Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1851-04-04
Il q Be Q r Q q 8
A COON HUNT IN A FENCY
COITNTRV

cts really astonishing what a monsirous
sight Of mischief is in a pint Of rum. II one Of
'em was 10 DO substituted TO analiZaIion, as the
doctOrs call it, it would de found 10 contain all
manner Of devilment that ever entered the head
Of man, from cussin and stealth up 10 murder
and whippin his own mother, and nonsense
enuf 10 tuFn all the men in the world out Of
their senses. If a mans got any BADNESS in
him, i'm bring it out jest as s~assafras tea does
the measles; ifhe's a good f0r-n0lhin sort ofa
Teller, without no bad traits in periickler, it'h
bring Out all his greenness. Il effects different
people 10 different ways-it makes some men
monstrous brave and full of fight, and sumo it
makes towards; some it makes rich and happy,
and some pour and miserable; and it has a dit
ferent effect on different mems eyes-some il
makes see double, and some ii makes 50 blind
that they can't tell themselves from from a side
Of bacon. One of the worst cases Of rum-foolery
that I've heard Of for a long time, tuck place al
Pinaville last fall.
Bill Sweeny and Sam Culpepper is the two
greatest old cOveys in our settlement for coOn
huniin. The fact is, they don't do much OF
anything else, and when they can't catch Moth
in you may depend coons is scacs. Well, one
night they had everything reddy for a regular
hunt, but owing to some extra good fOrtin, Tom
udQ Nut q pOChtt piSlOi, dS nc Cdlito W. Vi IFBidi
old Jimmaky, to keep of the rumslies. Alter
takin a good stariin horn, they went out on
their huut, with their little wOOd-torch a blazin,
and the dogs q baikin and yelpin like fsrty
thousand. Every now and then stoppin to waii
for the dogs, they would drink one anoiher's
health, ill they begun to feel very comfortable,
and chatled way bUut one thing and another,
'thout mindin much which way they was
gwine. Bimeby they come TO a fence. Well,
over they got, 'lhout much difficulty.
who's fence is this p seZ Bill.
sTaint no natter SEE Tom, lets take sum-
thin 10 drink
Amer takin a drink, they went on, wonderin
what on the yeth they had CONT To; il was a
terrible muddy branch. After pullin through
the bTiers and gettin on tOiher side, they tuck
another drink, and after gwine a little ways,
they come TO another branch, and a little fur
ther they come TO another Gence-a mOnsIrUus
high one this time.
sWhat upon the yearth have we got to, Cul-
~pepper7' seq Bill 4 never seed SIGH a heap
Of branches and fences in these paris
"Why. seq Sam, it's all old Slurlin's do:ns-
you know he's always buildin fences and maxim
Internal improvements, as he calls 'em. But
never mind. ives through Fem now
The devil we 49, sea Bill here's the al
nrenest taileSt fence yel.
Shore er nuff, thar they was, right agin anoth
er fence. By this time, they begun To be con
siderable tired and timber 10 the jints. and i
was SIGH a terrible high fence-Sam drappeC
the last piece Of torch, and thar they was in III
dark.
'Now you is done it, SEE Bill.
Sam know'd be had, but he thought 'twa
no use to grieve over split milk, 50 seq he. 'nev
er mind old huss-coIne ahead, and ll TAKE
YOU OUT aud the next mint kerslash he wen
into the water.
Bill hung 10 the fence with both hands lik
hs thought il was sIewin round to throw hin
Of.
"HellOw, Sam, seq he, where in the worl
is you got TOT"
"Hefs / is," sea. Sam, spoutin the water OF
Of his mouth, and cufin like he'd swallowe
somethin-
"Look out-ihar's another branch.
"Name ~u'sense, war is wei sez Bill.
this ain't a fency country, dad fetch my bu
TONS"
YES, and a brsnchy one too sez Sam ; ar
the highest and deepest and thickest that | e.
eS seed in my born days"
Which way is YOU % SEE Bill.
SHere' right over the branch"
The next mint in Bill went, up to his mi
Qo IN lub DFdHSh.
SCum ahed SEE Sam, " and let's go home
"Cum thunder I in SIGH a place as this, W
a man haint MORN got his cote tail unhic
ed from a fence fore he's over head a
ears in the water!"
After peliin out and feeling about 10 the da
little, they got together again. After tax
another drink, they st out for hume, cus'
the fences and the branches, and helpin one a
other up now and then but they hadn't {
morn twenty yards fore they brung up
standin in the middle Of another branch. Aft
geliiu thru The branch and gwine but len steI
ihey was brung ioa halt by another fence.
dad blame my picture if don't think
is bewiched. Who upon yearth would bu
fences all over creation this way Z"
II was about { hours job 10 git over this OF
but after they got on top, they found The grou
on tother side thout much truble. This tit
the bottle was broke, and they cum nOnsirc
neer havin a fight about the caiaslrOfy. But
was very gaod thing. it was, for after cro