Arkansas true Democrat., 1857-07-07
From Porter's Spirit of the Times.

0oiu!h to slZe, than "alry nuther'' precinct around.
 You need not look on the map for Sinkum, It amt thar" The only mention made of it, you will md Tn the note book of that celebrat- ed gad about Madam Pferffer, who has been around the world several times, or more. She does It up with this single comment: "durn the place." which forcbe expression clearly de- 1 fines her position among the profane writers The productions of Snkum are pine. knots 'possum hunts, and some punkins;n chief amusements are barbacues, frolics. free frhts. 1 and any quantity of mean whisky
 one holds the balance of power in the coun. Vy elections, and always casts her vote for the ! party who dances the best ieels stands the big 9es' ueat and carries the most "rot-g gut' with out staggering. Although part of slave State. yet slavery was abolished years since in that section, by the sheriff, who sold out the last darkey in that whole "kedntryo Snkum has Its hero and 'Lige Simmons is the lucky man. II there Is to be eamp-meeting, quilting or 1 spree of any kind 'Lige Simmons must be con- suited He is the champion, oracle and bell weather of Sinkum; and as he goes the rest follow unanimouSy y--men, women and chil- dren. Whether it is frolic or fight, 'Lge was counted fn
 'Llge stands six feet two outside of his boots, with the shoulders of Sampson and knuck les than can beat a sledge hammer. His fin- gers close down with the clamp of vice, and a r-hug' Is fun compared with the under hold ill a tusSle.
 He ain't beauty to look at that's fact: he's the fvorite of all the women; for with them pluck and patronage will tell
 remember well the first time ever heard of 'Lige Simmons.
 One cold and clustering day in December few years since, several of us were seated around a roaring stove, in the reception- room ot the Louisville Hotel. Whether caused by | the senlal warmth of the stove, or the barmar's superb "smashes" we had grown exceedingly | communicative; and although strangers, very | soon each one knew the others name, business and habitation. In the crowd was a powerful man, his face tanned by exposure, and marke with many scars. He gave his name as " Full. ton, of Bar Grass" and "he had run the river from Orleens to Louville, for the last thirty years--was equally at home on a steamer, a raft, or broad horn, and knew every bar and bend on the Mississip', as well as he knew the streets of the city"
 When Fulton heard me say that was from Mudville, he eXclaimed: Well, stranger, de- clar' you're mighty peaceahle lookin' feller 1 to hall from such place as Mudville. Let me
 
 that me and Ben Horton wur runnin' the Lit tie Pike, a flat, loaden with proiude, and trad l eil' along the cost. One night when the fog wur as thick as the fur on a cats back. we drift | ed purty close to d house, where they Wor tid- dih', dancin,' and driukn like fury. After | Hoatlu' along about an hour, We passed another | house. where they were froIickin' like the devil | and alter while we passed another; and so on, l every hour or so, we would pass house where they seemed to be carrying on in high stve-- ! And what seemed the curio,iseot thing. in every house they had ui55ar teller always plavin the same chute. At last, says Ben to me "ainr these the beatenest folks along here on this l coast for irollckin' you ever saw; I just wish was ashore T little while, to give lem a Ken | lucky touch" And then Ben begun daucin' away on the top of the fiat; for teH you. stran- ger next to a showy horse. iddles the thing 1 to reach kentuck's fine feelings.
 "Well when We found ourselves next morn l in, I'll just be dod busted if we hadn't been travelin' round through the fog. in one biz eddy all night; and, you see, all them houses where they had been frolIickin' was the same house, that we would pass by once and while l teN 1 you, me and Ben were mad enough; but as there wur small town close by, we concluded | to run ashore and try the chances for tradin' uat as we tied up and showed out plank down comes parcel of fellers to inspect us Among lem wur one tremendous big feler; and l saw, from the signs hung out that he had been on d bust all night
 Whoopee!" he hollered, jumped up and cracking his heels together, there's Lige Sim mons, all the way from Sukum; just bring out your wildcats, gentleDen, if you want 'em chawed up. I'm a smashing tornado in tus- sIe, with the scream of steam engine, the grip of e-grizzly and the hoss- power of four 1 bler boat. Whar'S the man can stand before me?"
 "i know'd it wur challenge, and teH you 1t riied me considerable.
 Think, 1 to myself, we'll try vour grit be- fore we leave this place. After d while, goes up in town, leavn Ben in charge of the boat; and after cruisn around little sees kinder piseon-hple cut in the side of a house, .4nl ever the whole, n big wrtin', Blind tiger, ten cents s5ht.' l walks strait up and peepin' in, sees feller staudin' inside, stirrin' somethin' with stick 1 immcjjately recognized familiar lader mehajafy smell about the place. Hello turre, you mister Snowman,' says 1 to the fel- | s.' -.i', heres your ten cents walk out your \" "'- Stranger. instead of showil' me wild Nnlnt without eyes, I'll be dod busted f h. aldu't shove out a glass of whisky. You
 -, U blind tiger was all arrangement to .,aae he law, which won't let lem sell ticker Jac except by the gallon. ltis useless to say that my visits were numerous to that animal what couldn't see. After while happened along where 'Lige Simmons had been tellr' 1 some long yarn or other to the crowd around nim. felt the tiger wor<n on me; and when Llge finished his yarn, says 10 him. tamlliar-hhe, Lige, has you got the papers fol that" tell you, had said just enough, and it wur no to add another word' looked at 'Ldge, and saw the tiger plain in both eyes, as he said to me, Shuck yourself' We wurn't long in sheddn' our superhuous kiverin.' and lat it we went. Nip and tuck, up and down, rough and tumble we had 1t; bitiu', scratchn and gouSu l tell you; 1t were an awful scrimmage, and we both font beautiful But 1t wurnt no use and 1 might as well acknow- l ledge the corn.
 "'Lge Simmons wur the best man, and when he got to golu' into my stumck with his meat mauers, had to plate out. an Ben wurn't i long in Shovin' off the Little Pike from that port, and I've never landed there snce "Yes, stranger, Mudvile is what 1 call a snortin' place, with the biggest eddy and the meanest whisky l ever run inter; and 'Lige Simmons is the fghtenest feller I ever met which is sayin' durned sight"
 (EFThe following beautiful sonnet was writ ten some years ago, but in has lost none of its beauty and pathos by the lapse of time:
 Farewell to the Last Night of June. BY MARY l.. HERNDoN.
 Farewell to the suns rays that fade the mountains
 And the light gale that fans me this mild after noon;
 Farewell to my moss that's dropping and fad ing
 Farewell! soft delectabc evening of Junel Adieu, to the gossamcr mist OCT the valley!
 And the sparks from the tire-fys wings of galloon: Aditu. to the meteor that streaks the blue ether. Adieu tranquil eyening soft twilight of June! Good bye! seems to sound from the green sylvan for est,
 And the mystical strains of the wizards bassoon; l Adieu. yon pale, svry aerial halo. l Yeve gilded the last dying evening of Junel