Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1851-09-25
Life in Mississippi.


Having nobody for thirty miles, night overlook
me in the of Jones county. The road was only
visible by three chops" the trees and the and
the grass growing it rank and TALL like that in the
adjacent woods. was striking for the Courthouse
passed small opening" in which stood three rckety
cabins but they were untenanted The road branched
off in dozen trails Completely puzzled, threw down
the rens and left the matter to the instinct OF my horse
He struck into one of the paths, and in fifteen minutes
halted at large farm-hous
Holloo" cried i.
cts hollOo YOURSELF" said man in the gallery.
&c How far to the Court housed"
az Where you from?" said the
"From Winchester"
"Then," said he, " the Court house is behind, and
You came right by IL down there"
why, saw nobody there"
"I reckon you didn't" said he "There's doggery
and tavern twice year, two days at time, but they
come with the court, and go with the court"
"And tie clerk and sheriff." said l. I" where do they
Iive7"
co. the sheriff is clerk and the clerk is sheriff squire,
assessor and taxcoecor in the bargain, and he lives
away down the Leaf"
&c But the lots, my friend-who owns the lots7"
The that owns the best half Of Jones county
the only landlord that for rent-old Uncle
Sam"
Well. sir, Pm tired and hungry-can stay with
you tonight"
"Light, stranger, light; Michael Anderson never
shuts his door on man or beast"
Having carefully housed and fed my horse sat down
substantial supper of fried chickens and stewed
nson, cake peach cobbers milk butter and honey,
served with welcome and abundance peculiar TO the pine
woods. My host a shrewd man, well to do in the
world preerrng Jones county to any place this side oil
Paradise having lived there twenty years without adj
ministerng a dose of medicine, and had never been
. crossed" but once during that time. was curious
to know what could have disturbed the serenity of such
a life
Why, SIR" said he, "I don't make a practice OF
talking about it, but being you stranger, and
Ive taken ken you I'll narrae the circumstance.
Maybe you've heard how the Legislature chartered the
Brangdon Bank, to build Railway through the pine
woods away down to the shore. In these parts we
90 agin Banks but roads o. shuck preudces.
Before the Bank could be agoing the law requires
much of the pure coin to be planked up The mana.
gers all live about Brangdon but the metal mighty
and the folks about there didn't have it, or they
wouldn't trust 'em.
They strung what little they had around the babies
necks, TO cut their teeth with Well, il got wind that /
hand Of the genuine and the managers kept send
ing to for it, and offering to put the board.
But always answered that the only board knew any,
thing Of clapboard and that my money safer
in the old womans STOCKINGS than in the bank heard
nothing about it for three months, when night
big, likely Hooking rode up and asked for chunk
Of fire.
esquire Anderson" said he, "my men have camped
quarter Of a mile down there the creek. We are
surveying the Railway to Mississippi city. but have
come dead halt, because line runs chock mp
against your clearing, and shall have to make big
bend get around the Courthouse. Pm sorry you're
opposed to u.s."
1.-THE big man said this with so serious an air, and
seemed mystfed at having to crook his line round
my field, that his words right through me- in.
vited him in. We talked it over, and emptied jug of
liquor the strength OF it. Next morning we went
down to camp. He took his compass and run the line
spang up agin my smoke-house, which had just finish
ed after six months labor"
"Well," says he, esquire this is unlucky. The road
will come right through your smoke-house. What's to
be done?"
"Dons'n says I, "you shall soon see; so calling my
boys, ordered them to tear it down. Stranger, there
lays the logs, the prettiest timber within thirty miles,
and all kewed by my hand. | never had the heart
put them up again. Well, the big chang
ed counenance. He with his line, and the next
day he came back on his return to Brangdon. was
nightly lifted with the notion of the Railroad, and
stopping place right afore my door. entered six hum
dred and forty of land. My neighbors said we
would get the State House here The big smiled
and nodded; he pointed where the would stop
and where the Governor would ike to have summer
seat-and trhen he cent he carried apay three thousand
dollars for me, all in toobh pieces and Picaytncs"
"We, Squire" said /, 81 suppose you got the value
Of it."
" Stranger" soemnly replied the Squire, /" never
the big afterwards; / heard more of the
road. Here's my smoke-house logs. My old woman's
got the empty stockings Here's what they sent "a
certificate OF Brangdon Bank sock for the money and
if you've got ten dollar mint drop in your PURSE I'm
ready for a swapw