The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-06-27
a VIRGINIA BAR" STORY.

porte trayOn,' In thc July llurpcrS, con
tinues his inimitablc sketches of Virgini
life and scenery, under the guise of a randi
among the mountains with a gay party O
pleasure seekers At the end of IA days ram
bic the party halt at the Winston Tavern, OF
. the Winchester and Parkcrsburg Turnpike
The narrative proceeds:
During the afternoon our company wa
swclled by the addition Of sundry teamster
and drovers, habitues Of the road, and sever
al mountaincers who struggled in to pick uT
items of information from the great world
outside, to chatter about cattle, and incident
ally to mix Il little narcotic stmulant will
their news rs dIgcscr. Among these We
remarked "A tall athletic black bearded fel
low, whose eye twinkled with Il certain say
age righteousness, and whose staggering so
ciability shamed all ceremony. Approach.
ing our party, he salutcd with the grace of a
man who has had bear for his dancing
master, and opened conversation in the lingo
of the mountains, mixed, jumblcd and intla.
ted with words and phrases which indicated
some remote acquaintance with books or cd.
ucated society. Seeing that we were dispos
ed to be amused with his eccentric guest, the
landlord joined u.s. and suggested that Mr.
Rowzey should entertain us with his great
bear story.
"Well, now, Best you know I've fit and
Killed so many bar in my time that your re
quest appears Ondetnite."
Mr.. Best partlcularized, "Of that bout you
had with the bears who stole your honey
"Now, Best" quoth Rowzey, in dcprecat
ing tone, II wouldn't mind a-tellin' of tina
story to you or any OF these mountain mel
about here, bekasc you know hits ever,
word the truth; but these gentlemen are en-
tire strangers to me, as most likely they ar
10 bar.huntin', and they mought think som
pints of that story rather strong tor their civ
illzed stomachs, and bein' person motor
Gus for my character and judicious of my in
tegrty, and respectfully connected down il
the old State, shouldn't risk to have my wOr,
misdoubted, specially among gentlemen sicl
as these appears to be-"
The ma or here assured the speaker tina
we were ready to pledge ourselves in advanc
to believe every word he said and as tn
weather was sultry, he requested Mr.. Bes, t
serve large pitcher of mintjulep.
"Them remarks" said Rowzcy, "show
that you understand business and are list tn,
gentlemen | took you for"
After preliminary drink and some word,
compliments to the liquor, the historian seat
cd himself and began his story:
~ bar Is looked upon by the onexpcrcnc
ed as a mighty turrlble BEAST and so he Is
specially II he happens to be an old she. The
bar is also main cute cretur, and can tell
by mans countenance whether he's good to
,eat or not Now as for you, Sir''--touching
his hat to the major--"a sensible bar would
most likely walk around you and trot off;
but this here acknowledging his hand on
Cockney's shouldcr-"hc'd make comfcrta.
bic meal of al frs, sight"
The audience laughed, and Rowzey took
another drink.
~ ban" he continued, IL an animal to be
respected end initiated. lie seldom goes out
OF his way to injrre any body. but he don't
stand much toolir' if any body undertakes TO
NEEDLE with him He remembers a good
turn longer han most men do, and if he has
a weakness for honey, I've never knowcd
him, of his own accord to mix il with anv
thing deleterious. so much for the prlrci.
pal charator in my story, and must follow
with short sketch OF myself before 1 come
TO the main pint. Not far from where I was
horned there lived an old woman that was bc
lieved TO be witch. Now whenever a baby
was borned she could tell at first sight villa,
he or she wac likely to be good for in the
world. When she zee my Oldest brother
loOkin so cute out Of his eyes and holdin
his little fists so tight, she condemned him to
DC lawyer. And so it was. He turned out
TO be one Of the biggest rascals in Southwest
ern Virginia The second boy my mother
fetched was prophesied for famous poli,i.
clan, and he growed still worse than law.
yer If so be SIGH thing is possible. Now
when the old woman was called on TO look a,
me, she sot for a long time in kind of a
brown-study. Al last she spoke up. This
boy says she, mas got the gifts that might
set him ahead Of either Of his brothers, but
1t would be shame 10 bring up sich stout
and open-handed baby 70 any Of them weak.
ly, sneaking businesses
Daddy took the thing TO heart, and bein'
fat.ered with her representation concernin'
ofme, concluded to do full justice to my facul.
ties and bring me up as bar-hunter; and 80
christened me Rowzey. after old Leather Bill
Atkins big bar dog. This dog aforesaid was
SO turrible ON wild varmints that Brother
Ballard, the lawyer (who was high larnt), told
Leather Bill IL he wasn't stopped there would
be no game left in the moun,alns-nO more
than there was in the island Of Chios alter