Calaveras chronicle., 1851-10-25
Life in mississippi.

county. The road was only visible by
the three "scores" on the trees, the
grass growing OH it rank and tall like
that in the adjacent wood. was stri-
king for the court honse. Ipassed near
a small opening in which stood three
rickety cabins, but they were untenant-
ed, The road branched off into dog
en- trails. Completely puzzled, Threw
down the reins aS9 left the matter t.
the Instinct of my horse. He struck
into one Of7ff1e fteep
minutes halted at 2 large farm house.
"Halloo?' cried |.
/" It's halIoo yourself,"- said the man
in the gallery. .
".How far to the court house?''
"Where are you trom?" said the
" From Winchester
"Then," said he, ,56stthe court house
is behind, and you have come right by
ittheIe." pointing tothe deserted cabins.
Why, | saw nobody there.''
" / reckon you didn't,' said he.
"There's dogsery and taverntwice
year, two days at time, but they
come with the court and 60 with the
court"
"And the clerk and sheriff. said /,
"where do they live!''
"Oh, the sheriff is clerk. and the
I clerk is squire, assessor, and tax col
lector in the bargain, and he lives away
down on the Leaf"
g But the lots, my friend-who owns
the lots ~ .ft
"The same individual that owns the
best part of Jones county-the only
landlord who never sues for rent-Un-
Gle Sam"
Well, sir, am tired and hungry
can stop with you to-night!'' p
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
venisou, corn ca 5SsSaeReach cobbIer,
awe 1Wi1eIcoSis and a, .s,f6anee peculiar TO
the pine woods. My host was shrewd
man, well 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 us his.
"Why. sir," said he, " don't make
practice Of talking about it, but be-
ing as you're stranger, and I've taken
a liking to you, IwilI narrate the cir
cumstance. May be you've heard how
the legislature chartered the Brandon
bank to build railway through the
pine oois away down the sea shore.
In these parts we go against banks. but
railroads sort of shuck our prejudices.
Before the bank could lie set agoing
the law required so much of the coin
to he planked up. The. managers all
lived about Brandon, but the metal was
mighty scarce, and the folks about there
didn't have it or they wouldn't trust
'en.
"They strung what little they had
around the babies necks, to cut teeth
with. Well, it got wind that | had
some Of the genuine, and the manager
kept sending to me for it, offering to
put me in the board. But always an
swered that my money y as safer in the
old woman's stockings than in the bank
heard nothing more about it for three
months, when one night big, likely
looking man rode up, and asked me for
a chunck of fires
go sWell,' says he, this is unlucky.
The road will come right through your
new smoke house; what's to be done ?
evan choH 600 Said 4. So coIIi,,r
my boys, ordered them to tear it down.
" Stranger, there lay thetlogs. the pref
tiest timber within fifty miles, all hew-
ed by my own hand. have never had
the heart to put them up again. Well,
the big man never changed counter
ance. He ran on with his line, and the
next day he came back on his return to
Brandon. was mighty lifted with
the notion of the railroad and stop
ping place right before my door. |
entered six hundred and forty acres of
land. My neghbors said we'd get the
state house here. The big man smiled
and nodded, he pointed on: where the
cars would stop, and where the Cover
nor 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."
"Well, squire," said |, 81 suppose
you got the value of it,"
"Stranger," " solemnly replied the
squire, 81 never saw the big man at
forwards; heard no more of the road
Here's my smoke house logs. My old
woman's got the empty stockings.