Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1850-09-05
From Noah's Weekly Nessenee,
Col. Archibald Yell, of Arkansas.

The morning of the first Monday in
November, 1895, broke on the mild mer-
ldian OF Arkansas with a sun Of almost
oriental brilliancy. A sky clear as crys-
tai bent its blue arch over an atmosp phere
soft and warm as the balmy breath of May.
1t was godsend of golden weather to the
gathering crowds of human beings that
froman early hour came pouring into the
streets and public square Of Van Buren,,
new but flourishing village, situated on
the great river from which the State de-
rives its name, and in the immediate
vicinity of the Cherokee line. Men, women
and children, white masters, black slaves,
and wild painted Indians, with tall plumes
nodding from their swarthy brows, con-
tinually swelled that living sea, all burn
ing with impatience to witness their fa-
vorite shoac-to enjoy one might say, their
only popular amusement, the common
pleasure alike Of every class-for on that
day the district court opened its regular
session for the large county Of Crawford.
Persons Ignorant Of the economy of So
cial life IN the back-woods, cannot even
imagine what strong and strange passion
those far western people manifest for the
excltements of the forum and more es-
pecially for the concomitants and conse-
quents which always attend or follow in
its train. But we should remember that
in the paucity Of other means of gregarious
amusement. it is to them theatre, church
gymnasium, bourse, newspaper and tele-
graph-the sole focal-point of reunion
where all orders, and not unfrequently
both sexes, go to see and be seen. The
courtyard is also the frontier preparatory
school Of party politics, in which the young
athletes Of ambitious genius learn to ex-
ercise their tongues and hands-their
tongues to dart dagger-words of bitter
denunciation, and their hands to WELD
real daggers, pistols and shot-guns.
This, too, is the battle ground where
the older heroes, whose laurels have been
culled on many bloody field, meet to
measure arms. This is the constituted
place for the final decision Of all matters
in dispute, Of every name and description.
The paper pleas ofrecord form but small
item Of the multifarious issues to be tried
here. Has the fair fame Of women been
soiled by poisonous lips of SANDER, it is
here near the door of the forum, and with
in hearing of the Judge and jury, that the
father brother or husband will wash out
the dark stain with the red life blood of
| the calumniator, or else lose the last drop
of his own. Has private quarrel occur
ed betwixt bullies attorneys, doctors teach
ers or devines, be sure it is here, in the
] :hoaine.o oast ag',aisa nu|1taae, thai n tie par
ties will fight the quarrel out. Such is
| the common law of custom and the pres
| cription of immemorial and sanguinary
usage.
! Here also, is the chosen rendezvous of
rogues drunkards, whiskered gamblers,
horse Jockeys, and all office hunters and
demagogues. Ii is for reasons such as
these that the docket of frontier court is
never cleared of its cases; for every old
one adudicated, at least two new ones
are added to the list, and thus the &C.
cumulation goes on increasing from year
to year. This makes it the elysium of the
lawyers. There is slight drawback
however, on their felicity. The ltigants
) witnesses, and spectators are mostly load
ed down with deadly weapons, and are
equally ready to use them on the slightes
S shadow of insult. Hence none bu, fear
g less fighters need hope for success at th'
: bar. Under such a state of circumstance
' it is easy to conceive the scenes of wild
strife, confusion, and outrage exhibited il
frontier forum, where the Judge i
forced by necessity to be either tyrant o
a slave and the counsels are always bul
a lies.
d 1t was therefore, the anticipation Of VIC
h lent excitements in the shape of actua
tragedies that drew such eager and hur
. rying throngs to the courthouse in tn
d village of Van Buren, on the occasion t
h which we first alluded. The human pa
: norama presented a view animasing an
e busy in the highest degree.
Out of hundred houses, forty -thre
) were liquor groceries, with every doc
s and window wide open, and SO densel
;. crowded tha, it required half a doze
clerks at each establishment to supply tn
thirsty customers. Beside the counte
10 might be seen a group of well-dresse
At gamblers, ringing together their full wine
glasses before the sparkling champaign
disappeared beneath their boards. In tn
e centre of the room stood mountain hur
a ter, with his rifle in one hand and hug
ID quart measure in the other, just halfraise
to his parted lips. One instant more an
y the nectar Of fluid fire shall melt on tn
,e great red tongue. But no! it is stoppt
o IN hansitu by the strong arm Of MOT
N N grel Indian who snatches the overflowiI
IN vessel and flies away through the thron
Click bang! What sound was that ?
;, The deafning roar Of hunters rifle, 70
Mt lowed by death yell Of fearful agony
l. the indian falls corpse!
Yorder, under those beautiful sha'
ne trees of gorgeous evergreen where Il
r sunlight trembles through like the flash
"a "a ten thousand golden pencils, bevies
r. bright-eyed women ale seated on harp
Of grass, the daughters smiling at the a
complishments Of their beaux, and 4
es mothers smiling TO hear the pra,'le of the
children.
AT nine o'clock, a group Of lawers, dc
1T, tors, and polilicians-colonels alive
ef engaged in earnest conversation arou
nd the bar undisturbed by the drunken sho,