The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1852-12-09
The Devils Hal.Acrc.

In the upper part of Louisiana, near
the Arkansas side, there used to be one
of the most God-defying sets of people
ever heard of. There was no Sabbath
day amongst them, for they served their
master, the devil, seren days in week
with freedom, fervency, and zeal.
Horse-racing, cock-6ghting, and the
most cruel sports of all kinds were their
diversions. Fighting, gouging, and mur.
der We're common enough. As for such
thing as legal restraint, the very idea
was laughed at. Grand Juries were
compelled to wink at what they dared
not present circuit judges suffered the
, grosscst intractions of the law to pass
unchecked under their very noses
sherifS and constables we're hail-fellows.
well-met with the wickedest of them
such was Louisiana, near the Arkansas
line, fifteen or twenty years ago.
The Methodist Conference had long
looked eagerly at that region, for the
nearer the devil is to getting a man, the
more that church tries to save him.
More than once their Bishop had sent
an itinerant preacher there, but he was
so glad to get away with whole skin
that he took care to say as little about
what happened to him as possible. At
last old Father Goolsbury offered to
itincrate that field if the Bishop desired
it, and the Bishop gladly jumped at the
chance. Parson G.. was man of great
experience, particularly in department
like this. He had itinerated clear around
from the Falls of Niagara to Red River,
keeping on the edge of civilization all the
way, AMI he was the very man for the
place. Nobody could preach oftener in
IA day than Father Goolsbury, or do it in
rudcr places. Nobo Iy could eat rough
er, sleep harder, ride longer, swim bold
cr, or laugh heartier than he. So he
offered to 60 to North-Louisiana, and
the Bishop appointed him instanter. A
collection was taken up to buy him
splendid horse, the only thing in the
world, except sinners the old man loved
The kind sisters turned in and made him
halt dozen shi is; a new suit of clothes
out-and-ou was bought for him, and
then, with a joke and a prayer and a a
tear, and two stanzas of Wesley's songs, f
the intrepid parson departed. "
Now there was village in the very {
heart of this pandemonium called by the c
Tockville, or some such C
name; (; but from the q1ality of the at o
and the murderous brawls C
hat continually occurred there, the a
country people had christened it The f
Dera's Half Acre. No traveller ever t.
stopped there twice. No sober neigh h
Dor ever visited there on public day el
No respectable woman ever rode through OF
here at all. There was no church and n
10 school in Tockvillc but there was 81
core of grog-shops, bowling-alleys, st
,ambling-houscs, sc. and there was a III
acc-course hard by, which to many a al
'oor fellow, had p'oyed to be the en- 81
rance to eternal death. d
At this very place, unpronising as it
t seemed, the old itinerant published
lis fst appointment. He rightly
hourht that it he could make the thing lic
yrind at The Dcra's Haif Acre, it would
yrind anywhere but if he thought to cb
ret an easy grist Of it, he made as biz
nistake as if he had torn his shirt. For
10 sooner was his notice posted on the ty
avern- door than it was torn down with
age, and a popular order given to the ]
arng minister to evacuate the village an
orthwith. Nothing daunted, however, lie
Ie wrote out q second announcement,