The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1883-02-01
Spinning Yarn Which Disguised an Old
Settler

81 don't suppose there's anyone here
who would ever think of doubling the
word of old Squire Overted, is there 2"
enquired the sheriff.
"Why 2" promptly responded the old
settler, Strengthening up in his chair. 1t
was plain that he had suspicion in bis
mind, but did not care to act upon it
without further information.
"Well, said the sheriff. 1.-The last time
| saw the squire he told me very re-
markable story, and-"
"Thats it," shouted the old settler
Thar you be | knowd it, boys: b
| gosh; | knoV'd it, He's goanter spring
Il lie agn us eZ II make Annynias and
Sapiry turn over, an ec wants to lay it
to poor ole Squire Overted-po0r ole
| Squire Oyerted, ez is been playin on
| harp fur twenty year, an never tole lie
in his life. Gosht 'lmighty' 1t makes me
wish I'd ben born a-well, born a tenn
per'nce lect'rer, boys, an was here say
IN; 'Ietch not, taste not, handle not
stead O gittin' up, as I'm goanter, an
sayin', Yes, b gosh, boys, I'll iine ye ="
"But this story is ripper" said the
sheriff, after they had all sat down again,
land if any body else had told it but the
old squire I'D have been a little shaky of
It. As near as | can remember it, there
was family named Mushback lived over
back Of Ball Hill"
'Look a yer, shurt, interrupted the
Old settler, 'this amt the time O year
fur me to 90 a rain no muss with no.
body, Christmas a comm on so clus. an
everybody a feelin good. Me an You s
lived nelghb0rs a good while, an my ole
woman an yOur'n S borrowed so many
things O one another oft an on an to an
fro that mlne can't tell Whuthcr it's y0ur'n
eZ owes her a pair o tlatir0ns or Whuther
its her ez owes y0ur'n cup O ginger,
the hett O evidence bein'. hoWsumever,
that the t1atirOns is due But that amt
neither yer nor thar. don't want to
raise no muss, but | can tell You right
yer, b gosh, an I'm a layin it out to YOU
with a straight edge, that they amt no
durn man ez trapeses this county. slurf
nur 10 shurt, neighbor nur no neighbor,
ez kin sit up when I'm on the taps an
throw up to me what any o the Mush-
backs done. ! want Yer to unerstan', h
gosh, that | had aunt ez married a
Mushback, an | won't have 30 one a
lyin' about EN-. What Il We want come
yer FUR anyway, an rake up them ole
MuShback scrapes ez was furgot forty
yeals ago They was good many
things laid to EN- ez they never done,
an III bate it's Jest one o them you've
got holt on likely ez not that consarn-
ed lie bout Uncle Harp Mushback bein'
ketched one night leadin' hoss cz
didn't b'long to him, which the hoss were
loaded with a passel O mutton that had
ben in Solly Clutes' spring house when
Solly went to bed that night But give
ye warnin', shur, don't We say nothin'
| agin the Mushbacks, or I'll make things
howl round yer tonight, and the loudest
thingll be You, b gosht 'lmghty"
But, major" said the sheriff, "this
amt any story about Mushbacks. don't
know anything about the Mushbacks
Its about a man that bought house of
family by that name"
"Don't care" said the old settler
''The Mushbacks is mixed up in it, an
it'll be a lie, anyhow, if you tell it, an |
won't have it,
"See here, sheriff. said the county
clerk, you'd better put that story off.
I've heard you tell it twice. anyway, an
the last time you told it you got it quite
little different from the first time Take
week and think it up, an III tell story
tonight myself"
"Ihar" exclaimed the old settler.
| beamlng with satisfaction, 'now We'll
get sunthn' ez'll wash. Vein sure O.
straight goods now, boys, an we won't
have to 90 home tonight feelin' that all
men is liars. Go on, ole man. Prewari-
cation is the thief o. time"
And the old settler lay back in his chair
with closed eyes and smile on his face,
and waited for the county clerks straight
goods, which were measured off as fol-
lows
big Hickory Hollow amt the place it
used to be, even twenty-five years ago.
The old stock of people that once lived
there is all run out, and the scrub oak
has levied on most everything there is
there. But take it sixty years ago"
'I'm durn sorry this is a second hand
yarn" said the old settler, opening his
eyes and looking disappointed. "But,
then, ocourse. you got it from yer family
atore yer, an that's good 'nough recon
| demnation fur it," And the smile came
back to the old settlers face.
''But take it sixty years ago" contin-
ued the county clerk, without making any
declaration as to his authorities, "and Big
Hickory Hollow was about as clipper a
settlement as there was between the head
of the Bushkil and the narrows of the
Lackawack. There was some curious
people scattered through that corner of
the country, though, and Curly Ben Tee
ter was one of the queerest of the lot.
They called him Curly Ben because he
wore two curls, nearly foot long, one in
| front OF each ear Ben was about as
tough tighter as the Hollow could turn
out, although it was a tOlerablv even
thing between him and Hipe Sloppen-
| sitter, who lived on the clearing next but
one to Curlys. Curly never missed a
dance, stone troic, wedding, fune-
raj, or lawsuit that came off within a
days walk of his cabin. He'd 90 further,
though, to get in a lawsuit than for any
thing else. The principal reason for that,
they used to say, was because lawsuits
were always held at the tavern, and
whenever Curly Ben struck tavern he
was Just moving in society, and no mis-
take. They always knew when he was
looking for a fight. 1t came on 10y de-
grees First he'd throw one curl over be-
hind his ear. Then he was beginning to
get mad. BY and by he'd flop t'other curl
over t'other ear. Then he was awful
mad, and the boys that wasn't game
would begin to drop out the bar-room.
But when he tied the curls in hard knot
behind his head the business was in, and
he'd fight as long as there was anybody
left, or until the curls came united. When
they got loose the fight was done, for it
wasn't etiquette in Big Hickory Hollow
to hit Ben after his hair came loose.
When the muss was ended Curly'd get
over his mad gradually by bringing first
one and then t'other curl back to the
front of his ears. Then he'd ask every
one in the house to have a drink, and
away he'd pike for home.
"When Curly Ben Teeter first struck
the Hollow he'd been married fifteen
years. His eldest child was daughter
by the name of Keturah. but they called
her ketu Curly's clearing was at the
foot of steep, barren ridge, about one
! hundred feet high, and his cabin was