Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-06-04

In the early settlement Of Arkanaas, trav.
eler, after riding come eight or ten miles with.
out meeting human being, or seeing hu-
man habitatiOn, came at length, by sudden
turn Of the wOOd.road, to miserable " shan.
ty," In the centre Of small clearing, In what
had originally been +" Black Jack thicket,"
whence the only sound that proceeds Is the
disc0rdant music Of broken. winded fiddle,
from the troubled bowels Of which the 0ccu.
pant IL labOriOusly extorting the monotonous
tune kown as TAs ArkGns0s or RGcksnsack
1rGreLsr." Our Traveller rides up within
few feet Of the door, which was once the bed
frame Of . caFt.bOdy, now covered with bear
skins, and hung upon two big wooden hinges.
After much shouting, the inmate appears, I'D.
die in hand, and wrathy" at beng Interrupt.
ed in the exercise Of his art. The following
coloquy ensues, the indefatigable fiddler still
playing the first strain Of :" The Ark0ns0s
zr0rslsr," which in fact he continues, at sud.
den intervals, until the dialogue, % will be
seen, Is brought to An unexpected conclusion.
II this be not seeking lodgings under din.
culties, VIC should like to know what might
be legitimately so considered -
Traveller" Friend, can obtain accommO.
datiOns for the night with your"
Arkansaw Artist-"No, Sir-'nary COM
modation."
Traveler-"My dear Sir, have already
Travelled thirty miles to-day, and neither my.
self nor my horse has had mouthful to eat
sOhy can't you accommodate me for tonight"
Ark. Artist-"Just cause it can't Be did
We're plum out Of everything to eat in the
house. Bills gone to mill with the last nub.
bin Of corn on these premises, and n be nigh
onto the shank OF tomorrow evenin' afore be
cum home, unless sumthin uncommon hap.
pens"
Traveler-"Y You surely have something that
can feed to my horse; even few potatoes
would be better than no food"
Ark. Artist" Stranger, our eatin' roots
gin out about week ago; 30 your chance is
Traveller" But my friend, must remain
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
roofp"
Ark, Artist-"1t can't be did. old hoss-
You see, we've got oniHGE.c dried hide on the
premises, and me and the ole woman aIlus Oc-
cupies that i: 80 sOAGr's your chanceP"
Traveller" Allow me to hitch my horse to
that persimmon-tree, and with my saddle and
blanket Ill make bed 10 the fence. corner"
Ark. Artist" Hitch your horse to that
'simmOn treei-'in hOrnr Why, you must
be natral fool stranger Don't you sec that's
me and the ole wOman's only chance for sim.
mOn.beeT, In the tall Of the yearf IL your
boss ia 60 tarnal hungry as you say be is, he'd
girdle Il a. high up 90 he could reach, afore
mOrnin'. Hitch your boss 70 that treel |
spect not; no, no, stranger, you can't come
nary sich doge as that |"
Our traveller, seeing that he had an original
E0 deal with, sEd being himself an amateur
performer upon the instrument to which the
settler was 30 srdently attached, thought he
would change his tactics, and draw his deter
mined n0t-tO.be host" out little, before in
forming him Of the fact that he too could play
the ArkORsas 1rGCslsr ;" which once being
known, he rightly coWectured, would be .
passport to his better graces.
Traveler-"Well, friend, il can't stay, how
far Is It to the next house :"
Ark. Artist" Ten miles and you'll think
there mighty long ones, too, afore you get
thar. I came nigh onto forgettin' to tell you,
the big creekris up; the bridge Ia carried of (;
there's nary yearthly chance to ford It; and
IL yer bound to cross Il, yerll have to 70 about
seven miles up the stream, to ole Dave LOdy' 3
puncheon.bridge, through one Of the biggest
bamboo swainps ever yOW see. IreckoM the
bridge is staNdin' yet-'twas yesterday morn
in though one eend had started down stream
about fifteen feet, or sich matter"
Traveller" Friend, you seem cOmmunica-
tive; and II it's no offence, I'd like to know
what you do for livingH"
Ark. Artist-"N0 offence on yesrth. strsn-
ger; we just keep grocery"
Taveler-"A grocery! Where In the name
Of ell that Is mercantile do your customers
come frome Your nearest neighbor is ten
miles distantl"
Ark. Artist-"The fact Is, me and the ole
woman is the best customers yst; but We
spect these diggins will improve, and in course
business will improve too. How-s'ever We do
sutkin roc, even. Ne and the ole woman
took the cart t'other day, and went TO town /:
We bort barrel Of whiskey; and arter we
come home and gin to count the balance on
hand, we found thar want butiust one solitary
Picayuns lefl, and ss the ole woman allus car.
ries the Pws. In course she had It Well, I
cot the barl agin one aide Of the room. aud
shortly aEteF. the ole woman ses: 'Gupnosin'
yOu tap your end Of the bar1,' and did: and
she bought drink, and paid me the picca.
yune. Pretty soon, began to get dry, and
saysI: 'Ole woman, spOzen' you tan your
end Of che barlF-and she did; and then she
sells me drink and the way that picCayune
has travelled back'ards and fOr'ar6s over the
bung Of that bari. is q caution to them az love
red eye. But stranger, losses is apt to come
with every business; and me and the ole wo.
man has lost some IL the grocery line and