn't got mOre'n twenty yards fore they
brung up all standin in the middle of another
branch. After gettin through the branch and
gwine bout ten steps, they was brung to hault
by another fence.
Dad blame my picter, sez Bill, 'if don't
think we is bewitched Who upon yearth
would build fences ali over creation this way?
1t was about a hours JOB to git over this
one, but after they got on top, they found the
ground on tother side thout much trouble
This time the bottle was broke, and they cum
monstrous near haVin fight about the catas-
trofy. But it was very good thing, it was,
for after crossin three or four more branches.
and Ginning as many more fences, it got to be
daylight, and they found out that they had been
| Ginning the same fence all might, not more'n a
hundred yards from whar they first cum to it.
Bill Sweeny SEE he cant account Tor itno 9th
er way but that the Ticker sort O. turned thai
heads, and he seq he does really blieve if il
hadn't gin out they'd been Ginning that same
fence and wadin that same branch till yet
Bill promised his wife to jlne the Temperance
Society if she wont never say no more bout
that Coon Hunt