The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-10-05
THE ARKANSAW TRAVELLER,
THE ORIGINAL AMUSING STORY.

me original Arkans3W Traveller was
not precisely the same character that
Frank Chanfrau presents on the stage.
In fact, his name was not Kit" but
SANDY" and he never had wife
killed and child stolen from him dur
ing his terrestrial existence. The Ar
kansaw Travellers name was Colonel
Sandy Faulkner, and he was born in
Georgetown, Ky, in 1903. A CORES
pondent says he came to Arkansas in
1929, and settled in Chicot County, on
the Mississippi River, rs a cotton plant
er. In 1889 Colonel Faulkner, with his
fatftcr, the late Nicholas Faulkner,
Virsinian by birth, took up his resi-
dence in Little Rock, where he died
August 4, 1874, at the age of seventy
one years.
1t was well-known throughout the
Northwest that Colonel Faulkner was
the original personator of the Arkansaw
Traveller-it was his pride to be known
as such. The story, it is said, was
founded on a little incident which oc-
Cured in the campaign OF 1910, when
he made the tour OF the State in COM
pany with the Hon. A. H. Sewer. Gov
ernor Fulton, Chester Ashley. and Gov
ernor Yell. One day in the Boston
Mountain the party approached q squat
ter's for information of the route, and
Colonel Sandy was made spokesman of
the company, and it was upon his witty
responses the tune and story were
founded.
On returning to Little Rock, grand
banquet was given in the famous "bar-
ROOM which used to stand near the
Anthony House, and Colonel Sandy
was called upon to play the tune and
tell the story. Afterward it grew into
popularity. When he subsequently went
to New Orleans, the fame Of the Arkan-
saw Traveller had gone ahead of him,
and at banquet, amid clinking glasses
and brilliant toasta, he was handed q
violin by the. then Governor of Louisi-
ana, and requested to favor them with
his favorite Arkansas tune. At the old
ST. Charles Hotel special room was
devoted to his use, bearing in gilt let
ters over the door, s'Arkansaw Travel
lcr."
The following is the best-authenti-
Gated account of the dialogue between
Faulkner, the Traveller and the
squatter:
Traveller. Halloo, stranger.
Squatter. Hello yourself.
r. Can l get to stay all night with
youP
S. No, sir; you can't git to
Z. Have you any spirits hereP
S. Lots NV 'em; Sal seen one last
night by that ar ole holler gum, and it
nearly skeered her to death.
+. You mistake my meaning; have
you any liquor?
8. Had some yesterday, but Ole
Bose he got in and Tapped all NV it out n
the pot.
T. You don't understand; l don't
mean pot liquor. I'm wet and cold,
and want some whisky. Have you got
anye
S. 0, yes-I drunk the last this
mornin'.
T. I'm hungry; haven't had thing
since morning; can't you give me some
thing to eat?
S. Hain't burned thing in the
house Not moutful NV meat, nor q
dust Nv meal here.
7. Well, can't you give my horse
something's
s. Got nothin' to feed him on.
T. How far is it to the next house?
s. Stranger, don't know; I've never
been thar.
T. Well, do you know who lives
hereP
S. Yes, sir.
T. As am 50 bold, then, what might
your name beP
8. 1t might be Dick, and might be
Tom; but IL lacks right smart Nv it.
T. Sir! will you tell me where this
road goes to?
S. It's never gone anywhar since
I've lived here It's always thar when
get up in the mornin'.
r. Well, how far is it to where il
forksP
S. 1t don't fork at all; but it split:
m like the devil.
TT. AS I'm not likely to get to any
9th er house tonight, can't you let me
slee, in yours? And I'll tie my horse
70 tree and do without any thing tx
eat or drink.
s. Ny house leaks. Thar's only ont
dry spo in it, and me and Sal sleeps OF
it. And that thar tree is the old wo
mans nsrsimmon; you can't tie TO it
'caze she'don't want 'em shuk Off Sh'
lows to make beer out'n n EN-.
T. Why don't you finish covering
YOUR house and stop the leaksP
S. It's been rainin' all day.
T. Well, why don't you do it in Or.
weather?
S. 1t don't Leak, then.
L. As there seems to be nothln:
alive about your place but children, HOY
do YOU do here, anyhow
S. Putty well, THANK you. How d
you DO yourself9
T. I mean, what do you do for
living herep
s. Keep tavern, and sell whisky.
4 r. Wen, told you that l wRnte
| some whisky.
S. Stranger, | bought bari NOR
a week ago. You zee, me end .Sa
went share Arter we got IT here "
only had q bit betweenst Us, -and Sal sh
didn't want 30 use hern fust, not 70
mine. You see, had q spiEgin m on
end, and she in t'ether. So she takeB
drink out'n my end, and pays me th
sbat for #; then I'd take one out'n herr
] and give her the bit. Well, we's ge
F! ,tinr 'long fust-rate till Dick, durne