The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1859-08-10
Spelling for a Fight,

know how to pass away the time They wish 10
hear our champion orators on the stump; they
wish to show our opponents how badly we could
beat them ifthey would only put up their nous
nees.
We ADVISE them TO be just rs active and lust q,
industrious as if there was an opposition ticket Of
the strongest kind. Let those who are disposed
to fishtready and able to fght, but who have no.
body to light with, initiate the Georgia boy who---
but we will give the story in full as related By the in.
imitable author of $ Georgia Scenes:
Hmy memory fail me not, the 10th Of Juuc, 1902
found me, at about IL o'clock in the forenoon.
ascending, long and gentle slope in what was
called 1.-THE Dark Corner" of Lincoln. believe
ittook its name from the moral darkness which
am speaking. lin this point of view it was but
shade darker tnan the rest Of the county. itkwas
inconceivably dark. Ifany man can name trick
or sin which had not been committed at the time
OF which lam speaking, in the very focus of all the
county IS illumination Hincolnton), he must himself
be the most inventive of the tricky, and the yerv
Judas sinners. Since that time, however (alt
Ihoaohr aside), Lincoln has become living proof
that light shineth in darkness" Could venture
to mingle the solemen with the ludcrous. even for
the purposes of honorable contrast could adj.
dnce from this county instances of the most M.
merous and wonderful transitions, from vice and
Jolly to virtue and holiness, which have ever. pcr.
maps, been witnessed since the days of the apostolic
ministry, So much, lest it should be thought he
some that what / ain about to relate is character.
lstic OF the county in which It occurred.
Whatever may be said Of the moral condition Of
the Dark Corner at the time just mentioned, its
natural condition was anything but dark Itsmiled
in all the charms Of spring and spring borrowed
new charm from its undulating grounds, its luxu-
rant woodlands, its sportive streams, its vocal
birds, and its blushing flowers
Rapt with the enchantment of the season and the
scenery around me, was slowly rising the slope.
when was startled by loud, profane, and bolster
Gus voices, which seemed to proceed from thick
covert of underground a.out two hundred ward.
in the advance ofme, andabout one hundred to the
right of my road.
"You kin, kin your"
Yes, kin, and am able to do it. Boooo-ook
Oh, wake snakes, and walk your chslksr Rrim-
stone and - fire! Don't hold me, Nick S.oval!
The fights made up, and let's 90 at it. - my
soul if don't Jump down his throat, and gallop
every chittening out Of him before you can say
quitv"r
Now, Nick, don't hold him! Jist let the Wild
cat come, and I'll tare him. Ned'll see me fair.
fight; won't you Ned?"
n "oh yes; III Sc you far fight, blast my Old
shoes if don't"
That's sufficient, as Tom Haynes said when hs
saw the elephant. Now let him come" a
Thus they went on, with countless oathc inter-
spersed which dare not even hint at, and With
much that could not distinctly hear
In Mercy's name! thought ], what band Of ruff.
fans has selected this holy season and this heavenly
retreat for such Pandamonian riots LauickeneA
my gait. and had come nearly opposite to the
thick grove whence the noise proceeded, when my
eye caught indistinctly, and at intervals through
the foliage Of the dwarf.oaks and hickories which.
interviewed, glimpses o. a man or men, who seemed
to be in violent struggle; and could occasionally
catch those deep-drawn, emphatic oaths which men
in conflict utter when they dealblows, dismoun-
ted, and hurried to the spot with all speed had
overcome about half the space which separated i.
from me, when saw the combatants come To the.
ground, and, after short struggle, saw the upper.
most one flor could not see the other) make 4
heavy plunge with both his thumbs and at tho
same instant heard cry in the accent Of kceness
torture, Enough! My eyes out!"
Twas so completely horrorstruck, that stood
transfxed for moment to the spot, where the cry
met me. Tie mplicesiu the hellish deed which
had been perpetrated had all f'ed at my approach;
at lest supposed SO, for they were not to be seen
" Now, blast your concentrating soul" said tie
victor "a youth about eighteen years old) as he
rose fresn the ground, "come cutn your shines
bout me agin, next time come to the Courthouse,
will you! Get your owl eye in agin if you can!"
At this momeD. he saw me for the first time.
ne lO0kcu excessively EMBARRASSED, ana was mo-
wing off, when called to him, in tone inhsldened
by the sacredness Of my Office and the iniquity Of
his crime, "Come back, you brute and assist ME
in relieving yonr fellow-moral whom you have
ruined for exer!'
Ny rudeness subduel his embarrassment in an ill.,.
slant; and with taunting curl Of the nose, here.
piled, You needn't kick before you're spurr'd-
There ant nobody there, nor ha'nt been mother. |
was just SEEM hew / could "a fout." So SAYING.
be bounded to his plough, which stood in the cor.
ner Of the fence about fifty yards beyond the hattie
ground
And would you believe it, gentle reader! his re-
port was true. All that | had seen WAS moths
ing more nor less than Lincoln rehearsal; in
| which the youth who had just left me had played
all the parts Of all the characters in Cou fhouse
fight.
| went to the ground from which he had rsens
and there the prints OF his two. thumbs, plum
ged up to the balls in the mellow earth, about the
distance Of a mans eyes apart /; and the ground
around was broken up as If two s,ags had been en-.
raged npon Il.