The Van Buren press., 1867-11-22
The Van Buren, Press.
VAN BUREN,, ARKANSAS.
For the Van. Bare. Press.
NEW RIP VAN WINKLE
Story Of vanny Buren and Fortee Smith.

Story Of vanny Buren and Fortee Smith.
Vanny Buren determining to settle in
a new country, located on beautiful spot
at the foot of some hills where they come
to the classic banks of Arkansas silver
stream here said he the mountain shall
shelter me from the northern wind, and
the fertile bottoms shall pour their wealth
into my lap, when people come to settle
them up. But people, like money, as yet
were scarce, so Vanny sold his calicos
and groceries for beef and deer hides, and
his whisky for coon skins And when
the river rose once a year, as it did in
those good old times he sent his hides
and peltries to his wholesale merchant
and received more calico and whisky and
so he prospered.
In the meantime Fortee Smith had
found resting place on the sylvan banks
Of the same stream about ten miles above,
by the way the crow flies, (if the crow
flies with! the stream, on the opposite
bank. Fortee was sharp, bustling little
fellow, fond of good whisky and watch
ing kcenly. the corners of trade; so
when the great governor at Washington
wanted to build stone wall around a lot
of ground to correll milch-cow in, to
keep the Indians from running them off.
when whisky gave out, and also houses
for soldiers to take care of the laws, keep
off Indians and spend their money for
the benefit of people in general vanny
and Fortee were both anxious to have
the pen build near their place, and both
laid their claims before the great COVER
nor, who rather liked Vanny's place the
best, but not his price Fortee saw his
chance was slim in fair fight, so he
thought he would try little chinanigin,
(you all know what that means so max
ing great professions of friendship for
Vanny and telling him he priced fair play
and honesty in trade above all things, he
secretly held out inducements to kind Un-
Gle Sam to built at his rancho and so he
oyerreached his honest friend Vanny, who
now lost all confidence in Fortee's integ-
rity and determined to watch him in fu
ture, but consoled himself with the fac,
that honesty is the best policy aa.
Fortee prospered by his shrewdness,
he got all the soldiers money and con.
siderable from the Indians but one thing
grieved him to his heart, his county did
not produce chickens, butter, onions, ap
pies and sweet potatoes, like that Of Van
ny who reveled in these luxures and had
the satisfaction of selling his surplus to
Fortee and his neighbors. Fortee tried
many ways to overcome this difficulty,
but found the more he prospered, the
more he had to buy from Vanny, who al
so had little the most money, which
made Fortee still more jealous. Both
prospered however until the great civil
war begun, when there seemed to be no
end to the riches Of both parties in Con-
federate money. The great governor at
Richmond furnished them with large bills,
while they made their small ones to any
amount which some old foggies said was
the easiest way to make money they ever
seed. But all things must end, so Con.
federate money was driven out with Con
federate troops and Messrs. Greenback
and Cotton became the ruling spirits with
both Vanny and Fortee, the latter of
whom now felt the advantage Of having
the pen and soldiers houses, for all the
men who handled most fthe money came
to him, who between cotton gathering
and Indian contracts made Fortee much
money. Vanny was not so fortunate, his
horses, mules, cows, calves and steers
wended their way in beautiful lines north
ward to their Paradise Kansas, and Van
ny never saw them more. Also his fine
beef cattle found their way into the Com.
missaries pen and were eaten by hungry
soldiers, but he never saw voucher or
greenback for his beautiful beef, Also
his fields of corn were devoured by hun
cry cavalry horses, for which his children
received but little pay, and much abuse
ifthey complained. The troubles how
ever brought all the people from the sur.
rounding country to Vanny's rancho for
protection and the soldiers spent their
money freely and rs whisky and calico
were very high, he still made some money,
although he had no chickens or sausages
to SELL But the war ended and smiling
peace spread her healing wings over a
torn and bleeding country, and many OF
vanny's wandering children returned and
gladencd the heart Of the little Patriach,
who now after the trials and suffenngs OF
the war began to desire rest, so after re-
pairing his houses and streets be fell into