Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1859-04-19
THE ARKANSAS TRAVELLER.

L lI1E AhAhNDAD lnhN LILIl'
In the early settlement OF Arkansas, q
traveller, after riding some eight or ten
miles without meeting human being, or
seeing human habitation, came at length,
by sudden turn out of the wood road, to
a miserable "shanty," the centre ola small
clearing, in what had originally been a
"Black-iack thicket," whence the only
sound that proceeds is the discordant mu-
sic of broken winded fiddle, from the
troubled bowels of which the occupant is
laboriously extorting the monotonous tune
known as "IHe arkansas, or RackeRSdck
Trdveler." Our traveller rides up within
tRfewAeet of the door, which WAS once the
bed frame Of cart Body, now covered with
bear skins, and hung upon two big wooden
hinges. After much shouting, the inmate
appears, fiddle in hand, and evidently
wrathy at being interrupted in the exercise
of his art. The following colloquy ensues,
the indefatigable fiddler still playing the
first strain of "Ihe ArkaHS0S Iraveler, -
which fact he continues, at sudden inter
walls, until the dialogue, as will be seen, is
brought to an unexpected conclusion. Ii
this be not 'seeking lodgings under diff
culties," we should like 10 know what
might be legilimately SO considered.
Traveller: "Friend, can L obtain ac-
comnnodations for the night with you?'
Arkansaw "Artist;" "No, Sir--'nary
| 'commodation.'
Tlavelel: "My dear Sir, have already
travelled thirty miles to-day, and neither
myself nor my horse have had a mouthlul
to eat; aohy can't you accommodate me Tor
to-night?"
| Ark. "Artist:" "Just case ii cant be did,
| We're plum out Of everything to cat in the
house: Bills gone to mill with The last
nubbin of corn on these premises, and II
be nigh onto the shank of tomorrow even
in afore he cum home, unless sumthin
uncommon happens"
Traveller: "You surely have Somethin9
that can feed to my horse; even few
potatoes would be better than no food"
Ark. "Artist:" Stranger, our eatIn'-
roots gin out about a week ago; so youl
chance is slim Mar."
Traveller: "But, my friend, / mast re.
main with you, any way. | can't go any
further, whether | obtain anything to eat
or not. You certainly will allow me the
shelter of your roof.
Ark. artist" at can't be did, old
hoss. You see, we've got only one driec
hide on the premises, and me and the ole
woman allus occupies Mat; SO whatS YOU
chance?'
Traveller: ".Allow me to hitch my horst
to that persimmon tree, and with my sad
die and blanket III make bed in the
fence corner"
Ark. "Artist:" "Hi,ch your hoss tC
that 'simmon tree?-in a horn! Why
YOU must be a ma. raj fool, stranger!-
Don't you see that's me and the ole wo
mans only chance for 'simmon beer, II
the fall of the year? If your hoss is SC
tarnaI hungry, as you say he is, he'd CIR
die it as high up as he could reach, atort
mornn'. Hitch your hoss to that tree
l 'spect not: no, no, stranger, you can
come mary sich dodge as that!'
Our traveller, seeing that he had al
original to deal with, and being himsel
an amateur performer upon the instrument
to which the settler was SO ardenLly at
tached, thought he would change hi;
tactics, and draw his determined not
to-be '.host' out little before informing
him of the fact, that he too could play th'
"Arkansas Traveller" which once being
known, he rightly conjectured, would be
a passport to his better graces.
Traveller: "Well, friend, if can't stay
how far is it to The next house?'
Ark. "Artist:" Fen miles, and you'll
think they re mighty long ones, too, ator
Won oct thar. | come nigh onto forgettin
to tell you the big creek is up; the bridge
carried off; there's nary yearthy chanc
to ford it; and if yer bound to cross 1t
, yer'll have to 90 about seven miles up TIN
stream to ole Dave Lody's puncheo
bridge, through one of the biggest hambo
swamps ever you see. reckon ID
bridge is stardin' yet-'twas yesterda
mornin', though one eend was dow
stream about fifteen feet or such matter.
Traveller: "Friend, you seem commu
5 nicative; and if it's no offense, Ia like
: know what you do for living?"
, Ark. artist" mo Ofense on yeartf
, we just keep grocery" =,
, Traveller: "a grocery! Where IN tn
name of all that is mercantile do your Gus
, toners come from? Your nearest neigl
Dor is ten miles Distant"
Ark. artist" "The fact Is, me an
t the ole woman is the best customers ye
but we spect these diggings will improve
:. and in course business will improve too
, lIows'ever, we do suthin now, even. N
d and the ole woman took the cart tothC
day, and went to town; we bort barr
of whiskey; AMI arter we come home an
q gin to count the balance on ham,
n found thar want but just one solitary pici
vune left. and the ole woman allus carrie
). the yuss, in course she had it. Well,
r sot the bar'l agin one side of the room, an
:, shortly arter, the ole woman sez: "SuI
t, posin' you tap your end of the bar'l, an
e / did; and she boughta a drink, and pa
II me a picayune.
Z Pretiv soon. bepun 70 get dry, and 81