The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-09-05
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TENNESSEE SQUIRE IN OLDEN
TINES

, - u . There Hourshcd for many years. in ccr-
g & Tain v;aoe in 4 c good State of Tennessee,
- an excenilic old fellow who rcIn'ced N The
q name of Peter lizard aud for eleven years he
filled the important office, known III various
uarts ,f the Union, as Magistrate, Alder
;. man. Justice Of the Peace. Whether re-
e stric,ed by law, or whether ii was ownsg to
the lu,le business done and credit gwen III
- his ncipl,tsrhund, we know MT ,ut Il IS
fxed fact. ti,a, there " as never case bc"re
him of greater value than tcu d"lars. and
1ha, case is now presented TO the public
During The long term Of his official career.
prs'So,,ire lizard was equally celebrated lor his
inaexible integrity, and his singular manners
cssl vet. strange 10 say, he held "tEce only 10y
VA the 50 called tickle auro popnti l'r i, was All
,sg ) elective Office But he kept all the liquor,
80 and was the only man who could write IN
~ va 1swn IL this halryon days, newspapers and
70 81 common schools were unknown. Ills hon
Ii {. eay was also proverbal millions could n"'
have tempted him to have wronged his hl'-
tercst enemy Of dime, or I" have decided
case with common pnllcncss Aud, on The
~, whole, he was p"pu'ar. for so that HE dccis
i'm was just aud upright what malercd the
,s ur,cou,h phrase in which II was c"uched
The she'll was rough and bitter, but tic
kGrDel WAS SWEET. we WIZ wv" S''S wv
example of Squire lizards mode oi proceed
Ing.
Of the place. was ruling through C-' where
his horse cast shoe. For rc-plarIug II,
~ the blacksmith, whose name was L ,os Bildn,
charged the cool sum of an eaglc-nr rather
two spvcrcigns Naturally mdIgnaHt, our
>,a traveller refused to paw such an exh"rbt,
7--' ant demand, and while he was c"plng his
bile and his stomach al tho General Jack
... s,n'-ihe tavern (par erceicnce) %! The
Town, he was arrest I'd at the SUIT o the son
nf Vulcan. There being no other resource.
Mr.. NJ. was conducted TO the magistrate S
Office back Of the bar.
Il should have been mentioned, that
Souire lizard M, only filed tho office OF JUS
,ice, but he was the tavern keeper besides.
The SION that swung before MS door display
ell on a blue ground figure supposed II re.
.senii,le human lseing. very large red
face was depicted. surrounded hy white
Il,aIn. and sllm"lnlcd by a white chapean,
with three waving plumes. /" tt"s was
!. appenned blue. COATED body with very d.
rninu,ivc legs. allired in large Jack boots and
intensely yellow pantal ,ons. One hand
hDurshcd sword. the other rested on a
6:auaou spontaneously belchng forth very
rell fame, very blue smoke, and, a ball like
. black wafer. plainly visible. The artist
had commenced at the head. and being
cramped for room ere he finished like an.
other procustes, he accommodated the rest
Of the picture to suit circumstances This
work Of art was supposed to bear striking
personal resemblance to the Hero of New
Orleans. The other side bore the legends
. E,. Nm 1u1 RoueJ
....-.a .s..e. BY p. IZARD."
But to proceed:
After beng introduced into the august
presence Of the Squire and the charge stated
ihe foliowing dialogue occurred:
We'll. sir, what's your name I!
.McMurran, Sir
.IIumph! Mr.. Murran, no other name
John 4ucMurran, Sir