Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1852-11-18
OLD BILL SMITH
THE SILENT HUNTER,

| week before last we made a brief no
tice of the first volume of Mr.. &. w
| Webbers new work, entitled, "Th,
Hunter Naturalist" and promised Il
make such extracts Of an interesting
character as might occur to us on a care
ful perusal of its contents. We find il
il many thrilling and entertaining epis
odes, one of the best of which because
the most simple and natural-we give
below. In the course of hunt in the
backwoods OF Kentucky, Mr.. w. came
across grave of peculiar appearance
which he was informed was the las
resting place Of celebrated individual
known as "Old Bill Smith, The Silen
Hunter" whose history, as here gwen
he subsequently obtained from various
authentic sources in Virginia, North Car.
olIna and Kentucky. Our readers will
doubtless recognize in This .Silenl Hun.
ter" the original of ,ha, well known
character, "Jibbenainosy," lalterly So
famous in novel aud melodrama. AT all
events, the extract will be found as full OF
romance, as we have every reason TO be.
I iCiNC IL 10 Wllu reality.
| lie seems to have been an orphan boy,
thrown upon the charities of the kind
world when quite young, by the sudden
death Of parents, whose only child he
was, and who had lately come over with
ship load of other emigrants from Old
England.
Ii was not to be expected that child
with such an unfortunate patronymic as
Smith was ever to be inquired after
lie was lost in the undis,inguishable and
nnumherable multitude Of that sreatfam.
lily. Of course the fate Of the poor name
less ehild--for Smith can hardly be call
ed name!-was apprenticed under The
system OF indenture which prevailed
quite generally among the colonies. -
We hear of him as indentured to an old
farmer in the northern part of North Car
ioliaa. lie must have been eight years
old, or thereabou'rs, al ,lhsiie time. -
| This old farmer, | suspect. was yer
liable brute: for, although the terms 0
lnden'ure, besides suiliciency OF foot
and clothing, together with comfortable
lodgings, expressly stipulated that the ap
prentice, thus bouud for term Of years
Tor and in consideration of his services
was to be afforded The opportunity, auc
allowed the necessary time for the ac.
qulsition OF a good common school edu
caiioL.
/ This part Of his bond and duty, i
seems, the old curmudgeon never did OF
would fulfil, thinking, suppose, ,ha
learning was only one OF the worldly van
tiles. and would most likely turn III.
boys head. William seems TO hay,
been, from the beginning. remarkable
more Tor willlulness than any other trail,
and suppose It was quite as much DO
cause old Saunders refused to send hiu
to school as from any inherent love o
learning, thai he determined 10 learn any
how.
Little blue-eyed Matte Saunders ,wht
seemed stray angel by The firesite o
the old beast who called her child, some
how or other OWNED the wishes ane
purpose Of The young Smith; aud as he
excellent mother had taken care TO learr
her 10 read as soon as she could speak
from sort of melancholy presenlmen
that she had not long to tarry with her
she proved a very capable and certainl,
remarkably successful ins,ructress.-
Certain it is, that if he did not take /,
learning for learning's own sweet SAX,
altogether, there proved to be most sal
utasy attraction in tha, little white ano
dumpy finger. gliding from letter 10 letter
TO fix the attention Of the wilful an,
headslrong boy. a.
| lie made such rapid progress that T.,
soon became the teacher Of his youn,
mistress in turn; and as this relation be
tween the young ones had TO be KEEP
scrupulously private, the pleasures 0
such stolen intercourse were greatly ligh,
ened.
This condition Of things, charming e
uough, no doubt, 10 both parties. wa,
most unpleasantly broken up by the ac
cidental discovery of its existence by III,
old man, who, it seems, was furiou,
l.hereat, and from thai time commenced
a series Of petty and abominable perse
culions, which almos, drove the forlorr
land wre,cbed child mad. = = s'fe'