The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1872-03-22
BIG JOHN WRITES TO BILL ARP ,
He's Lonesome His Views on the
American English War-The War
Steer-Farming- Shuks.
ARMUCHEE Low GROUNDS,
March 9Th, 1872.

all them fine speeches you and Gen'l
Black made me about farmin 7 If
you don't | do. I've tried it one
year, and | would like to know about
what time the funny part begins
How long does a man have to ex-
perience before he succeeds, and
amt it possible that an ordinary man
might run through and break down
before he got a fair start Don't
man sometimes get too old and fat
for his business before he begins it
The truth is Bill Pm afeerd I've mis-
TUX my okkupation, or else Pve To-
Gated on somebody elses land. Ar
muchee bottom won't make corn for
me. 1t turns up in slick, white,
greasy clods as big as mud turkles,
and smells as sour as a still house.
There's two thousand crawfsh holes
to the square rod, and where there
amt hole there's cowich vino or
a snake root, Old uncle Johnny
Cox says its very pekulyar sile
and has to be managed keerfulIy.-
The factis Bill I'm disappointed as a
farmer, but / amt gin up yet. l
thot that | could set on the dirt floor
of my veranda and SEQ my corn
GROWN all day long. | intended to
hav a cornshukin in the fall and
invite you all up and hav the biggest
froIic in the world. 1t actually
bothered me at night thinkin who
I'd AK and who ! wouldent, and how
I'd fix up for en-,
That corn has never com up yit.
Its gone where the cowich twineth |
and the snake root twisteth, and the |
craw-tish boreth his hole. | hired |
two fellers to crop it for me, and was
to Civ EN- ten bushels of corn a piece |
to the acre. The crop dident make |
but eight, Bill, and they took it
Old man Williamson is lettin me hav
meal and is to wait on me till next
crop. He's as clever a man as ever
took two tools of one grst. hired
a niger to sow down ten acres of
wheat for me last fall. He sorter
scratched it in and paid him ten
dollars. That wheat haint never
cum up yet, Bill, and i: is supposed
that niger sold it. You see that
was cirkus week when he sowd it
and staid in town. I've almost
lost all hope of it comm up this seas
on. Would you plant the ground in
something else or not Shokly
says chat he thinks that wheat
sprouted downwards, and will cum
up sumwhere on luther side, but
Smoky is always theorizing about
something.
Bill is there any shuks in townf
| want bale of shuks-a small bale
--one that my old war steer can
haul over the mountin. Perhaps
you can git me sum from Gen'l
Black. He's the President of the
Fair and ought to hay saved shuks.
| must have sum sort of ruffness for
my old steer and mule until grass
cums-shorely it will cum early this
spring-shorely it will. If it don't,
why Bill, Pm busted on stock, GER
tin. Is there any news of anuther
Circus cuminY Tell Grady to stir
en- up and git me free ticket. 1t
will take show once n month to
make mo tolerate farmin as an ok
kupashun. Pm coming down next
week anyhow after them shuks.-
Major Blunt had Jest as we'll hunt
em up, for l can't git em amt COM
in back here no more, and he'll hav
me to feed ashore.
What's all this ne US about anuther
warR | tell you what Bill when |
heard it | looked right at old Dob
bin and he looked right at the wagin |
like he was jest ready to be hitched
liz for immediate hite. | was pow
erfully relieved when | heard it was
fuss between John Bull and YAM
kee Doodle. That's none Of our fun
eral Bill, and ! wouldent walk 40 |
yards to see EN- eat one another up.
Yes l would --Pd like to be on top Of
Armuchee mountain and see 'em fite
till every craw fish hole was filled
with their blood, and then manure
my land with their bones. But
don't want to run any more Bill
see about them shuks as soon as pos
sble. Them yanks have got a |
hankering after me and | can't rest
till they are exterminated. But
they amt agoin to fife Old England.
No sir. They wouldent declare war
again sick sheep if they couldent
hire some furriners to do the ftin.-
John Bull is afraid of the Irish and
Uncle Sam is afraid of the Rebs, and
there's no telling what devilmsnt |
they would kick up in case of war. |
Don't forgit my shuks, Bill. The
old steer amt in good fix for anuth-
er campane. | motifs his tail looks
powerful weak. It's never recover.
ed from the old strain, but there's no
use in borrowin trouble. My heffer
strayed over the mountain on Judge
Wright's side about a month ago,
and they say one never gifts back
from the fats wood. Somebody cut
off the Judges saddle skirt last week.
/ tell Won them fat woods nopulation