Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-08-31
THE SOUTHERN CRACKER.
SOME OF THE rEcULrAR1r1Es OF PECULIAR
prourp

iNiebi"o 'Hh' BauhIi loOse-JOnted man,
with long grizzled hair, deep-set eyes that
glow like Goals of living fire, high square
shoulders, STOPPING, slouching gait skin
wrinkled and dirty beyond description; hands
and feet immense, the former grimy and with
protrudng knuckles, the latter encased in
cowhde boots with soles an inch thick and of
astonishing width clothes beside which Jo-
sephs coat would sink into insigniicance, 80
covered are they with patches of divers colors
this is a South Carolina "craoker" In tho
region about Greenville, the headquarters of
the Illicit dstillers, these specimens of human
ity are called 'tackeys"; about Aiken and
Charleston they are known as "sandhillers,"
while here, in the capital of the state, they
are 'crackers," the name being derived,
doubtless from the fact when they come ITO
town" on state occasions they subsst upon
crackers and cheese. The "cracker" wears
his trousers in his boots, big slouch hat, and,
when the crops are good, a cotton shirt; but
when the cotton is thin he wears a dirty red
flannel. He comes to town in big wagon
that is guiltless of springs and has a cover of
white cotton to keep off the sun. In this We
hicle he lives when he leaves home, carrying
therein his cooking utensils, his bed aud his
whiskey, and usually his wife and children.
The female 'crackers" are in themselves a
study. They have many of tho mems char
acterics. They are buxum, dirty and ugly,
and, it goes without saying, ignorant. Out
side Of the towns of South Carolina news.
papers are rarely read iliterate people are
to be found on all the FARMS To illustrate
this: A CRACKER about 30 years old came
to minister in Greenville not long ago, ac.
companied by young girl of about 20, who
was dressed in faded calico dress After
some hemming aud having, the man stated
that they desired to be married The matri-
monial knot WAS tied instanter, but when the
divine came to make out certificate u diff
Guilty arose. When the man was asked his
name he replied John" "But what is your
other name p asked the clergyman. 81 amt
got no other name" was the somewhat start.
ling reply. but what is your fathers name?"
'Peter." "Well, what do you call him when
you don't call him Peter 2" persisted the min.
lister, thinking he had surely struck the right
track now. 1--WE calls him pop" was the
answer, given in a that-settes the. matter tone.
The clergyman questioned further, but with
| no satisfactory result and what was his amaze.
ment to find that the bride did not know her
| family name, either. In order to make out
the certificate the minister was obliged to use
the legal names Doe and Roe and the couple
went away, after paying the fee of fifty cents
There is a field for missionary work in South
Carolina among these people, where immoral
| ity reigns
The first Monday in every month is ''sales
| day" in South Carolina. All the "crackers"
| come to town in their big wagons drawn usu.
| ally by COW and a mule yoked together.
They camp out in the suburbs, milk the COW,
and drink the lacteal fluid as they MUNICH their
crackers and cheese. They form picturesque
| camp these hundreds of semi-barbarians, with
their quaint dialect their singular attire, and
their novel way of living. Every man brings
| all his oldest scrub stock to trade" "swop,"
they call it here. How old is yer mule ?"
asks one. ''Seven year OIL come hayin' time"
want Z swop for my COW 2 "Will you
| swop even p with twinkle in the corner OF
his eye at the prospect of getting rid of
mule that could kick higher, bite harder and
"buck" more viciously than any 'critter" in
| three counties. 81 reckon you're too anxious
| to swop," is the response, az the owner Of the
COW tickles the mules heels with rye straw
| and just got out of the way in time to escape
g kick that spintered the whffietree of the
wagon into a hundred pieces, while the two
men parted, one grinning, the other rather
| thoughtful and solemn.
The Crackers" greeting when he meets
one of his own class is peculiar az well as
amusing "Howdy 7" asks the first. ''Tol-
Bile, thankee howdy yerself?" replies num-
Der two. "Torbe how's Marian p "Prut.
ty torble." "Hows Roxanny?' Pretty
torble, too" "Well, bows tn childun 2"
"Torble." That's good how's all ?"
This last question is invariably asked after
each one of the family has been separately in
| quired for, and the fami lies are always Eume-
rous.
Marriages are OF always solemnized among
these people. If man sees a woman that he
| likes and she lakes a shine to him"-as they
express t-they often do not deem a minis
| ters services necessary, since under the state
laws a marriage is legal if solemnized by any
layman il the presence of witnesses. Some
weddings do not go as "merry as a marriage
|
cit dstilers, comes this refreshing incident;
| The illiterate psrson was marrying two of
the "crackers," the bridegroom schoolmas-
ter. Said the minister
| "An' them uns who God has jined togeth-
or let no man"
"Stop right yere, dominic" said the edu-
Gated bridegroom. Don't say them uns )
say these uns'."
| 'I don't take no back talk from you uns, "
retorted the minister, land l say again them
uns'."
"These uns!" shouted the bridegroom,
drawing a revolver from his hip pocket.
"Them uns" screamed the minister, shoot
lug through his surplico and winging the
bridegroom.
Then followed a volley of shots, during
which the bride retired to an adjoining room.
When quiet reigned once more she emerged
from her concealment and remarked to the
assembled crowd:
"These ere grammars is playin the very
OIL Nick with my prospects"
Both the men livod, though they have not
met since. The minister still says them
uns," while the lsyman declares that as soon
as he can get some of the cold lead out OF his
body he will demonstrate that these uns' il
correct.
There are cases reported occasionally where
one of these 'crackers" makes his own di-
voroe laws. II his wife does not suit him he
trades her of to a neighbor either for another
or for provisions. This is not often done,
fortunately, although a case occurred in Ches-
terfeld county not long since aud another in
Lancaster county about a year ago The
Chesterfield man got bale of cotton, cask
of corn whiskey, pair of boots and dog
for his wife, who is said to have been good
looking woman the Lancaster man traded
for another wife and kerosene lamp, with a
hand painted shade ito boot" Two weeks
later the other man offered him 81 80 to trade
back again. saying that the woman not only
ate too much, but she stole the furniture and
pawned it for whiskey, These stories are
vouched for by the local newspapers.