The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1851-12-17
LIFE IN MISSISSIPPI.
GETTING A RAILROAD suBsoRIprIo

county. The road was only visible by the
"three scores" on the trees, the grass grow
ing on it rank and tall, like that in the ad-
jacent woods. was striking for the court
house. passed small openingin which
stood three rickety cabins, but they were
untenanted. The road branched off into
a dozen trails. Completely puzzled, ]
threw down the reins and left the matter
to the instinct Of my horse. He struck
into one of the paths, and in fifteen min
utes halted at large farmhouse.
"Halloo!" cried I.
"It's halloo yourself" said the man in
the gallery. o.
"How far to heTcourt hcuse?"
,"Nhere are you from!" said the man.
"From Winchester"
"rhen said he, '.the court house is be-
hind, and you have come right by it there"
pointing to the deserted cabins.
"Why, saw nobody there"
"reckon you didn't" saidhe. "There's
groggery and tavern twice year, two
days at a tme,, but they come with the
court, and 90 with the court"
''And the clerk and the Sheriff." said l.,
"where do they live!"
"Oh, the sheriff is clerk, and sthe clerk
is squire, assessor. and tax collector in the
bargain, and he lives away down on the
Leaf"
"But,the lots, my friend-who owns the
lots"
"The same individual that owns the best
part of Jones county--the only landlord
that never sues for rent. Uncle Sam"
"Well. sir, am tired and hungry-can
stop with you to-night'
"Light, stranger, light. Michael An
derson never shuts his door on man or
beast" !
Having carefully housed and fed my
horse, | soon sat down to substantial
supper Of fried chickens and stewed veni-
son, corn cake, peach cobbler. milk, but
ter and honey served with welcome and
abundance peculiar to the pine woods.
NY host was shrewd man, we'll to do in
the world, preferring Jones county to any
place this side of Paradise, having lived
there twenty years without administering
\ a dose of medicine, and had never been
crossed but once during all that time. |
was curious to know what had disturbed
the serenity of such a life as his.
"Why, sir" said he. 81 don't make a
practice of talking about it, but being as
you're stranger. and I've taken lllen
to you, | will narrate the circumstance.
May be you've heard how the Legislature
chartered the Brandon bank, to build a
railway through the pine woods away down
the sea shore. In these parts, we go
against banks. but roads sort of shook our
prejudices. Before the bank could be set
a-going the law required so much coin to
be planked up. The managers all lived
about Brandon, but the metal was mighty
scarce. and the folks about there didn I
have it. or they wouldn't trust 'em.
"They strung what little they had around
their babies necks, to cut their teeth with.
Well. it got wind that had some of the
genuine, and the managers kept sending
to me for it, offering to put me in the
board. But | always answered that my
money was safer in the old woman S stock
ing than in the bank. | heard nothing
more about it Tor three months, when one
night, big, likely looking man rode up,
and asked me for chunk Of fire. ...
esquire Anderson" said he, "my men
have camped quarter of mile down
there on the creek We are surveying
the railway to Mississippi City. but have
come to a dead halt, because our line
comes chuck up against your clearing,
and we shall have to make bend to get
round to the Court house."
The big man said this with so serious
an air and seemed so mystifed at having
to crook his line around my field, that his
words went right through me. invited
him in. We talked it over and emptied a
bottle of liquor on the strength Of it.
Next morning we went down to the camp.
He took his compass and run his line
spank up agin my smoke house. which |
had Just finished after six months labor. 3
"'Wel,' says he. this is unlucky., The
road will come right through your new
smoke house; what's to be done!"
"'You shall see,' said I; SO calling my
boys | ordered them to tear it down.
Stranger, there lay the logs. the prettiest
timber within fifty miles, all hewed by my
own hands. have never had the heart to
put them up again. Well, the big man
never changed countenance. He ran on
with his line, and the next day he came
back on his return to Brandon. was
nightly lifted with the notion of the rail.
road, and stopping place right afore my
door. | entered six hundred and forty
acres of land. My neighbors said we'd
get the State House here. The big man
smiled and nodded; he pointed out where
the cars would stop, and where the Gov
ernor would like to have summer seat.
and when he went he carried away three
thousand dollars for me, all in two-bit
pieces and picayunes.
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