The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-03-19
,soUIRE sKAGGs. OF GWINNETT.

SQUIRE sKAGGs. OF GWNNETT.
Inc Business that Brought Him to Savannah
The ascent to the bland atmosphere of the
editorial rooms of the Morning Neacs is some
what tortuous and complicated, and it requires
all the sagacity of the agile young villain who
edits our waste baskets to safely convey the
casual visitor up the pezilous sleeps. Occa
sionally, however, there is to be found self
reliant caller who scorns to be ushered into the
editorial presence, and this was the case with
the old gentleman who dropped in upon u:
yesterday morning.
We were engaged in writing a caustic and
damaging reply TO an article in the Gainesville
Standard and Ezpress on the availability o.
ssssafras tea as beverage, when suddenly the
sanctum door swung open and stranger en-
tered. He wore copperas suit, quilted hat oi
the same material, and his homespun shirt was
adorned with loose and flowing collar. His
boots were of the most substantial species and
he imped slightly as he walked. He wore
brass mounted spectacles and carried cane
with neatly polished horn head. His hair
was gray, but his face was ruddy with health
and iocund twinkle shone in his eye. Before
accepting Or invitation to one of the hospita-
bic chairs, ahe visitor looked carefully around
the room, placed his hat on the floor, and eyed
the newspaper man with considerable intensi-
ty. Then be opened the conversation.
"Yourg man, is this the place whar they
print the papers?D p 5Eg.
Werepfied af6rmatively, and offered to sup
port our assertion with the af6davits of any
number Of disinterested persons.
a,"Well, my name is Skaggs-Squire Skaggs,
oc N,,;rratt Tohp ThroShor of Nor.
cross, knows me like book. thought I'd
lest drap in an see how you wuz Citing on. u
We expressed great qualification at meeting
the SQUIRE, and then we called his attention to
the vile attempt of correspondent of the
Gainesville STANDARD and Express to supplant
Hyson and Oolong with sassafras tea. The
Squire looked thoughtful for moment and
then remarked 81
ssThar amt no humbug about sassafac. Next
to hot toddy gimme sassafac. My ole 'oman
keeps It continerly on hand. .Thar's two kind
of sassafae, the white sassafac an the red sas-
safac, an the red is the kind you git the tea
frun,. It's mighty warmin'." .g
Then the Squire paused, adjusted his specta.
cles, leaned back in bis chair and gazed pen
siEely at the life-like portrait of General Lee
which graces the sanctum Of the Morning
Ne,rS. zoo3a a9i5..--..i
aSassafac's good enough in its way, but
drapped in for to see eff ! couldn't git yon to
print little piece in your paper"
We unostentatiously inquired the nature oi
the proposed communication. {.
'sYon see," said the Squire, pitching his
voice t. an exegetical altitude, sit wuz sortel
this way. Last Chuseday wuz a week ago
sailed down to Atlanty with SEWN bags of cot.
ton.- After L sold en-, I kinder loafed roun
lookin' at things in general an feeiin' jest as
happy as you please, when who should I run
agin but eeKurueI Blassingarne. Me am the
Kurnel used To be boys together an we wu5
as thick as Eve kittens in rag basket. We
drunk outen the same goad, an we got the lin
snatched outen ns by the same bandy-leggec
school teacher. wuz gitten as lonesome as s
rain-croU, afore I struck up with the Kurnel
an wuz glad to see him-durned glad. W.
knocked roun' town right smartually, an the
Kurnel interjuced me to whole raft of feller
mighty nice boys they .wuz, too. Arter sup
per the Kurnel says: ..-,z.a
"'Skaggs,' says he, less GO to my room wha
an ondisturbed like
asGreeable,' says I, an We walked squar O
30 am turned into alley an walked up mar
rer. par of stars The Kurnel gin little raj
ct g green door, an slick lookin' meratte
popped out, an axed us in. (, He WIZ the durn
dest perlitest niger you ever seen. He jes
got up an spnn aroup' tike tom cat with be
tail afire The room wrz as fine as a fiddle an
full of picturs an sofys, an the cheers wuz a
saft as lam's wool, an thought to myself tina
the Kurnel wuz lugsuriant cues. Thar wuz
lot of mighty nice fellers scattered roun' .
laffin' an a talkin' quite soshabel like. Aperi
ent. the Kurnel wuzent much sot back, for b,
sorter LATED to himself an then he says:
"'Boys,' says he, i hev fetched up fren'
ledge Hightower, thissis Squire Skaggs, o
Gwinnett. Majer Briggs, Squire Skaggs,' an
30 on all roun'. Then the Kurnel turns to M
an says:
"Reely, I wuzent expectin' company, Skaggs
but the members of the Young Mems Christian
Sosashun make my room their headquarters
81 ups an says wuz mighty glad to NEE
the boys. used to be q Primarily Babtis' my
self afors I got to cussin' the yankees, an
hey always had sorter hankerin' arter piou
folks. They all LATED an shuck hans owe
agin, and we sot thar smokin' an chawin
lest as muchuel as you please. disremembe
how it come up, but presently MaJer Brigg
gifts up an says:
YOU got out the other dayF,
"'Oh,' says the Kurnel, lookin' sorter sheep
ish, 'that WIZ humbug. ! can't make no heat
nor tail outen it,
"'I'll bel kin manage it, says Jedge High
tower, quite animated like.
"I'll show you how, Jedge, with pleasure,
says the Kurnel, an then he went to table
unlocked box an tuck ont deck of keerd
an whole lot of little whatyoumaycallems
similarly to horn buttons, some white an some
red'"
A broad smile illumined the classical fea
lures of the newspaper man, and Squire Skagg!
paused and supplied his tireless jaws with t
fresh quid of tobacco.