Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1856-05-24
MISCELLANY.
AN ARKANSAS INCIDENT.

(From Bre~eflon's Book on kanzas.l
There is moral courage which acknowl-
edges no position, SO bad, that cool head and
firm hear, canno, find an honorable road to an
exiriealion, or at least, pon, out course which
il persisted in, will in nine cases out of ten,
cove the bully, and enable It's posessor 10 come
off conqueror.
We shall begin therefore with an occurrence,
the scene Of which, we are pleased to say--fnr
it gives US an immense amount Of latitude in
lis narration-is laid in the once almost un-
civilized territory Of Arkansas. and when we
say Arkansas, we mean the Arkansas Of the
long past, as il used 10 he in those good old
times,' Ito quote frum thorough bred frontier
men,) of pistol and howie-knfe sovereignty
when every man carried his own life, and not
unlreqnenily the lives Of few Of his neigh
boIs, in his coat back or breast pocket, and the
Regulators had funny way of hanging an un-
popular individual first, and then trying him
efierrdyds.
Ii was therefore during the existence Of this
highly commendable state Of things that GER
tain young officer Of the Amy, who had re-
Gently jnined his regiment, and whnm we shall,
therefore, for convenience sake. call Lieutenant
Newcome, arrived at The close of a very IA.
tieuing day travel in the spring, when, as the
reader may know. an Arkansas bot,amed road
is happy compound of corduroy and hog
wallnw, at a lug cabin holel or to call il by
its more appropriate appelaion 'dogeery,' in a
certain little town which shall he nameless.
Now it so happened at the lime Of our young
Lieutenant visil-for the 'dpPgsry was Hob
sons choice, there being no oiher place within
twelve or fifteen miles, which could furnish
horse feed and sheller-ihat this tavern Of bad
repute was favored by the presence Of some
half dozen border men, who. 10 do them jus.
lice. could hardly have been improved upon in
their very peculiar way. And as one at least
Of these worhies will play prominent part 10
the characteristic incident which we are about
TO relate, We may as well sketch him as fair
sample of the lot.
Mr.. Jake Cbowler was an accomplished, hul
wiihal, somew hal eccentric rascal. lie could
cheat his companion at a friendly game of pok'
er,' and shoot hin afterwards, if he had the
audaciiy 10 object TO the procedure with as lit'
lie remorse as he would have brought down a
painter or drawn head upon bear In
person he was tall, lank, fever-and-aeue-shak
en- specimen Of humanity, with unkempi, towy
hair, and amosi prodigious heard, which looked
as if il might have been permitted to grow
from The date Of It's first appearance; he had
moreover, keen eyes, deeply sunked, and al
restless as an Indians; and sharply cut fea
lures, low, receding forehead, and sensua
month. and you will have portrait Of one o
tie worst men who ever made laws TO suit him
self upon the Arkansas frontier, rr..
. As for his dress, il you be curious in ex
lernals, imagine coon skin cap worn nearl,
upon the back Of the head, a loose tobacc
stained oyercoa,, much The worse for wear, il
in whose side pocket The butt of a horse pisio
was distinctly visible, pair-of mud sole'
pants with riding feathers, and buffalo over
shoes, and you have completed an inventory Q
garments which argued quite as untaEorabll
for their wearsr - did she reckless, dissirais