Eastern times., 1855-10-25
eastern Timts.
For the Eastern Times.
SKETCHES OF VIRGINIA.
NO. One.
THE SALE.


I" 1t is the law throughout the Old Dominion.
When some poor devil dies in peace or battle,
The Executor mus: be of the opinion
His goods are perishing, and sell each chattel,
Whatever treads on hoof, or flies on pinion.
Hogs horses. cows and every sort of cattle,
Cups saucers. swingle trees and looking glasses,
Plows, pots and pans, ea-kettles and jackasses.
= Unpublished Poem.
Who that has lived six months in Virginia,
has not seen something like the following,
staring him in the face, on the side Of store
or tavern or upon the post of sign-board
where several roads meet ssLshall proceed
to sci to the highest bidder, on Saturday the
Sd of Janewary next, at Blank, all the house
hol and Kitchen ferniter of the late David
Double, Esq. together with all the horses,
mules sheep and hoges. Cash on all sums of
five dollars and under and a creddit of twelve
mont on the baIlance-Bond with approved
security will be required
Such a notification as the above, which is
copied verbatim and spellatim, operates like
an electric shock on a whole neighborhood in
that portion of the country in which l reside,
especially upon that part of the population,
which can least afford to buy bargains. The
temptation of long credit is too great 10 be re-
sisted, although no calculations of the ultimate
ability 10 pay, are ever made. The grand
desideratum is TO obtain the necessary security
and TO purchase greater amount than five
dollars. am myself infected by this prevail
ing malady and frequently buy what is of no
manner use to me, simply because no cash
is required, and bonds are hard to collect, and
suits may be put off by continuances and mat
tiers of this sort, after all, may be settled by
executors and administrators.
Among the rest, therefore, on the day ap-
pointed by the aforesaid notification, mount
ed my horse and sailed out upon the road
leading TO Blank. and fell in with large par
ty, principally overseers on the neighboring
estates, on their way TO the sale. They were
mounted in every variety of style; there were
long tails and bob tails and nick-tails, and |
saw at least one sheep-skin saddle and grape
vine bride.
By the way, talking of grape-vines, what
country ours is for this invaluable article.
Here is no need of hemp manufactures. Ma
ture in her exuberant goodness, has supplied
an abundance of this primitive rope, which is
Just as convenient and efficacious as the best
cordage, whether man wants 10 hang him
self or dog; whether he wants cap for his
fence, back band for his plough horse, a
pair OF reins or girth for his saddle.
But to return. / cannot let this opportuni-
ty slip, of singing out one of this group of
horsemen that you may have aketch of the
sort of folks and horses that live hereabouts.
Vert thou ever upon Hoecake Ridge, and
hast thou ever met in winter thoroughbred
native of that region, mounted upon his little
shaggy poney, "skelping on through dub and
mire," like Tam O'Shanter! Here he was
today. in his element, draped in striped COTTON
pantaloons, and thin cotton jacket, and riding
in the teeth of stormy nor'wester. His sad
die had no skirts, having been robbed of those
useless appendages by some rogue who want
ed pair of brogues ; his bride had as many
knots as the sea serpent. But my business is
not so much with him as his pony, whose head
and neck may be APPLY represented by maui
and its handle. His tail is six inches long,
and standing at an angle of forty-fve degrees
with his back his hair is long and shaggy
he is cat-hammed, and his chest is so narrow
that his forelegs almost touch one another
He can bite the grass that is absolutely invisi-
BILE to human eyes, and subsist upon it. If
you should give him six ears of corn twice
day, he would be almost too fat to travel he
never stumbles give him the rein and he will
pick his path as carefully as a lady. His mas
ter is sot, and his pony will stand all night
at tippling shop, gnawing a fence rail he
almost prefers it 10 corn stalk which has
been laying out all winter, his usual food
When his master comes forth and mounts, he
studies attitude if the rider reel to the right,
the pony leans to the starboard side if to the
left, the pony tacks to suits him. If the mas
ter fall, he falls clear, having no girth to his
saddle, and the pony does not waste time in
useless meditations upon accidents that will
happen to the best of us, but moves home
ward with accelerated velocity, leaping every
obstacle in his way 10 his brush stable.
Having arrived at Blank, we hing our
horses as Virginians always do after riding
them, and entered the ground before venera-
Bile looking building, which had been COM
pletely embowelled and its contents piled in
promiscuous heaps, in various parts of the
yard. Within the great house, as it is usual
ly styled, was already assembled, around a
blazing fire, crowd of exceedingly noisv
folks all talking at once and nobody apprent-
1y listening. The names of our leading men
sounded on every side, and the Tower of Ba-
bel never witnessed greater confusion of
tongues.
The crier, the high priest of these internal
orgies, now came forward with his badge Of
Office, the jug of whiskey, and announced that
the sale would commence as soon as he could
wet his whistle, which he Immediately pro-
ceeded to do, and then began to ply his custom
ers. In very short time, the liquid fire of
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