Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1854-12-02
The Coon Hunt, or Fency Country
BY W. T. THOMPSON.

'Tis really astonishin' what mon
srous sight of mischief there is in pint
o. rum! If one of 'em was to be submit
ted to an analizatiOn, as the doctors call ii,
Ill would be found to contain all manner
of deyiment thai ever entered the head Of
man, from cu5Sin an stealth up to murder
an whippin his own mother, and non
sense enuf' TO tUrn all the men in the world
out Of their senses. If a mans got any
badness in him ii will bring it out, just
as sassalraS lea does the measles, and if
he's good-fornothin sort of feller,
without no bad traits in pertikeler, it ii
bring out all his greatness. 1t affects diff
ferent people IN different ways-it makes
some men monstrous brave and full Of
fight, and some 1t makes towards some
1t makes rich and happy, and some poor
and miserable and it has a different
effect on different peoples eyes-some ii
makes see double, and some it makes so
blind that they can't tell themselves from
side of bacon. One Of the worst cases
Of rum'loolery that I've heard of for a
long time, tux place in PinevIle last fall.
Bill Sweeney and Tom CulpepPer is
the two greatest old coveys in our settle
ment for coon huntin. The fact is they
don't do much Of anything else, and when
they can't ketch nolhin you may depend
coons is scarce. Well one night they
had everything reddy for regular hunt,
but OWN to some extra good fortin.
Tom had got pocket pistol, as he called
it, of reglar old Jimmakey, 10 keep off the
rumatics. Alter takin good sartn horn
they went out on their hunt, with their
lilewood torch a blazin, and the dogs a
barkin and yeIPin like forty thousand
Ev'ry now end then stoppin to wait for
the dogs they would drink one another's
health till they begun to feel very comior-
table, and chatted away bout one thing
and another, without mindin' much which
way they was gwine. Bime-by they
cum to a fence. Well, over they got,
'lhout much difficulty.
who's fence Is this 2 ses Bill.
'Taint no natter says Tom, lets
take suhin TO drink
After takin drink they went on. won
derin what on yearth had cum of the dogs.
Next thing they come TO was terrible
muddy branch. After Pullin through the
briers and gettn on tUlher side they tuck
another drink, and after gwine little
ways they cum 10 another fence, mon
strous high one this time.
'IVhar upon yearlh is we got TO. Cul-
pepper 2 ses B:ll, Il never seed slch a
heap of branches and fences in these
parts
why ses Tom, its all old StuIlin's
doins-you know he's always bildin fen
ces and maxim internal improvements, as
he calls 'em. But never mind, we's
through them now.'
Guess we isn't ses Bill; 'here's the
aIl-fredest tallest fence yet
Shure enuff, thar they was right agln
another fence. By this time they begun
TO be considerable tired and Timber IN The
;in,s and it was sich terrible high fence
Tom dropped the last piece Of The torch'
thar they wus i'll the dark.
Now YOU is done ii, ses Bill.
Tom knowed he had, but he thought II
was no use to grieve over split milk, SO
scs he, Never mind, old boss, cum ahead
and III take you out and the next mint
kerslash he went into the water.
Bill hung on the fence with bo'h ha''uS
like he thought it was slewn' round 10
throw him off.
.Hellow, Tom = ses he, 'whar IN The
world is you got to :!
Here ] s,' ses Tom, sPouhn the water
out of his mouth, and coffin like he d swal-
lowed something. Look out, thars an
other branch here.
Name o. sense, whar is we! ses Bill.
If This isn't a fency country, dad fetch
my buttons
Yes and branchy one too! ses Tom;
'and the highest, and deepest and ihIckes'
that ever seed in my born days.
(Which way is you 2 ses Bill.
Here, rite over the branch
The next mint in Bill went, up 10 Ills
middle in the branch. :,
Cum ahead ses Tom, ,'lets go home:
Cam, thunder! in such p lace as 'l'iS
whar man haint more'n got his cole 'a''
unhilched from a fence, fore he's over
bis head and ears in the water.
Aflr, oeu,po out anu leelin about IN lhe