Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-07-02

| tlon to do SO at the little town-hal where the
school was kept two months in the year, and
where political meetings of all kinds assem-
| bled.
We took up our lodgings at low, mean
hostelry, the only one in the place. save that
of the notorious COL M---n, the bully
and terror of the surrounding district and a
glorious gambler. He had gathered round
him band of desperate satellites, who recog.
| nized him as their head because he was the
or say for money he only decoyed every un.
suspecting stranger, Or every man of less skill
in games of chance than he possessed, into
his hotel, induced him to play, won his mon
ey, and then, if he complained, challenged
him to fight duel. In more than one in
stance he had killed his victim in sudden trays
and even upon the field His skill with the
knife and pistol was peerless. A quarrel with
him was popularity deemed equivalent to
death, either from his hand or that of some of
his gang Only such people as he chose to
tolerate we're permitted to reside in the mise
rab1e collection of houses which then, as now,
were dignified with the name of Napoleon.
The hostelry at which we lodged was fire.
quented by boatmen, CT men who had not mo-
ney enough to be worthy of the arch-gam-
bler's attention. Ny father took every means
in his power to keep himself from attracting
attention. He kept to his room, anxously
awaiting an opportunity to leave a place
whose very atmosphere was rank with moral
contagion, and where every moment was at
tended with physical danger. However anx-
ious he was to depart, no opportunity to do
SO occurred during Friday or Saturday.
| Sunday came, and most beautiful day it
was When We were at breakfast in the
morning there was high discussion going On.
From the conversation of the other guests we
learned that much commotion had been pro-
duced among the denizens Of the place by the
announcement Rade by our clerical friend who
had come down the river with us, that he
would preach in the town hall at ii o'clock
that norsing. Some maintained that the
Colonel would not permit him to preach !;
they averrcd that he had terrified every cler-
gy.nan who had come into the neghborhood
for years. Indeed, he had dragged more than
one of them from the pulpit years before, and
drove them from the place by ferce. Such
mortal fear had he inspired in all such as ap-
pearcd at distant periods in the neighborhood
that none stopped to proclaim " the glad It'd
ings of peace"
| Others teld strange tales of how determined
and courageous the preacher had shown him
| self away up in the Indian country uuon the
head waters of the Arkansas. He had gone
into the heart of the Indian territory whilst a
fierce border war was raging between them
and the whites and the simple story of his
Masters mission and sufferings. He had even
been tied to the stake, and was only relieved
by the authoritiVe interpositfen of the head
chief of the nation after the faggots had been
kindIed. Yet he had not quailed or shrunk
One who profcssed to know his history still
further back said he had commanded COM
pany of Tennesseeans under Gen. Jackson at
Taladega, Emucktaw and Tohopeka, and bad
assisted emnently by his skill and courage in
breaking down the power of the Creek nation.
His voice had been heard cheering on q bat
TALON of his gallant mountaineers even in the
thickest of the fight at New Orleans.
Some of the Colonels particular admirers
ieered the middle-aged boatman who made
these assertions, but he persisted in declaring
that they were true After many coarse jokes
perpetrated at his expense he gave up the
contest with the declaration that he was 60
ing to hear the sermon. All ayowed that
they were going, each assigning a different
reason for his intention.
Nv father also determined to go, and |, at
the appointed hour, went with him. On en-
tering the house we found it crammed to its
utmost capacity. Indeed, when densely
crammed, it could not contain over two hun
dred aud fifty persons. 1t was evident that
expectation was on tiptOe. Men talked in
low whispers when they addressed each other
and with those short, quick, yet heavy swell
ings aud depressions OF the chest which lndi-
cate the underflow of intense feeling Near
the passage-way, and not far from the door,
sat the Colonel His tall person was conspic-
nous among those sitting around him. Ills
broad-chcsted, deep-shouldered form, his
brawncy arms, showed the immense thew and
muscle which he possessed. His enormous
and irregularIy- shaped head surmounted by
a huge mass of shaggy, iron-gray hair, looked
as il-favored as the head of a wild Loar.-
His large, protuberant rolling black eyes pro-
duced most unfavorable impression upon the
beholder its expression, at all times sinister,
was now deviIish, from the passion with which
his frame was swelling. That eye turned
quickly toward the door at the sound OF every
foot that stepped npon the threshold
We had succeeded in obtaining seats close
by the little raised platform which was design
ed for speakers / turned to look for the
preacher, who had not yet arrived, and | no.
ticed that the Colonel, to whom all eyes were
directed, had lowered bis head, and was lean
ing forward, speaking in earnest undertones
to one of his understrappers. He became SO
much absorbed in the discussion as it progress
ed that his vigilant watch upon the toor was
for few moments relaxed. Just at this time
the tall, gaunt form of the preacher darkened
the door way, and he strobe with long steps
up the aisle. He had passed the seat OF the
gambler, reached the platform and ascended it
drew off his coat and took ont his pocket BIZ
ble ere the latter had elevated bis head.