Washington telegraph., 1852-07-14
| From tie Spirit Of the Times. |
Taxes in North Carolina,

NiR. EDITOR 1t is a custom of the GOOD
people of Texas to have frequent Camp
Hunts, during the winter. The time select
ed is generally during the prevalence of
"a norther,' as they term a peculiar cold
bleak wind that comes sweeping down the
prairies In one continued gush, reminding
one of stream Of water by its unvarying
stcadiness. All the denizens of the prairie
leave their widespread pastures on these oc.
casions, and seek shelter from the sharp cold
by betaking themselves to the covert of the
woodland on the borders of which, partic-
uarly the south side of the timber, they
feed in great numbers, and fall easy victims
to the stalking hunter concealed among the
trees.
This habit is universal among the four
footed inhabitants of these vast pasture lands,
and the traveller, during norther, is aston
ished on returning over prairie, in which,
but the day before, he saw hundreds of
deer and fine herds Of fat cattle, at the entire
loneliness of the scene !; as far as his eye
Gun reach one vast plain of dun-colored her.
bage alone meets his view; the long grass
twisting an waving In the fierce wind that
seems to pierce to his very bones, and the
utter absence Of all life will depress the
stoutest heart.
During one Of these spells of cold in
December, 1850, | went out for few days
sport, in company with SIX others. We
carried along a wagon well loaded with mu-
nitions generally, not forgetting huge demi-
john of brandy, and jug of portentous size
filed with a pleasant but rather exciting
beverage, which my friends called the
stranger though [ rather think it was whis-
key Towards night we reached our des-
tined camping ground, at the head of a
small lake, formed by the broadening and
deepening of sluggish creek, or rather
drain, that served to carry off the water
from the surrounding prairie
Here in a little swale we pitched camp,
undera huge live-oak directly south of a
dense thicket of evergreens some three hum
dred yards deep covering either bank of
the creek [ have mentioned to it's source,
some ten miles above our camp. The scene
was truly wild one over our heads the
huge branches of the oak dropped with a
thousand streamers of long gray moss be-
hind us the dim and illimintable void of the
level prairie before, and to our left, the
sharp outline of the dense timber, while to
our right you caught the occasional twinkle
Of star in the sullen and grassy lake-this
lake, by the way, was covered night and day
with innumerable waterfowl, from the huge
trumpeter swan to little ducks not larger
than partridge.
But, you ask, what has this to do with
Taxes in North Carolina ?" Why just
this: Among our company were two to
whom | invite your attention; the one was
ayoung Scotchman from North Carolina
Angus Me- by name, very good
fellow in the main, but, like all Scotchmen
aprofound admirer of the land of his birth
lie was very determined in the idea that
the "Old North State was the place for
nndng climax in all things good, and had
habit of quoting on all occasions the won
aers Of excellence in and around the planta-
uOn G Of one Duncan ~, of Moore
county, whom he always spoke of as "Un-
Gle Dunkun.'' As [ said before, barring
THIS, and national prediction for the pur-
sui suit OF dimes in low places, and fondness for
Olue-stem rail, Mac was good fellow. The
other was gigantic Georgian, known far
and near as "the Major" He had left his
native state, to use his own words from a
family quarrel with the Sheriff, and had nev-
{ ef been back, as he thought the State un-
healthy. The Major was bachelor con-
aaerable planter, and possessed of infinite
ssroery, having the power of looking per-
See.ly serious when perpetrating one of his
pes1' and. lastly, he thought Texas the land
perfection. He had been here since '38,
au aua could forgive no man for doubling its
Universal excellence.
;, Wac and the Major were neighbors On
''e evening of the second day of our hunt,