The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1859-04-13

hour, and the calculating Yankee and the
moccasincd backwoodsman, the lawyer
and planter, the divine and overseer. the
law-maker and the law-breaker, meet on a
footing of perfect equality.
Conspicuous among our passengers was
q man dressed in brown Kentucky jeans,
broad -brimmed wool hat, unblacked bro
gans and a course home made cotton
shirt. His countenance was sun burnt
and harsh featured, but in it there twin
ked pair of jet black eyes, which in
themselves was sufficient Indication that
that their owner was not to be trifed
with. He stood six feet in his stockings,
as straight as an arrow, and altogether
was as fine specimen Of the "half horse
and half alligator" genius as I ever saw.
Upon fine small plantation on the bank
of the river, with the help of a dozer mig
gers, he had raised scrap of corn, built
two "broaJ horns, LOADED, and committed
himself to the current. Arriving in New
Orleans, he had disposed of his corn and
fat boats, and was returning home, his
pockets dancing to the tune of four thous-
and dollars, which he took no pains to
conceal. ,.
A well dressed, smooth faced, finger
ringed individual, who answered to the
name of Bradley, had evidently taken
quite fancy to Kentuck, 1--WE knew no
other name for him, and wanted none,)
which we could easily see was not
reciprocated, but was nevertheless per
sisted in with commendable persever-
ance.
On the sixth or seventh afternoon out
most of the passengers were sitting upon
the boiler deck smoking their cigars and
enjoying beautiful sunset, when Ken
tuck, evidently little tight with his
after dinner potatioEs, and ripe for fun,
came and seated himself in our midst
Our smoothed tongued friend placed
himself by his side, and made remark
rather fdisparaging to Kentucky intelli.
gence. Kentuck walked instantly.
"Look yer, stranger! Eff you !et
three words out of your trap agin Ken.
tuck, you and I'll have skrimmage i'm
mediately, il not sooner. I'kin hug like
a bar, and I'm screamer, no mistake
I've lived in Kentuck, man and boy, fol
nigh onto forty years, and 1 never got
nothing thar but mighty good usage
and 1 won't see her abuscd-ef do
choke me with my next dodger."
Bradley backed down instanter.
"Have you always lived in tina
State?" asked one who was amused a
his earnestness.
mo stree! and I reckon I missed i
a heap when went and squatted in In
danny, down the Ohio, and the varmin
got sort scace rowin away clarin, an
my old woman had been up about Vim
cennes, and nothing would conceit th
old lady but we must pay 'em visi
anyhow. So sold my clarin, packe
up my plunder, and mizzled. But ha
mt been there morn week afore I see
the jump. Every one of 'em had tn
milk sick. Why, the squatters shook S
hard that they had to nail the kiver o
the bedstid at night to keep it from falle
of, and stake an ridered fence wouldn
stand MORN year. For the matter Of
fortnight I shuck to pieces every nigh
and it took Two hours to find my arm
. and legs every mornin. I jist couldn
stand it; so I took the back trs
bought my old place, and you'd bett
believe felt mighty peert to see my O
: friends agin."
i"Your neighbors were, nc doubt,
'' qually glad to see your"
ao "Well, hain't got right sma
chance of neighbors, SEEM the neighbo
live eight miles off. mean the boats
Lord bless ye, / know the cough of eve
one of 'em on the oiG Mississip, as W,
e as do the trail of bar"
n "Did't you find the soil as fertile as "
/ expected in Indiana?" %
:, ,n"Fertyle? Sile fertyle? No, I pc
$, ceive, stranger, you never lived in o
n Kentuck, or you wouldn't ak sich po'
g erful silly question. Them cussed Ho
IS siers can't crop morn't sixty bushels
y the acre no how, and small as l am
> could reach every yer with box to star
b on. 2Fertyls? Why, I can crop OF
e hundred bushels to the acre and ride
p boss in the patch to pick it. I tell "
= what it is, old Kentuck's rich; the m
= in it is rich, but the sile is heap rich
l. than both together You've heard t.
of big Porter, the Kentuck giant. We
n be was raised in our parts. We'll he G
g thrown from his bay gelding in to Buff
: 10 bayou, jest my clearing t
Of eritter SO bad he lay thar all night
s. Next morning he growed two feet. Fax
q. was known to it !"
r, DIVE heard that the soil was not on
of as rich, but that game, particularly wi
% fowl, were more plenty on the prairies
e, Illinois and q Indiana than in Re
IS lucky" l93 h'i" '''+l' SO ~ -
l. ~ amt qualified to that" said Re
s. tuck, "but they shake SO oncomfortat
e with the ager, and get SO id poor tn
"a amt no account. The ager is some va
le tue sometimes, though. Thar was pi
geen roost up thar in the Hoosier Sta