The Goldsboro star. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1881-18??, 1882-01-07
,t-~
( LEAF FROM THE DIARY
OF A TRAMP.

var Oh an OctODcT owe, III lno yCai
q, when We bid orr father and friends
: .lieu, and left our Indiana home for Q
southern Cline. We travelled through the
s7stes Of Kentucky, Tennessee. Alabama,
brgia, and even in the wild and alli-
Ng.tor portions of Florida, without fear or
IL oleslatlon. Imagination and concelt
was well lnstilled into our mind, and we
fonounctd ourself the hero OF the day.
ljLt then u eie is time in mans lire
when all egotistical notions will be
Knocked ont of him higher than kite.
Our Bravery and herolsm has long left
us, and we have given up all adventurous
ideas. We had occasion at ono time to
travel through Colquitt county, Georgia.
lhis county, though having barren and
dssolate-llke appearance, is noted for
ns extensive gopher mines. We suppose
tho majoli:y OF people in this country
know what II gopher is; and those that
don't know, should get Il copy of
l,an croita Natural History and post
+. themselves on this particular subject.
We are informed that the gopher ii sumo
what on the terrapin order, which
makes lis habitatlon under the
ground, and is used by the citizens of
Inc above named county as acurrency
and any person, or persons passing, or
attempting TO pass, any money OF monies,
other Than the gopher, which Ii used
az a legal currency in that particular
county, shall be deemed guilty Of q cap
ital offence These MINES are worked
annually, and as soon as a sniff
Gent number of gophers arc captured,
4lhe mine cease 10 run. Tho gopher is
then taken TO Moultrie, the feat of gov
ernment, and goes through legal process
4 Of engraving. On its back is carved the
court house and the group of county otii
ciale, each one of the latter having the
[sppeaHance of mutilated pipe-stem fac
tory; on its crawling propensity is the
piclnfe OF an nronaut sailing in bal
A)oon, which means that il man attempts
Ito pass any money that is not legal IN
|. Colquitt county, should prepare himself
! 10 meet his God. IL was on bright Mon
day morning in the month of January,
&c, when VIC arrived at the village OF Moui-
Bic The place where we lost our bravery
And imagination. Moultrle has popula-
Sslien Of abont fifty inhabitants, has one
na mercantile establishment, seven
lysnared and eighteen dogs, which act as
Nit policemen, and one barroom and
Az store combined. What possessed
nsVQdrift into that place, We cannot say,
budwe suppose God knows. Upon our
arrival at the village, and feelingAomewhat
ia.led and broken down from long
and tVksome journey, We went into the
mercantile establishment, sat down on u
hox, sW entered into a conversation With
the meNbant. Presentlyaman with q large
sack thivwn over his right shoulder came
into the Slore to make some purchases.
While tEe merchant vent behind the
counter IL wait upon his customer, we
lAwtre left done TO gaze upon the tobacco
painted portraits which hui & on the wall.
After tho nan got through purchasing his
l Articles Of Merchandise, he opened his
sac, took tlarefrom large-sized gopher
and presentedjt 10 the business man
behind the coulter, whereupon the mer-
plaat proceededto give his customer the
lrppsr change, which consisted OF four