Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-02-03
The Mountain Men.

A correspondent of Northern paper
has been writing series of interesting
sketches from the South. In passing
through Alabama no foil in with two
men from the mountain country, whom
he thus introduces to the reader.
Tho mountain men are very friendly
to strangers. They are incessant takers,
and funny, very funny in their quiet,
sober way. When l was on my route to
Dahlonega two mountaineers, gaunt,
fnli-benrded, long-haired, who were
dressed in butternut-colored clothes
homemade cloth, l judged-got in the
car and took seats behind me. They
settled themselves nicely, took q chew
of tobacco apiece, and then, comfortably
fixed for talk, the taller of the two
said, Lets see, John, 1 amt seen you
since the surrender" "No more you
have, Hank, " was the reply. There was
not another word uttered about the war.
Sitting looking out Of the window at
the prosperous country, / overheard
most Of their talk. 1t drifted sedately
from moonshine whiskey to improved
firearms, and back again to moonshiners.
Hank, in reply to Johns inquiry as to
''old man johnson" who, l gather. was
engaged in the business OF moonshining,
soberly told of his fate. "You sec, he
and old man Bascome bought q SOW TO.
gether a year ago Inst October. They
were partners like. The beast ran wild
in tho woods. This Fall they drove he,
up to the still house, and she and hei
seven shoats lived on the Stops OF the
still. Along in early December johnson
sent word to Bascome to come over to di.
vide the young stock, as he wanted to
kill his meat. Now, yon know that ii
would have been but fair, seeing that
johnson had fed the pigs, for him ia
have kept four of the shoats, but Bias
come, be talked him out of four, and
the old man was satisfied with three
The understanding was that he was I,
have the odd pig next year If thor,
should be one. Bascome allowed there
would be one sure. Well, old woman
johnson, when she heard of the trade
she allowed there would be no odd pig
next year, and she put Johnson up Ia
20 and claim the shoat, or at least to
get one half of it. The old chap he
went across the ridge to Bascome's
house. II Is about two miles through
the woods. OF course they fell out, and
johnson beat Baseome with n club, and
lie yelled for help. You know his gal
Bet! Nog She is as big MS COW and as
strong as a mule. She ran out of the
house, and, gathering stone, she
mashed johnson in the ribs, and knocked
the wind out of him. He fell up against
the corn house, and Bet grabbed him by
the goozelstring (windpipe); that settled
him. When 250-pound woman gets
her hand on n mans goozelstring that
man has got to do something mighty
sudden or its all day with him." He
was silent for an instant, and
gaxed modify out of the car
window. | Judged from the expression
on his face that he had had experience
with 250.pound women. He cheerod a
little shortly, and resuming the, to me,
thrilling story, said; "Johnson squirmed
away from her and broke for the timber
Bets blood was up, and she took after
him, She set big yellow hound on
him, and he bit old johnson. Bet
chased him over the ridge, and at every
jump she threw stones at him. She hit
him, too, and the dog tore most of his
clothes of. That Bet never stopped
chasing him until the heft Of her clothes
was snagged off of her." Musingly he
remarked. "Wimmin is tough custom.
ers;" and, after short pause, added;
''Bet says she can whip the stuffing out
of him in a fair fist fight; but Lord
John, he can't fight no more. He is all
mashed up" Soberly John expressed
his sympathy for old man johnson.
Neither of them smiled. A vision of a
half-nakcd man, chased through the
forest by yellow hound and an angry
woman, who knowingly threw stones NJ
him, and who encouraged the dog tc
disrobe him. and who kept up the chase
until her own clothes We're gone, arose
promptly before me, and yelled with
laughter. The two grave Georgians
smiled in sympathy with me, but they
did not see anything funny in the story.