Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-16

and lts noise 30 overwhelmed them
that some ned ut the mere sound
But others charged and there was :
fierce battle. which the cannon and
Carpenter Horn finally won.
BADLY SCARED REGIMENT.
Perhaps had better saw. just here.
that while the crackers" in 0eor-
sia and other Southern States are poor
white people and get their names
from harvest labors. corn-buck!ing
or "corn-crsckiing." the Florida
{" cracker" is cowboy. cattle-owner
or cattle dealer and some Of these
men attain considerable wealth..
They take their name from the art
they have Of cracking a long leather
whip, which sounds like shotgun
a. half a miles distance.
The King of the Crackers" tells
with much enjoyment story Of u
troop of regular" United States sol
diers encamped in the Florida hum
mock land during the Indian war
They were resting at night after q
march in this wild jungle like
country, when suddenly a strange
,rumpe,ing note was heard. "Tha.'s
tigerl That's the way they call their
mates!" exclaimed one. Intense
alarm prevailed. No one dreamed
that it was only an owl hootins
Then an old alligator beloved.
That's a lion roaring" some one
else declared. Then came volley
of sharp quick sounds. "Tbem's
muskits, byes.!" said a little Irish
SERGEANT, springing up. THE Indi-
ans fightin' through the woods and
they'll be on US in q 'twinklin'!"
But it was only a party Of cowboys
herring up their cattle and the fame
Of that nights terror went abroad
and nightly amused the crack
ers."
A COMMENTED CAREER.
Jake" who could ride q horse
and crack q whip when he was I
years old, when he was a young man
could WELD q whip eighteen feet long
and only eighteen inches of il
handle. His father gave him
some calves when he was . lad and
Jake" prospered. Thousands of cat
tie belonged to him and as he grew
older, and year by year he sold thou
sands in Cuba and made great profits
on every shipload. The Spaniards
regarded him with wonder-a man
who could't he cheated, who wouldn'l
gamble and who never drank. He
bought lands and built wharves, he
came TO his own houses and lakes
and grows of orange and lemon
trees. Stories of his riches began tC
be repeated and he came to be called
the king Of the Crsckers"-a name
which nightly pleases him, for he il
proud Of his early hardships aud dan
gers. He dresses. lives. talks and
trades as a poor man might. but he
defends the cause Of the fatherless
against the land shark as only rich
man can.
Queer stories are told Of him and
of other rich cattle dealers in South
Florida. Credible witnesses state
that in the rude log cabins Of these
men uncounte1 wealth lies uncon
cealed. MANY have seen the King
OF the Crackers" in his blue shirt and
rough trousers. paying out money
from peck Of gold pieces heaped ON
a rude pine table. Fat Spanish dou
blooms, each gold piece worth more
than $l5, are bundled into corn
sack and left 10 lie in a corner or are
stuffed into the sleeves of an old
checked homespun shirt or are given
by the tin cupful to a Child to play
with. Oldt:gar boxes. tin meat cans.
and old meat cans are favOrite hold
crs of money for the Florida cattle.
men. These articles will probably
be set on q rafter or pokcd into a
chink behind door-frsme. None
seem To take much care Of mere mo.
ney. They know some men are mean
enough to steal calves and put on
them the wrong brand, bat who
would be mean enough to steal do!
lars and cents?
Prouder Of his nickname-or title
than Of his money. the King OF
the Crackers" who hoes his own
garden and waters his pet mule with
perhaps an ostentatious humility,
makes his boast of lack of all pre-
tensions. I'm nothin' but cracker
don't you see!" he would say, paus
ing as be leads along the old white
mule. Il dent try to ape The qnali
ty. / amt worn coat ia twenty
year, I amt set,in' for q fine gentle
man. My old blue trousers and ms
Old check shirt suits me-and a
good pair of stout gallowses. Rain
nor shine, l don't want any more;
my boys can dress up in store clothes
II IL suits 'em--go to collcge-taIl,
big; I'm goin' ~ jest this way till
drop in my tracks. Tm goin' tn
work when please and play when !
please and be what | please-nothin
under the sun but a na,ive.borp, sun
baked old Florida cracker"